Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes Christmas Side Dishes Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad 4.7 (6) 5 Reviews This is a fairly simple version of ambrosia salad, which means you can add whatever to make it your own. By Nellah Bailey McGough Nellah Bailey McGough Nellah McGough runs the day-to-day operations in the Southern Living Birmingham office, responds to reader questions and comments, manages freelancer contracts, and invoices. She is also the co-host (with Steve Bender) of Ask Grumpy Podcast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 5, 2023 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Servings: 6 This ambrosia salad is what one would call a "ladies luncheon" dish. It's almost lacy and delicate in its presentation. Most of the men in the family wouldn't waste valuable dinner plate real estate on this salad, but it embodied Christmas dinner to my grandmother, my mom, and me. For three generations, this ambrosia salad recipe has been served in a beautiful clear grass-green fluted glass bowl that is almost 90 years old. My grandmother received that bowl as a wedding gift in 1929, and it has been adorning sideboards while holding that scrumptious orange and coconut concoction at countless Christmas meals over the years. Ambrosia Cinnamon Rolls After my grandmother's passing, it graced my mother's dining room table each Christmas, and now it is at my house where we continue to use it and feel Mama Mae's spirit with us around the table. Some ambrosia recipes call for whipped cream, marshmallows, and fruit cocktail, but this recipe is classic ambrosia salad and has only three ingredients: oranges, pineapple, and sweetened coconut (no wonder I can remember how to make it each year). For the holidays, consider adding touches of red and green with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint leaves. To balance out that heavy turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole, and all those holiday cakes and pies, try making this lovely and light recipe this holiday season. Ingredients 2 oranges, peeled and chopped 2 canned pineapple chunks or tidbits in unsweetened juice 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes Chopped pecans (if you have any left over from your Pecan Pie) Directions Assemble your ingredients. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Combine ingredients: Mix fruit and coconut together, and refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with pecans and other optional toppings before serving. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Rate It Print