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–+ servings

Frog Eye Salad

Frog eye salad is a sweet and creamy dish made with acini di pepe pasta, which gives the salad its distinctive appearance. Similar to an ambrosia salad, this dessert-style pasta dish includes pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, shredded coconut, and mini marshmallows. This Midwestern dish is served at family potlucks and holiday celebrations, and it's always a hit. 
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ancini di pepe pasta (uncooked)
  • 1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits (reserve 1/2 cup juice from can)
  • 1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges (drained)
  • 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
  • 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • maraschino cherries (optional, for serving)

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta. In a large saucepan, cook the acini de pepe pasta according to the package directions, except skip the traditional amount of salt included when making pasta. For this recipe, we only want to use a small pinch to balance all the sweetness in the salad.
    When the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse the pasta until cooled. If preparing ahead of time, toss with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.
  • Whip up the pudding. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat pudding mix, milk and reserved pineapple juice. Continue to whip until pudding has set, this will take about 5 minutes.
  • Mix it up. Add the fruits, marshmallows and cooled pasta to the mixing bowl with the pudding. Stir to combine, then fold in the cool whip.
  • Chill. When everything is well combined, pop the dish in the fridge to chill. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour (preferably 2 - 3 hours) before serving.
  • Garnish and serve. Serve the salad cold and top each serving with a maraschino cherry.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal Carbohydrates: 29g Protein: 3g Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g Trans Fat: 0.01g Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 69mg Potassium: 112mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 19g Vitamin A: 56IU Vitamin C: 4mg Calcium: 36mg Iron: 0.3mg