Easy Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is SO easy and SO yummy!

You can eat it as a side dish or as a dessert.

I'll give you the ingredients first and then you can scroll through the photos for the order to add everything.

Easy Fruit Salad

2 - 15 oz. cans fruit cocktail with juice

1 - 8 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

1 - 5.1 oz. (lrg. box) instant pudding

2 - bananas

2 - cups marshmallows

1 - 8 oz. tub whipped topping

Optional items:

Slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, mandarin oranges

Just mix it all together as shown below.

Try changing out different cans of mixed fruits

and different flavors of pudding -

some flavors we like:

vanilla, french vanilla (used here), banana, pistachio.

1.  Pour in fruit cocktail and pineapple with the juice.

 2.  Stir in the instant pudding.

 3.  Add bananas, marshmallows, and (optional) nuts. (I didn't add nuts this time.)
You can use more or less marshmallows or omit them altogether.
This is also where you would add the mandarin oranges (any can up to 15 oz.),
but if you do add the oranges make sure to drain the juice or it will be too thin.

 4.  Stir in whipped topping.  (I like to use the "Lite", but you can use whatever kind you want.)
A whole 8 oz. tub is almost too much so you might want to start with 1/2 tub and add more up to the whole 8 oz. tub until you get the amount your family likes.
I used the whole tub here.

 5.  Can be served immediately, but will set up a little firmer if refrigerated ahead of time.  I would serve within 3 hours of mixing up.  It's still good the 2nd day, but not great the 3rd day.

Store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.