Samma Spot: Strawberry Pretzel Salad..but it's really a dessert but it's called a salad

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Strawberry Pretzel Salad..but it's really a dessert but it's called a salad

So today we're making a little goody called Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Actually we made it Sunday but it's just now getting posted. Yeah Yeah... I've been trying to get caught up on a few things around these parts!! Anywho.... I used to make this salad all the time back in the ole' Kentucky but for some reason I just haven't made it much since. I don't know why because I totally love it but you know the one thing I did figure out....you really kinda need to make this waaaay ahead of time or the night before and not 2 hours before everyone is gonna be at your house to eat!! Jello is a fickle lady my friends.

dump in 2 small boxes of strawberry jello

add 2 cups of boiling water

Stir it all up really good

now dump in 2 boxes of frozen strawberries

Pop that in the refrigerator and let it be chillin'

grab yourselves 3 cups of pretzels and SMASH EM'

take out the frustrations of your heart and soul and just beat the tar out of the pretzels

I suppose you could use a food processor but where's the fun in that??

dump the crushed pretzels in a bowl and add 1/2 cup sugar

and 1/2 stick melted butter

mix well

now take that mixture and press into a glass dish

(little hint: a regular 9x13 isn't quite big enough)

Pop that in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes

Remove and set aside to cool

Grab a 8oz cream cheese (at room temperature), 9 oz tub of the cool whip-not the un-cool whip make sure it's cool and if you aren't sure ask your kids because they know what's cool and what' not

but probably saying things are cool isn't really cool anymore so nevermind...

oh and you need 1 cup sugar

(no craisins needed they just invaded the photo)

whip those up together really well

like really well...make sure that sugar is all blended into the cream cheese and cool whip

now flop it over by that cooled pretzel bottom crust

Yes, please make sure it has cooled off completely

flop it on the crust in big ole' blops

spread it out carefully..don't get all rough with it now or you'll mess up the bottom and you'll have crust in your filling and filling in your crust and the whole world will become a mixed up mess

save the world...be gentle

now hopefully that jello is the consistency of egg whites and if it is let's spread it over the top of the filling. Mine was not....I rushed it. I told you jello is a fickle girl and will break your heart and make your crust soggy and overflow in your refrigerator.

yep pour it all on

can we all see that this pan isn't quite big enough???

carefully move this to the refrigerator to chill

Now make this salad.....I thought I'd made this for you before but apparently not so I'm gonna attach the recipe right here

It's called Autumn Chopped Salad and really it's to die for!!

No really I had it Sunday and Wednesday this week and if I had any more bacon or feta cheese I'd be having it again tonight. It's THAT good!

Now I mixed up some onions and some jalapenos in a pan with some buttah...

and sauteed the daylights out of them.

We mixed them in with the roasted potatoes.

Here are the men grilling....you know manly things.

our assortment of meats. We had friends over and everyone just brought over the meat they wanted.

the salad again.. I really cannot express to you to the love you will have for this salad!!

now it's time to eat

some bread, some meat (ours was a buffalo steak), some potatoes with onions & jalapenos, that yummy salad and some nice bread served up best with some iced tea and lots of good friends!!!