Hometown Cooking with Ashlee Mallory

Hello everyone! Glad you stopped in. I thought that for today’s post, it would be fun to post a recipe that I mention in my Entangled Ignite book, You Again. As this scene hopefully demonstrates, Utah, and my hometown of Salt Lake, considers itself the unofficial capital of the world in Jell-O consumption and I’ve been to a few potlucks where I’ve been convinced this sentiment is true. This is our hero Sam’s discovery of the same in You Again.

[Sam] stopped at the table to check out the spread. He spied at least four Jell-O molds, the state’s unofficial dish. Guess he was going to have to do a taste-test, just so he’d know what was under each whipped cream-covered delight.

He grabbed a plate and plopped down several healthy scoops. Okay, well the green Jell-O had shredded carrots and pineapple. Yum. The red had mandarin oranges and marshmallows. Even better. He bypassed the one with the pretzels smashed on top and tried the one with layers of purple and cream. Hmmm. Not bad, although the blueberry pie filling was probably going to send him into sugar shock.

The dish becomes somewhat of a running joke between Sam and the heroine, Allie, throughout the story and a reader once asked me if I would ever post the recipe. So in honor of this month’s Hometown Cooking, here it is, a dish that, if you’re looking for something different to make for your holiday table, you should give a try. And if you read and liked my book You Again, you’ll love my new Entangled Bliss book, Her Backup Boyfriend, coming in January. Thanks for stopping by!

Laney’s Blueberry Dessert

1 large box strawberry Jell-O or gelatin (6 oz size)

1 can blueberry pie filling

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple

Whisk Jell-O into 2 cups of boiling water. Add pie filling and pineapple and stir well. Pour into pan you’re going to serve in. (I used a 3 quart Pyrex rectangle baking dish.) Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

8 oz. cream cheese

1 t vanilla

½ cup sugar

½ cup sour cream

Cream the last four ingredients. After Jell-O is set, spread creamed topping. A layer of whipped cream over the tops is optional. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy! ☺