Chilled dessert salad / potluck salad
A creamy, retro American dessert salad made with tiny acini di pepe pasta, pineapple custard, citrus fruit, whipped topping, marshmallows, coconut, and cherries. It is sweet, soft, chilled, and perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, and make-ahead parties.
Recipe video
Cook the acini di pepe in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy, following the package time. Drain, rinse briefly with cool water, and let it cool completely.
In a saucepan, whisk pineapple juice, sugar, flour, salt, and beaten eggs until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. Do not boil hard.
Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Cool the custard for 10 minutes, then fold it with the cooled pasta. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Fold in pineapple tidbits, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, whipped topping, mini marshmallows, coconut, and cherries. Chill for 2 more hours before serving cold.
