17 holiday salad recipes

Halloween hairball salad: walnut-sized balls of mashed avocado and alfalfa sprouts rolled up and perched on grated carrots, finished with Italian dressing. Kid-friendly ghoulish fun.

Try this different but tasty pasta salad made with mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping.

Lemon cloud dessert with a light baked soufflé top and chilled strawberry-mint compote. An elegant Easter or spring dinner-party dessert with bright citrus and fresh fruit.

Fungus among us salad tosses crisp iceberg, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and red onion with chilled creamed spinach as a green, gloopy 'fungus' dressing. A Halloween party gross-out salad kids love.

Creamy German cucumber salad (Gurkensalat) tossed in a tangy sour cream dressing with mustard and fresh dill. Salting the cucumbers first keeps every slice crisp and the dressing thick, never watery.

Cranberry party mold sets raspberry gelatin with yogurt, fresh cranberries, crushed pineapple, apple, celery, and walnuts for a tangy-sweet holiday salad. A retro Thanksgiving and Christmas table classic.

Sugar-free cranberry orange gelatin salad made with whole orange, raw cranberries, and sugar-free gelatin. A light, low-calorie holiday side that's tangy, refreshing, and guilt-free.

Low-calorie molded cranberry salad with ginger ale, apple, celery, and orange zest set in unflavored gelatin. A lighter take on the classic holiday Jello salad.

Pickled beets and onions, a classic canning project with fresh beets and onions in a sweet pickling spice brine. Shelf-stable jars that brighten salads, sandwiches, and holiday plates.

Red Hot Salad is a vintage molded gelatin salad with cherry Jell-O, Red Hots cinnamon candies, crushed pineapple, and applesauce. A sweet, spicy-cinnamon holiday side that jiggles and shines.

Double raspberry Jello salad with frozen raspberries and whole cranberry sauce. A three-ingredient molded side dish that's a holiday table staple.

Creamy ambrosia fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, coconut, mini marshmallows, and sour cream. A no-cook, make-ahead holiday side dish.

Cranberry-orange gelatin salad mold with red wine, fresh orange puree, and cranberry sauce. A jewel-toned retro side dish for holiday tables.

Cranberry pineapple gelatin salad mold with fresh cranberries, celery, and cherry-lime gelatin. A retro holiday side dish set in a bundt pan.

Christmas vegetable salad mold: a savory gelatin holiday side built with chicken broth, yogurt, green peppers, radishes, dill, and scallions. Retro festive table presentation, diabetic-friendly.

Pickled red beets in a sweet brown sugar and vinegar brine. Old-school canning recipe that yields jewel-toned jars perfect for sandwiches, salads, and holiday relish trays.