Simply Festive Fruit Salad

This dependable breakfast side dish starts with a couple of tins of canned fruit and embellishes with fresh fruit from the market to make a Festive Fruit Salad that is simply delicious.

Making a Holiday Breakfast

Holiday mornings are magic. I love those times when the family gathers to begin a day of celebration. Fresh and eager we come together with smiles and hopeful anticipation. There are so many things to catch up on, so many things to explore together.

Amidst the magic these mornings are also a puzzle. I want to share a festive breakfast, something memorable, something delicious. I want to feed my family something beautiful and thoughtfully prepared. My hope is that they will be satisfied, nourished and ready for an eventful day.

On the other hand, I want to serve something for breakfast that isn’t too complicated. I don’t want to be bound to a fussy timetable or a lot of prep work in the kitchen. Spending time together is really what it’s all about, sharing in the conversation and participating in the events of the morning.

Advance Preparation

That’s why I am always looking for recipes that can be prepared in my own sweet time. I love to make strata or even quiche when I prepare a brunch. The prep work happens the night before, with only a bit of mixing to do in the morning before putting the main course in the oven to bake. I also have a favorite recipe for Overnight Pancakes where I mix the batter up to a week ahead of time. Baked Oatmeal is another good recipe for getting things ready in advance.

Of course these dishes alone won’t carry the whole meal. I also need a few sides that can be prepared with minimum fuss. One of those sides is a Cornflake Casserole, put together the night before from frozen hash brown potatoes and other easy ingredients. It is a crowd pleaser. But perhaps my favorite breakfast side is a Simply Festive Fruit Salad. It starts with a couple of tins of canned fruit, adds a variety of colorful fresh fruit from the market, and finishes with a simple dressing and a splash of holiday cheer.

A Festive Fruit Salad

This easy and flavorful salad is not just filler. It is enough of a favorite that it has its own designated bowl at my house. That is an honor reserved for only a few seasonal specialties. Just as the Thanksgiving Turkey rests on a special platter that belonged to my mother, the Cranberry Sauce has a designated oval bowl and silver serving spoon, and like Corn Salad with Pecan Dressing is served in a corn-shaped bowl that belonged to Aunt Hen, on Christmas morning our Festive Fruit Salad is served in a fluted glass bowl with Christmas trees on the side that was given to me by a friend.

This beautiful fruit salad is perfect for mornings when you want something special but also nutritious. It goes great with savory brunch staples. It also works well with pancakes, coffee cakes or cinnamon rolls.  This pretty salad fills out the menu adding interest and festive appeal as well as nutrients. Even better, the tangy fruit balances the flavor profile of most breakfast entrees quite admirably.  

Festive Fruit Salad

Course: Breakfast, Sides, SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Total time

10

minutes

This dependable breakfast side dish starts with a base of canned staples and embellishes with fresh fruit from the market to make a Festive Fruit Salad that is simply delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 cup green seedless grapes

• 1 cup red seedless grapes

• 1 can (20oz) pineapple chunks, drained

• 1 can (11oz) mandarin orange sections (in juice or light syrup)

• 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 cup liquid from canned oranges

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 Tablespoons orange liqueur

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 cup strawberries or raspberries

• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine grapes, pineapple, orange sections and kiwi.
• In a small bowl combine the reserved liquid from the oranges, lemon juice, orange liqueur and sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the fruit and gently stir. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove fruit from refrigerator and transfer to serving dish. Add berries and pomegranate arils and stir gently to combine.
• Serve and enjoy!