27 Retro Desserts that Start with a Box of Jell-O

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27 Retro Desserts that Start with a Box of Jell-O2/26 Seven-Layer Gelatin Salad 7 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Seven-Layer Gelatin Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 20 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Here’s an eye-catching salad that my mother makes for Christmas dinner each year. You can choose different flavors to make other color combinations for specific holidays or other gatherings. —Jan Hemness, Stockton, Missouri 3/26 Strawberry Pretzel Salad 131 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 16 servings Go

to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Need to bring a dish to pass this weekend?

to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Need to bring a dish to pass this weekend? This make-ahead strawberry pretzel salad will disappear quickly at any potluck. —Aldene Belch, Flint, Michigan 4/26 Peach Bavarian 19 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved MARK DERSE FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 15 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Fruit molds are my specialty. This one, with its refreshing peach taste, makes a colorful salad or dessert. —Adeline Piscitelli, Sayreville, New Jersey 5/26 Berry Dream Cake 14 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Berry Dream Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total

It’s so festive-looking

Time 45 min Servings 15 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I use cherry gelatin to give a boxed cake mix an eye-appealing marbled effect. It’s so festive-looking. Top it with whatever fruit you like! —Margaret McNeil, Germantown, Tennessee 6/26 Orange Cream Pops 13 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Orange Cream Pops Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 10 min Servings 10 pops Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For a lower-fat alternative to ice cream-filled pops, try this citrus novelty. The tangy orange flavor will make your taste buds tingle, while the silky smooth texture

offers cool comfort

offers cool comfort. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen 7/26 Bing Cherry-Amaretti Fool Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 30 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When Bing cherries are in season, I make this fruity custard-style fool. The sweet cherries and whipped cream balance perfectly with the sour cream. —Mary Ann Lee, Clifton Park, New York 8/26 Pina Colada Molded Salad 12 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Pina Colada Molded Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 25 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My gelatin ring gets

a tropical twist from coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts

a tropical twist from coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts. It’s a wonderful anytime treat. Now that I’m retired from teaching, I have more time for kitchen experiments. —Carol Gillespie, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 9/26 Strawberry Pie 70 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Easy Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 35 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For my mother’s birthday, I made this strawberry pie recipe instead of a cake. Since it was mid-May in Oklahoma, the berries were absolutely perfect. It was a memorable occasion for the whole family. —Josh Carter, Birmingham,

Alabama 10/26

Alabama 10/26 Rainbow Jello Cubes 13 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Diana Rattray for Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 9 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: These perky gelatin cubes are fun to serve and to eat! I vary the colors to match the occasion—pink and blue for a baby shower, school colors for a graduation party, and so on. Kids of all ages snap them up. —Deanna Pietrowicz, Bridgeport, Connecticut 11/26 Creamy Chocolate-Banana Pie 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved TASTE OF HOME Total Time 45 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From

Michigan 12/26 Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down

the Recipe Creator: You can make almost any dessert more awesome with chocolate. In this cream pie, fresh banana and chocolate make a truly irresistible combo.—Diane Nemitz, Ludington, Michigan 12/26 Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake 16 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 55 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I prepare this colorful dessert quite often in the late spring or summer when fresh rhubarb is abundant. I make this rhubarb cake with cake mix and take it to church potlucks. People actually line up for a piece.

—Bonnie Krogman, Thompson Falls, Montana 13/26 Peach Panna Cotta 1 Review Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Peach Panna Cotta Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 40 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This no-bake dessert is guaranteed to cool you off in the summer heat. I really enjoy the texture—rich and creamy panna cotta balanced by the sweet and pulpy texture of the peach puree. —Andrea Campbell, Los Angeles, California 14/26 Apricot Fluff 15 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 10 min Servings 10 servings Go to

It’s sublime with peaches and peach gelatin, too

Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When we were young mothers, I asked my best friend if she had a recipe for an easy ambrosia salad that I could take to a cookout later that evening. She shared this recipe with me and it’s become a must-have at every barbecue I attend. It’s sublime with peaches and peach gelatin, too. —Melissa Meinke, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 15/26 Strawberry-Lime Bars 1 Review Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Strawberry-Lime Bars Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 35 min Servings 2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Our family loves fresh

strawberries, so I look for different ways to use them

strawberries, so I look for different ways to use them. This tempting, yummy dessert has sweet strawberries, tart lime and salty pretzels. —Alexandra Barnett, Forest, Virginia 16/26 Fluffy Key Lime Pie 150 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Fluffy Key Lime Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For a taste of paradise, try this no-bake Key lime pie recipe. It’s low in fat, sugar and fuss. It truly is the best Key lime pie recipe ever! —Frances VanFossan, Warren, Michigan 17/26 Strawberry Banana Trifle 19 Reviews Test

No matter where I take this dessert, the bowl is emptied in minutes

Kitchen Approved Total Time 20 min Servings 14 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: No matter where I take this dessert, the bowl is emptied in minutes. It’s fun to make because everyone oohs and ahhs over how pretty it is. —Kim Waterhouse, Randolph, Maine 18/26 Stained Glass Gelatin 5 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 25 min Servings 15 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Kids love this sweet, wiggly gelatin and whipped topping dessert. Use different flavors of gelatin to make color versions that are as wild as your imagination. —Taste of Home Test

I guarantee compliments when you serve this fantastic dessert

Kitchen 19/26 Refrigerator Lime Cheesecake 7 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 30 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I made this for a Father’s Day party, and it was a hit! I guarantee compliments when you serve this fantastic dessert. —Cher Anjema, Kleinburg, Ontario 20/26 Red, White ‘n’ Blue Salad 31 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Red, White ‘n’ Blue Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Our striking “flag” salad drew plenty of attention at our Independence Day party. The

shimmering stripes are formed with distinctive gelatin layers

shimmering stripes are formed with distinctive gelatin layers. It makes you want to salute before spooning some up! —Laurie Neverman, Green Bay, Wisconsin 21/26 Rhubarb Icebox Dessert 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 15 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: A light and fluffy marshmallow layer tops the tart rhubarb filling in this delicious make-ahead recipe. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota 22/26 Lemon Snowball Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 25 min Servings 20 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For a special occasion like a church supper, I make this

beautiful dessert

beautiful dessert. The lemon and coconut flavors go so wonderfully together. Everyone will be asking for the recipe.—Lucy Rickers, Bonsall, California 23/26 Lime Gelatin Salad 23 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Simple Lime Gelatin Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 10 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Looking for a festive dish to light up the buffet? This pretty green gelatin salad is eye-catching and has a delightful, tangy flavor. —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa 24/26 Mamaw Emily’s Strawberry Cake 123 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Mamaw Emily’s Strawberry Cake Recipe photo by Taste of

He thought no one could duplicate it

Home Total Time 40 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My husband loved his mamaw’s strawberry cake recipe. He thought no one could duplicate it. I made it, and it’s just as scrumptious as he remembers. —Jennifer Bruce, Manitou, Kentucky 25/26 Lemon Chiffon Blueberry Dessert 25 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Lemon Chiffon Blueberry Dessert Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 25 min Servings 15 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This cool and creamy no-bake dessert is perfect for hot summer days. I sometimes replace raspberries for half of the blueberries

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⭐ Expert Tips

• Include seasonal or trendy variations to keep your meals exciting.

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✅ Key Takeaways

• These dinner ideas are perfect for impressing guests or enjoying special occasions.

• Choose recipes that match your skill level and available kitchen tools.

• Presentation and taste both contribute to a memorable dining experience.

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