My frog eye salad recipe makes quite a bit so I love to take it to family gatherings. It is slightly sweet and fruity so it makes a nice addition to summer barbecues as well. You do need to start in the night before so keep that in mind if you are planning to make this salad. It really isn’t that hard to make you just have to do it in a couple of steps. But the taste is worth the wait!
Ingredients:
- 3-20 ounce cans mandarin oranges (drained)
- 2-20 ounce cans of pineapple tidbits (drained but save the juice)
- 1-20 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained but save the juice)
- 23 ounces of cool whip
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 3/4 cup of pineapple juice (from your drained pineapple)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 16 ounce box of spezziello pasta or acini de pepe pasta
Directions:
First off drain your mandarin oranges and discard that juice, then when you drain all your pineapple you will want to save that juice – you will need 1 3/4 cup of pineapple juice. If you drain it well you will have no problem getting the juice but if you are a little shy no problem just add water to make up the 1 3/4 cup. Then put your fruit in a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator you won’t need it till the next day.
Next mix the spezziello pasta. Sometimes I can’t find it in the stores but that isn’t a problem I just substitute acini di pepe and no one knows the difference. Use a 4 quart saucepan (or bigger) and add 3 quarts of water, the 2 teaspoons of salt, and the oil and bring it to a boil. then add your 16 ounces of pasta and cook for 8 minutes. You will need to rinse it extremely well, I always rinse it 3 times in cold water. Set it aside for a bit in a big big bowl while you make the sauce.
You can use your same saucepan and mix your eggs, sugar, lemon juice, flour, reserved pineapple juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together. Next you will want to cook this till thick and let it cool. After it is about room temperature combine it with your already cooked pasta, mix well, and refrigerate it overnight.
Now you just need to add the fruit that you have drained, the mini marshmallows, and cool whip to the pasta and sauce. Mix it up well and put it back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.