Watergate Salad

Looking for an easy dessert to fix for your next bbq or family get together? Watergate salad is a super simple recipe that is always a hit. It’s great for the summer months because you don’t have to heat up the kitchen and you have a cool, sweet treat to eat! It would also make the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert! You’ve got to try this green fluff, pistachio delight, green goop, or whatever you call it. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up a batch, so it’s perfect for a busy momma like yourself.

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It’s Green and We Call It a Salad

Watergate salad is a staple whenever my dad’s side of the family gets together. Every holiday, Sunday dinner, and family gathering means that there will be a fluffy green watergate salad on the table. It also means I’ll have one helping with the meal and another for dessert. Then I’ll take home the leftovers and eat it for breakfast the following day. 

This year at Christmas, one of my grandma’s friends was looking around the kitchen while filling her plate. When asked what she was looking for she said a vegetable like a salad or green beans. We pointed to the watergate salad and told her that it was green and we call it a salad, so it must be a vegetable. She laughed and served herself up a big helping of salad. It was truly the only green thing prepared for the meal. My grandma said that nobody ever ate the vegetables, so she skipped them this year. My feelings weren’t hurt by that because it meant more room for the other foods.

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Why Watergate Salad?

I had always assumed that maybe Richard Nixon enjoyed this green fluff, which is why it was called watergate. As it turns out nobody actually knows the reason for the name. Some say that it was first prepared in the Watergate hotel. It is rumored that the original recipe from General Foods was renamed when published by a food editor. The hope was to get more attention to her article, yet the published article has never been found. Nor has the food editor. There is also a watergate cake, so some believe the name came from the cake. Whatever the reason, it tastes amazing!

Watergate Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1 can (16 oz) chunky pineapple

1 small can (8 oz) crushed pineapple

A box instant pistachio pudding mix

12-16 oz whipped topping

1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions

1. Before starting, thaw out the whipped topping.
2. Dump the can of chunky pineapple and the can of crushed pineapple into a medium mixing bowl. Do not drain the cans of pineapple. You need the juices.
3. Next sprinkle the dry pudding mix over the pineapple. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes.
4. Then add in the whipped topping and miniature marshmallows and mix it all together. Be careful not to overmix. 
5. Lastly, cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. 

The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.