For the bulk of my four-decade-plus life I’ve despised an ambrosia salad. How the gods would have eaten this canned and artificially-sweet mush of blandness is beyond me. In my older age, however, my tastes have changed and evolved. Things I once derided I now enjoy – pineapple, for instance, and coconut – and so when a Watergate salad recipe made a splash online recently, the kitschy green pastels and 70’s-era ingredients appealed to my sense of nostalgia, and I decided to give the ambrosia another go.
The recipe I based this on was one for Watergate salad, and I added elements of what Andy could recall from his Mom’s ambrosia salad recipe. The result is a hybrid that is now part of our planned Easter lunch festivities, thanks to its fluffy sweetness and pretty pastel color. Modify as desired.
Ambrosia x Watergate salad for Easter Garishness
- 1 package pistachio pudding mix
- 1 can crushed pineapple (liquid too)
- 1 container thawed Cool Whip (mandatory for any kitsch recipe)
- 1 cup marshmallows (the tiny kind, not the big-ass smores kind)
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts (optional)
Method: Mix all the shit together and stir.
