Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad
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Ingredients
- 8 ounce package cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3.4 ounce package instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding
- 1 cup pineapple juice from the can of pineapple below
- 1 pound strawberries sliced
- 1 cup green or red grapes halved
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks drained
- 3 kiwis peeled and sliced
- 1 banana sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer whip the cream cheese until fluffy.
- Add the pudding mix and pineapple juice and beat until smooth.
- In a large bowl add your strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, kiwis and banana.
- Gently toss the cream cheese mixture with the fruit.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Tips, Tricks & Storage
Use Cold Fruit Fruit straight from the fridge helps the dressing set properly and keeps the salad nice and cool. Drain the Canned Fruit Well Pineapple and mandarin oranges hold a lot of juice. Draining them prevents extra liquid from thinning the dressing. Fold, Don't Stir Stirring too aggressively can smash the fruit or cause it to break into pieces. Folding gently keeps everything pretty and intact. Add Bananas Just Before Serving If using bananas, add them right before serving so they stay fresh and don't brown. Chill Before Serving If making it ahead of a party, you can chill this salad for an hour or so, if needed. It lets the flavors blend. Don't leave it for too long, though, or the salad will get watery. Storage You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but the fruit will let off some juice, and the salad will become more watery. If this happens, give it a gentle fold before serving to refresh it.Substitutions & Variations
This recipe is incredibly flexible, and it's easy to adjust based on what you have on hand. You can mix up the fruit with whatever you enjoy — strawberries, blueberries, peaches, grapes, and kiwi all taste amazing here. Really, you can add any fruit that you like. For extra richness, add toasted coconut, pecans, or chopped macadamia nuts. You can also add mini marshmallows for a fun, fluffy twist or stir in a handful of crushed pineapple for more sweetness throughout. Small swaps can transform the flavor, so feel free to make it your own each time.Private Notes
Servings: 8 people
