Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese is lightly sweet with lots of fresh citrus tang. It’s a creamy and bright side dish that balances heavier dishes and sauces in a meal. It’s delicious!
Lime jello salad is a retro recipe that is a nostalgic tribute to the moms and grandmas of the 1960s. It always had a place on the table at picnics, potlucks, and holiday family gatherings.
This simple, green jello salad was a favorite whether we were celebrating in the heat of summer or adding a touch of soft color and sweetness to the Thanksgiving or Christmas menus.
Sometimes known as Seafoam Salad, the traditional Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese is a little TOO sweet for my personal taste. So, I’ve put my own twist on this vintage lime jello salad and I think you’re gonna love it.
My changes bring a fresher citrus flavor front and center. It gets its tang from lime juice and from mayo. This version of lime cottage cheese jello salad is creamy and light. The flavors have natural brightness and zing from fruit juice and zest. Cottage cheese salad with lime jello will tantalize your tastebuds with a variety of textures, too.
A side dish that only takes ten minutes to put together is hard to beat! After that, your fridge does all the work. This lime jello recipe does need at least two hours to chill.
My Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese recipe is easy to make, and just like my Strawberry Cottage Cheese Salad, it brings lightness and sweet-tart flavor that enhances any main dish on your dinner table.
The Ingredients
- Lime Gelatin Mix
- Cottage Cheese, small curd
- Crushed Pineapple (and reserved juice)
- Lime Juice
- Mayonnaise
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
Is Jello Really a Salad?
Gelatin (Jello) “salads” have been around for a LONG time, but truly reached their peak of popularity in the 1960s. They were an inexpensive way to add a unique side dish to any meal. And everyone loved the sweet contrast with savory dishes on the table.
Plus, home cooks could use up the fruit or vegetables they already had on hand. It was an economical way to make a dish that looked “fancy”. Jello salads from that era were often set in molds so they seemed special.
Their popularity was centered mostly in the United States. And the name salad came more from the appearance. Gelatin “salads” usually contained chopped bits of fruit, vegetables, cheese and nuts of varying colors and textures (much like a traditional salad).
So, are jello salads really salad? You’ll have to decide. I’m a child of the 60s, so for me Jello can be salad. lol
FAQs
Yes. It can be made up to 3 days ahead.
Keep it covered and it should keep four to five days in the fridge.
Not really. The flavor and texture of cottage cheese is changed considerably if frozen.
Sure. Be sure to select a fresh fruit juice that compliments the flavor you’ll be using.
Yes, of course. Although the nuts provide a textural crunch they can be left out. And I have seen some recipes that use walnuts. Choose the nuts you prefer.
What to Serve with Lime Jello Salad
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
- BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe in Your Slow Cooker
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets, Quick Easy & Delicious
- Easy Crock Pot Cube Steak
- Walking Taco Casserole Recipe (Frito Pie)
- Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe, 5-Ingredient Simple
How to Make Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese
- Add the fresh lime juice to the pineapple juice and then add enough water to make 2 full cups.
- Heat the diluted juice in the microwave. It doesn’t have to boil, but it does need to be VERY hot so the jello powder can fully dissolve.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, dissolve gelatin in the very hot juice. Stir until the gelatin crystals are fully dissolved and the liquid is clear.
- Stir the condensed milk, pineapple, cottage cheese, mayo and pecans into the gelatin. I use a whisk to break up any clumps of mayo and to fully incorporate everything. The mixture will be creamy, but thin and there will still be cottage cheese curds floating through it.
- Cover with plastic wrap or the baking dish lid and refrigerate.
- Chill until fully set (at least 2 hours).
- Garnish with lime and/or lemon zest, if desired. This is optional, but it really amps up the fresh citrus flavor. We love it!
- Spoon the salad from the baking dish or cut it into squares to serve.
The Recipe
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Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Lime Jello Salad With Cottage Cheese is easy & delicious. It’s a light, refreshing side dish that brings citrus zip & brightness to any meal. It’s easy to make and if you love cottage cheese you’ll enjoy this salad.
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
- 3 (3 oz.) boxes lime gelatin
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cups cottage cheese, small curd
- 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- optional, lime and/or lemon zest
Instructions
- Drain pineapple and reserve the juice.
- Add the fresh lime juice to the pineapple juice and then add enough water to make 2 full cups.
- Heat the diluted juice in the microwave. It doesn’t have to boil, but it does need to be VERY hot so the jello powder can fully dissolve.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, dissolve gelatin in the very hot juice. Stir until the gelatin crystals are fully dissolved and the liquid is clear.
- Stir the condensed milk, pineapple, cottage cheese, mayo and pecans into the gelatin. I use a whisk to break up any clumps of mayo and to fully incorporate everything. The mixture will be creamy, but thin and there will still be cottage cheese curds floating through it.
- Cover with plastic wrap or the baking dish lid and refrigerate.
- Chill until fully set (at least 2 hours).
- Garnish with lime and/or lemon zest, if desired. This is optional, but it really amps up the fresh citrus flavor. We love it!
- Spoon the salad from the dish or cut into squares to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Category: Side Dish, Salad
- Method: cold prep
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
I’m a millenial but I’m all about jello salads! If you like cranberry sauce with turkey, you’ll like this sweet and tangy salad alongside your summer BBQ. I appreciate how quick and easy this is to prep and I never have to worry about someone else bringing the same dish as me to the potluck.
Hi Jessica! That’s awesome. And I agree, this is one you’ll be sharing the recipe for often.
This lime jello salad with cottage cheese was so delicious. I love the light sweetness this gives, plus the whole family loved it!
My mom was delighted when she saw what I brought over for dinner last night, she loves jello salads! I really liked how sweet and savoury it was and it was so easy to make. I think next time we are going to have it with some smoked ribs, can’t wait!
I had to make this because it reminded me of this jello salad my grandma used to make when I was young. It turned out really good and reminded me of her. Thanks for the nostalgic recipe!
This is such a good recipe. I’ve made it twice, and both times it was delicious. It’s so simple to make and tastes great.