Watergate Salad

Added 20 oz crushed pineapple and the whole 8 oz whipped topping container as many sugested. I took this to a baby shower and as soon as i put it on the table i saw someone else had brought one also. I was a little dissapointed about that BUT as i saw more and more people going to my bowl over and over and saying "whatever this is, it's good!" i knew the bowl was going to be empty soon. When we cleaned up at the end of the shower , my bowl was in fact empty and the other lady's was almost full. I felt a little bad about that, but hey, if it's better what can you do? LOVE the nuts in it!

This is a good recipe that needs some modifications. To get the pineapple to pudding mix ration right, I make it with a 20 ounce can of fruit with two boxes of pudding, adding double the whipped cream. Sometimes it is good to add coconut as well.

Easy and so good! I would add more pineapple than called for - I used a 20-oz. can of (unsweetened) pineapple chunks. The second time I made this, I wanted to make it less soupy (adding all the juice was just too much liquid), so I drained the entire 20-oz. can of pineapple (chunks) into a measuring cup, then added 1/2 cup juice to the pudding. Letting it sit overnight is key, as it will taste too much like unprepared pudding if you don't. I used pecans instead of walnuts, and cut down on the amount (used 1/4 cup instead of 1/2), and would do that again. I also used the entire 8-oz. tub of whipped topping. Thanks for the recipe!

I changed it a bit, and it came out awesome, I had tons of requests at a baby shower for this recipe. Here it is.....2 (3.4 oz) packages of instant pistachio pudding, 2 (20oz) cans of crushed pineapple, drained (1/4 cup reserved juice), 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1(16 oz) cool whip, thawed. Fold all ingredients into the cool whip and chill for several hours. Yum!!

Exactly as I remember my great aunts! Make sure to us pineapple in juice NOT the pinapple in syrup it makes it WAY TOO SWEET (I learned the hardway)

Took to a potluck. Changes: 20oz can of pineapple. Drained juice into large bowl, beat together with 4oz cream cheese and pudding mix. Folded in whole container of French Vanilla CoolWhip. Added pineapple, strawberries, mandarin oranges, marshmallows and pecans instead of walnuts.

This recipe calls for the juice, we hated this and it looked sloppy. The next time I made it I drained the pineapples a couple of times to make sure there was NO juice. It came out very fluffy and quite nice looking.

This is one of those homey recipes that FEELS like a family tradition, even if you've just tried it for the first time! I prefer with finely chopped pecans, as walnuts can have a slightly bitter edge to them. Super fluffy goodness in a spoon!!

I really enjoyed this salad. It's a shame pistachio pudding isn't given as much publicity as other flavors because it makes for a wonderful dessert. I added some cottage cheese to mine for extra texture and calcium. You really can't taste it, but it was a nice addition. I've made a recipe similar to this using peach gelatin in place of the pistachio and adding drained sliced peaches. Ohhh so good! Will make this again. Thanks Jennifer.

A festive sweet treat! I made this with Thanksgiving dinner. It looked and tasted great. I added some fruit cocktail with cherries to give it more of a fruit presence and for the color of the cherries. It was super.

Okay, here's what you'll need to do to achieve the 5 star status I've given this one... DEFINITELY use a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, (I'm REALLY thinking the 8 oz. stated here is a misprint!)... also, be sure to use the entire 8 oz. container of Cool Whip rather than just half of it, (perhaps ANOTHER misprint???)... I wanted it to have a bit more substance, so I added a 15 oz. can of fruit cocktail, drained, and I'm really glad I did. Make sure to allow enough time for this to chill in the fridge before serving... I'd say at least 6 hours, but overnight would be even better. This is light and creamy & not overly sweet... a GREAT dessert for summertime!

This is an old recipe frequently brought to church potlucks and found in church cookbooks. But someone at AllRecipes, please fix the ingredients! You must use a 16-20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and an entire tub of Cool Whip. Also, unless you really, really like the taste of pistacio pudding, only one (4 serving size) box is needed. When made correctly, this is a refreshingly yummy dish; however, I'm giving the recipe as written 3 stars.

Made this twice. As written, it was a 3 star dish. Made with the following changes recommended by my grandmother's original recipe it was 5 star. When I served it, she begged me to use her recipe and not this one, so I obliged. 1 small box INSTANT pistachio pudding - (do not make into pudding) 1 20oz pineapple in juice, NOT SYRUP drain off juice by 50% 1/2 cup chopped pistachios 1 1/2 cups minature marshmallows. 1-2 drops of green food coloring if desired 1 - 8oz tub cool whip Mix all ingredients together, FOLD in cool whip last and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours before serving.

LOVE this stuff! this recipe has been around for years. The only things I do differently is use a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple and combine the juice with the dry pudding mix before adding the other ingredients to make sure it all dissolves. Oh yeah, I would just use the whole container of cool whip also to cut down on the richness and make it go farther at a buffet!!

I use sugar free pudding and sugar free cool whip for a diabetic friendly recipe. The pineapple and marshmallows still have sugar in them, but it cuts the sugar by more than half!!

OH MY....THIS IS A GREAT RECIPE. OF COURSE I ALWAYS DOUBLE IT TO MAKE ENOUGH TO LAST A COUPLE OF DAYS. ONE BATCH IS NOT ENOUGH FOR MORE THAN TWO. BUT MY FIANCE' LOVES THIS DESSERT. I HAVE MADE A LOT OF DISHES FOR HIM FROM THIS SITE, BUT THIS IS BY FAR HIS FAVORITE. YOU CAN ADD CHERRIES TO THIS RECIPE IF YOU LIKE THEM, GIVES THE DISH A LITTLE COLOR.

Best with Pistachio nuts vs. walnuts

my mom made this every holiday and called it pistacio pudding. She didn't add nuts; however, I do endorse the addition of some type of finely chopped nuts. We also never added the marshmallows so for those who don't appreciate the added sweet, you won't notice the absence of those. i would also support draining the crushed pineapple to avoid soupyness. The major difference in my mom's recipe would be the addition of minced maraschino cherries. For me this is a key ingredient. All in all...no holiday dinner is complete without this pudding/salad.

20 oz pineapple but use only 1/2 cup drained juice to the pudding. Letting it sit overnight to let flavors blend. I used pecans and add marachino cherry halves and entire 8-oz. tub of whipped topping

I used a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple (I drained as much liquid off as I could with the lid, which proved to be the PERFECT amount to leave out -- definitely don't need all that liquid!) and a full 8-ounce container of whipped topping. And it's awesome. I thought it would make more than it did. If you plan to take this to a potluck or party, definitely double -- if not triple -- the recipe!

I have used this as a go to recipe for the past few years. I remember this from my childhood and I have an Aunt who requests this for bbqs from time to time. I add chopped cherries to mine!

This is so good, a friend made it at a party so I had to find the recipe! I added mandarin oranges and bannanas too. Perfect!

This recipe is awesome! It is a must-have on Thanksgiving for our family! I let my daughter make it because it's easy and she loves to take credit for how wonderful it tastes! :)

Great in all ways. Just remember to make it as thin or thick as you like by adding more coolwhip. I added 2x's what the recipe called for. We Loved It!!!

This is a favorite in my family. I got the recipe from my grandma and have been making it for almost every holiday. When I forgot to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner last year there was an uproar lol. The only thing I do differently is drain the crushed pineapple. It comes out MUCH better that way. This is so easy, cheap and delicious... perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, etc.

Just like mom's. :D

Thought this was great. Didn't use nut and in place used shredded coconut. Next time, I'll use sugar free cool-whip and SF pudding to make it healthier.

i used black walnuts to make it a bit extra special

This is one of those comfort food recipes I turn to during the holidays that reminds me of my childhood. Love it!

This is a classic. I made it when my son had friends staying over. I used 2 packages of pistachio pudding, 20oz can of pineapple, and I used almost the entire carton of "lite" whipped topping. Next time I think I will add some sliced maraschino cherries. YUM.

Made with 2 pkg pudding, 8 oz cool whip, 20 oz pineapple (removed about half the juice) and left out the nuts.

Also called ambrosia

Only a five star with changes of course. I LOVE this salad and bring back a lot of memories. Like others have said. Drain the fruits that you choose to put in. I used one box of pudding mix, a whole 8oz container of cream, 1 cup chopped walnuts, maybe about 2 cups of marshmallows, 20 can drained pineapple, half cup of coconut and a can of drained mandarins. This is sooo perfect and everyone loves it.

My husbands "secret" family recipe! LOL he believed that this was a recipe passed down from generation to generation! Its a nice addition to the holidays around here. We look forward to it every holiday!

Used 20 oz pineapple & full container of Cool Whip

Outstanding! I could eat the whole bowl myself. Made this for Christmas and it will now be on my table every year.

This recipe has been around for years. The recipe I use calls for a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and the full 8 oz container of cool whip. This needs to be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours to allow it to set up. Very tasty!

I have always loved this recipe. I used 20 oz pinapple tidbits and 2 pistachio pudding boxes. I also added 1/2 cup of sour cream to cut down on the sweetness. Delish!

Like others, I used an entire 20oz of crushed pineapple, but I reserved a 1/2 a cup of pineapple juice first, then just dumped the rest in. I didn't use walnuts---pecans instead. And I used the whole 8oz of whipped cream. Yum!

I love this recipe. Very easy to make, and it was a hit at a family potluck. I used the whole 8 ounce container of cool whip, and made two bowls of this. One with nuts, and the other without. The kids liked the one without the nuts. A very cool, light and refreshing side dish.

Great recipe! The only thing I changed was that I ended up adding pineapple tidbits because I couldn't taste the crushed pineapple. I garnished with coconut, pecans, and a pineapple ring. Great recipe!

this is great. I'm not ashamed to admit loving something so exquisitely simple. Use the whole tub of cool-whip and the whole 20oz of pineapple. My gramma used to put a handful of slivered almonds in but you can omit the nuts and it still rocks. Reminds me of 4th of July picnics!

my husband didn't like but he doesn't normally go for these whip cream fruity salads. meanwhile a friend told me this was a regular at her family holiday dinners and i tried it and loved it. good to note though it does NOT save well as leftovers.

Delicious, even without the marshmallows!

I absolutely adore this refreshing and sweet salad! I add a little spin to mine. I add mutsu or granny smith apples, about two,also I add red or black grapes. It adds a little more "health" to this already low calorie dish. I also substitute sugar-free pistachio pudding. In my humble opinion, you can't taste the difference! YUMMY!!!

I grew up on eating this salad, so I thought it fitting to make it for my kids, especially being the color that it is and that it is so close to St. Patrick's Day. They didn't like it because of the coconut, but I enjoyed this trip back to my childhood. It was just as great as I remember it. I topped with some toasted coconut and, of course, a cherry on top.

GREAT!!! Made it for Thankgiving and everyone ate it all up. Very sweet though. BUt delicious!! Next time I will add less nuts. Note: I have made this recipe several times this month. If yours turns out a little to sweet, add a little more Cool Whip until you get the taste you want. I always add more cool whip. The first time I made it, it was too sweet, but I think I have perfected it. Thanks!

I LOVE this recipe as it reminds me of our family Holiday dinners when I was growing up. I always add extra pineapple, and the whole tub of cool whip. I leave out the nuts since my husband is allergic to them. It's always best chilled overnight and it's always a hit at any function.

I love this Salad! But i make it a little bit different. i use a whole container of cool whip and i added a small container of cottage cheese. It takes some of the sweetness away. My whole family prefers it with cottage cheese. It is soo good!

One of our traditional family recipes - there are few fruit salads that are liked by so many generations in our family. This one is by far our favorite, and a holiday meal isn't complete with out it.

Perfect... It was delicious! Perfect with our pork steaks and corn!

My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me. She likes to use fruit cocktail, which I don't like. I add pineapple tidbits & other fruit (tropical blend). Since she and my husband are diabetics, I use the sugar free pistachio pudding and omit the marshmallow. But the very best change I made is using chopped pistachio nuts instead of walnuts or pecans. This really enhances the pistachio flavor!

This is soo good! I had not had this in a long time and this recipe tastes just like my mom used to make. I think next time I may add coconut just to add to it to see how it works.But the basic recipe is just wonderful!

I make this for all kinds of things, baby showers, holiday dinners. It's so easy to make and takes only a few minutes! Some are apprehensive to try it because of how it looks but they all do eventually and they love it. So many people have requested this recipe from me! The only thing I change about it is I use pecans instead of walnuts because they're sweeter.

YUM! I used an entire 12 oz Cool Whip & abuout half a bag of mini-marshmallows. I think it's better if you prepare it the night before. Kids loved it!

Awesome recipe. I've made it four times in the past six months and the ONLY changes I have made is to drain the pineapple and add more cool whip and mini marshmallows (just 'cause that's the way we like it). I had to Double, then TRIPLE and then QUADRUPLE the recipe, because the first two times, not everybody got some. It was gone too fast!! Everybody loves it and I'm requested to make it all the time now. Oh yeah, it's INCREDIBLY easy to make!

This is very yummy. A nice refreshing dessert. I used pecans instead of walnuts. Quick to make.

Very easy to make but a little heavy and rich - more Cool Whip might help.

This is a must have at all our Holiday Get togethers. I like to use sugar free-fat-free pudding mix and lite cool whip, I also like to use pecans in place of the walnuts.

My mother has made this for as long as I can remember. Sooo good. We use pecans and I think it's a way better compliment, but it's whatever you like and that's what's great about it! Also, I don't like a lot of pineapple flavor so less is best in my book.

this recipe has been in our family for years but we don't use the nuts and we used all the cool whip. very good recipe

Used sugar free pudding mix and fat free cool whip. No one knew the difference as it's still so sweet! Save a bit of the ingredients to top on top for a pretty presentation. A couple of cheeries on top would have added some nice color. The whole thing of cool whip is mandatory. Make it!

My gramma used to make a similar salad, as she was the queen of Jello salads! But I remember coconut in her's. And she would make it with lime jello sometimes. This was really tasty and a big hit at my Easter dinner.

My mom makes this every year & once I got married I had to get a copy from her to continue the tradition. When I was a kid I wouldn't go near it although my sister liked it. The only difference is I use a whole container of cool whip.

Good flavor, but it was kind of bland. I added more marshmallows because they are my favorite. It was good, but not great.

This is so good I've brought it to many cookouts and potlucks and everyone loves it. It's really easy and inexpensive! I usually double the receipe so that it feeds lots of people and we get the leftovers! :) Definately make it ahead of time so that you can stick it in the fridge because that makes it taste even better!

It's a simple recipe, but the taste is simple too. Nothing fantastic about it. Sorry, I won't make this again.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT LOW CAL: sub in sugar free pistachio pudding mix, 1 cup of vanilla low cal yogurt and LITE or LOW FAT whipped topping

This salad is wonderful, and very easy to make. I made a few changes when I make it. I use a 20 oz. can of pineapple instead of 8 oz. I also add a cup of shredded coconut for an extra texture in the salad.

When I first made this I used the 8 oz can of pineapple. The mixture came out really thick, but I loved the strong pistachio taste. Next I made it using a 20 oz can of pineapple. But this made it too runny and it had WAY too much pineapple. I'm not sure what I'll try next. Maybe two 8 oz cans. Also, I used chopped pistachios instead of walnuts. YUM!!

I grew up with this recipe and we LOVE IT!!! We like to add maraschino cherries, halved. DELISH

YUMMY!!!

Made as directed, was very yummy!

I can't tell you how much we enjoyed this. I made this recipe exactly as written and it reminded me of when my Aunt would always bring this salad to family functions. Wonderful memories and I'm happy to have found this recipe.

I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit! Everyone had something wonderful to say about it and they all want me to make it again for Christmas. This is much better than any deli's version.

I'd add small mandarin oranges in a can, to give it more textures and flavors.

Very good holiday salad, it's been served for Thanksgiving and Christmas in my family ever since I can remember, and now I'm the one that makes it to bring to family holiday meals.

The classic recipe has 2 exceptions- #1. A 20 oz. can of pineapple and #2. 1 cup of sour cream. My grandma used her mom's recipe and this tastes close but just not the same.

Not too sweet if you use crushed pineapple in juice (instead of syrup), very light and refreshing. Most kids seem to like it better without the nuts (and it lasts longer in the fridge that way too). The recipe makes a lot, but people tend to eat a lot too, so it works out great.

I have to admit, when I first read this recipe I was VERY hesitant on using it. But, I needed something new to take to a picnic and this looked interesting enough. This is VERY good! It's light and refreshing and it couldn't be easier (or cheaper) to make.

Excellent, and so easy!

I accidently made this not knowing it had a name. I made the regular fruit salad with cool whip (fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, bananas, etc) and had a box of pistachio pudding that I decided to throw in & try it. I only used 1/2 of a small box & it gave it the perfect flavor (not too strong). It went great with all the fruit too. This is a great recipe that you can change up & add anything you want (including nuts, marshmallows, etc).

I was feeling nostalgic... looking for a recipe from my childhood that mom used to make for camping trips and was happy to find here. Mom didn't use the walnuts but I love 'em so I added them in. I also stay away from whipped topping so I whipped up heavy whipping cream with a little sugar in place of the store bought container. It was delicious and held its body/texture perfectly! Great little trip down memory lane...

I doubled this recipe, sort of....I used a 12-oz tub of cool whip, used 2 boxes of pudding mix, kept the nuts at 1/2 cup. I doubled the marshmallows - but used one 15-oz can of crushed pineapple w/juice AND one 15-oz can of pineapple chunks w/ only a BIT of the juice from that one! Gave a bit more to "chew" on - plus some more tang. Thanks for the great recipe - it was too hot to bake a dessert - so really did the trick!!!!!!!

This is my favorite dessert salad. People asked me to bring this so often that I make this for all gatherings I attend now. I have used crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits, either works fine. I use pecans instead of walnuts. Lastly, I use a whole container of cool whip. The extra creamy cool whip is *really* good in this recipe. I make this without marshmallows for my veggie husband. The flavor is good, but obviously the consistency is different.

I like to make this recipe double the ingredients, minus the marshmallows and the nuts. It keeps longer this way.

I love it! I drained most of the pineapple juice...used pecans, and topped with coconut. EASY pot luck! Thanks!!

I don't know why I love this, I just do! I don't like boxed pudding, marshmallows or cool whip, but put them together in this salad and I can't get enough of it! Made it to go with our St. Patrick's day meal, for no other reason than it was green, and it brought back memories! Thanks for the recipe!

I love this recipe. This has been a family tradition for years. I am a texture person and don't like the walnuts or pistacchios in it, so I run the pudding mix through a sifter first to get all of them out. Love it!!

This was very good, an old favorite, and I will use this recipe over and over.

The recipie was perfect, but I added coconut to to make it even better!

A tradition for Thanksgiving in our family :)

I have made this for years, I also modify it. I add coconut and cherries to mine... and it fantastic!!

I read most of the reviews and all the similar recipes and decided on this one. I did not use the marshmallows, we dont like them in this sort of dessert. I used a whole 20oz can of pineapple chunks(drained the juice and crushed them a bit)I added enough juice for consistancy. I added about 1/2 cup coconut, used fat free cool whip. I thought it was too sweet. I'd be tempted to try it with unsweetened whipping cream but then the fat content would be crazy.

I HAVE USED THIS RECIPE FOR YEARS AND EVERYONE LOVES IT. SINCE IT IS GREEN, IT IS FUN TO USE MARICHINO CHERRIES CUT IN HALF AND MIXED IN THIS TIME OF YEAR. RED AND GREEN, GET IT?

This has been a family favorite of ours for years; except I use about 1/2 bag of marshmallows, whole container of cool whip and I agree, pecans are better. I love this stuff and always get lots of thumbs up when I make it.

Used fat free sugar free pudding, light whipped topping to reduce sugar and then added frozen blueberries and vwalla!

I have used this recipe for years, but if you try adding cheesecake flavored cream cheese, in addition to all of the other ingredients, the taste is so good. I have to be careful not to taste it, else there will be nothing left for the guests.

Great holiday salad. All ages enjoyed.