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America's Melting Pot
Ambrosia Salad hero image coming soon
Postwar & Diner Age - Southern church-supper cooks adapting ambrosia for potlucks
A midcentury-style fruit salad with pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, and a creamy dressing.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
1 hour 15 minutes including chilling
Servings
8
Region
Midwest and Great Plains
Era introduced
Postwar & Diner Age
Introduced by
Southern church-supper cooks adapting ambrosia for potlucks
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Ambrosia salad is where older citrus-and-coconut ambrosia meets the 20th-century American potluck. Canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, and whipped topping made the dish quick, sweet, and reliable for church suppers and holiday tables. Whether a family calls it salad or dessert usually depends on the bowl it is served in and the decade the recipe came from.
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