What is frog eye salad made of?

Frogeye salad (also frog-eye salad or frog's eye salad alternatively fish-eye salad or fish's eye salad) is a type of sweet pasta salad (dessert salad) made with small, round acini di pepe pasta, whipped topping, and egg yolks .

What is the difference between frog eyes and toad eyes?

Frogs usually have big, bulging eyes, while toads' eyes are more subtle in appearance . One of the biggest physical differences between frogs and toads is their skin. While frogs have smooth or slimy skin that is moist, toads have thicker, bumpy skin that is usually dry.

What are frog eyes good for?

The bulging eyes of most frogs allow them to see in front, to the sides, and partially behind them. When a frog swallows food, it pulls its eyes down into the roof of its mouth. The eyes help push the food down its throat .

Where did Watergate salad come from?

The origin of the name "Watergate salad" is obscure . The recipe was published by General Foods (since merged into what is now Kraft Heinz) and called for two General Foods products: Jell-O instant pistachio pudding and Cool Whip whipped topping, a whipped-cream substitute.

What are the different types of frog eyes?

The team identified seven main shapes: vertical slits, horizontal slits, diamonds, circles, triangles, fans and inverted fans . The most common shape, horizontal slits, appeared in 78 percent of studied species.

Here are some risks and complications of a frog eyes piercing: Infection: The mouth is full of bacteria, and an improperly cared-for piercing can lead to infections . Swelling: The tongue usually swells significantly after piercing, affecting speech and eating.

What is Acini de Pepe made of?

Acini di pepe is a tiny pasta made with semolina flour (milled durum wheat) . The pasta comes by its name honestly. In Italian, acini di pepe means “seeds of pepper,” or peppercorns—a reference to its tiny, round shape.

Is acini de pepe the same as couscous?

They originated in different parts of the world, with different techniques for their creation and cooking, and have distinctly different flavors. Couscous is made of crushed semolina that is rolled with your hands, while acini de pepe is made from ground semolina flour.

How do frogs end up in salads?

In the Salinas Valley in California, there are seemingly endless agriculture fields that are plagued by an unstoppable horde. On dark misty nights, these creatures will emerge from the irrigation canals and ditches lining the fields and move into the vast fields of lettuce and spinach .

Was a live frog found in a salad?

She discovered the animal — which turned out to be a Pacific tree frog , native to California — camouflaged in the leafy vegetable and still moving. Worrick purchased the package of Earthbound Farms Organic Spinach at Meijer supermarket in Southfield — and didn't notice anything unusual about it.

Frog Eye Salad Recipe (2024)

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If you are looking for the perfect easy frog eye salad recipe, you will love this version of the classic sweet side dish.

If you have never heard of a frog eye salad recipe, you are in for a treat and maybe a history lesson today.

This is one of those vintage dessert salads that got super popular in the 60s and 70s. I don’t think there was a holiday table set that didn’t have some version of a dessert salad then.

Luckily, these desserts-disguised-as-salads have stuck around so when you really want dessert as part of your main course, you have an option to eat this and then the official dessert too!

What is Frog Eye Salad?

It is a delicious, fluffy, sweet fruit salad with pasta. I know that sounds crazy. But it’s delicious.

It has classic citrus flavors using pineapple, mandarin oranges, all mixed in a delicious sweet custard with marshmallows, tiny pasta balls, and cool whip blended in.

Notice there are no frogs eyes included in this salad.

Why is it called Frog Eye Salad?

Now that you know there are no actual frog parts in the salad, you may be wondering about the name.

The tiny balls of pasta which are officially named Acini di Pepe, fill the bowl and look like tiny frog eyes in the salad.

Maybe a four year old named the dish. Maybe a fantastic aunt who wanted to keep the dessert salad to herself and watch the children squirm as she brought it to the table.

What ingredients do you use to make Frog Eye Salad Recipe?

Cornstarch: this thickens the pineapple juice we use to make the custard
White Sugar: we use sugar to sweeten the homemade custard
Salt: even in dessert salads, salt makes everything else taste better
Egg Yolks: this is the base for our homemade custard
Pineapple Juice: use the juice from the pineapple cans, no need to get an extra ingredient
Acini di Pepe: this pasta is tiny balls that will give the “frog eye” look and texture to the salad
Crushed Pineapple in Real Juice (not syrup): it needs to be in real pineapple juice so we can use it to make the pineapple custard
Pineapple Tidbits in Real Juice (not syrup): these are smaller pineapple pieces that blend into the salad and we use this juice for the custard too
Mandarin Oranges: drain them and have perfectly sweet orange fruit to mix into the salad
Cool Whip: be sure to thaw 2 of these in the fridge overnight so they are fluffy and soft enough to mix into the salad
Miniature Marshmallows: soft, fluffy, and sweet they are the perfect addition to this creamy salad
Coconut: Nutty coconut adds texture and flavor!

How to make Frog Eye Salad Recipe:

Dissolve cornstarch in pineapple juice.
Combine custard ingredients and heat until thick.
Let the custard cool.
Cook Acini di Pepe, drain, and cool.
Combine pasta and custard sauce.
Mix in fruit.
Add cool whip and marshmallows and mix.
Chill, mix, and serve!

Pro Tip: do not be scared of making your own custard. It tastes so much better than using a packaged option, and it’s not that much work. Cooking the egg into a custard is easier than you think.

Where did Frog Eye Salad originate?

No one has traced the official origins of this salad. But dessert salads rose to popularity in the 60s and 70s and even in different regional and religious communities.

One place to find a frogs eye salad: mormon households (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). They have often served it at big gatherings so perhaps it originated in one of their kitchens.

Can you freeze Frog Eye Salad Recipe?

No. When this thaws, it gets extra runny and doesn’t mix as fluffy as the original recipe. Just make it fresh.

Can you use orzo for Frog Eye Salad Recipe?

If you do then, it’s not an Acini de Pepe frog eye salad.

Orzo is a smaller pasta that looks more like a flat grain of rice. Some people use it and like it.

But there are other options that will give you more of a “frog eye” look to your salad. Pastini are small star shaped pastas.

Or you can use couscous. Regular couscous will give you very small pieces, but pearl couscous will look almost exactly the same as acini di pepe pasta in the dish.

Is Frog Eye Salad ambrosia?

No. It’s really similar though.

Ambrosia salad does not include pasta. This recipe has acini di pepe pasta and a pineapple custard in addition to cool whip.

Do you make Frog Eye Salad with Tapioca?

No, tapioca isn’t found in this easy frog eye salad. Tapioca comes from the cassava root, and when it is harvested for tapioca, it becomes tiny balls.

Using the acini di pepe pasta mixed with cool whip and custard might remind you of tapioca.

But tapioca is gluten free and a root vegetable. The pasta in our frog eye salad recipe is a grain.

More Recipes with Fruit You’ll Love…

Watermelon Mint Salad
Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips
Easy Cilantro Lime Rice
Strawberry Fluff
Snickers Salad
Raspberry Pretzel Salad
Vintage Lime Jello Salad

This creamy, fruity, fluffy dessert salad is the perfect side when you need something sweet on the table, and the name frog eye salad recipe is sure to make you laugh no matter when you eat it.

Yield: 15 Servings