Glorified Rice - Vintage Recipe

A sweet dessert salad with pineapple, cherries, marshmallows, and whipped cream.

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Glorified Rice is a cold dessert salad made with rice, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, sweetened whipped cream, and maraschino cherries. A popular salad for reunions and potlucks, this recipe takes plain old rice and glorifies it with sweet delicious flavors!

My Experience With Glorified Rice

A classic, old-fashioned recipe, Glorified Rice is a creamy, sweet, and delicious no bake dessert. I first encountered this dish in elementary school! As a child, I wouldn't want to buy my lunch too often. But, if I saw that glorified rice or apple crisp was on the dessert menu, you can bet I was not packing my own lunch that day!

As a child, who could really resist sweet cream, cherries, and marshmallows? Not only that, the recipe at school would have the rainbow marshmallows in it and that made it even prettier to look at. 

What Is The Best Rice To Use

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This can be a pretty controversial subject. However, my answer would be long grain white rice, or something like jasmine or basmati rice. Long grain rice is slim and long (hence its name) and stays fluffy and separate after cooking. That makes long grain rice, the perfect choice to make Glorified Rice. 

I have known others who use minute rice, the instant type rice that is ready in just a minute. However, to me, it is just mushy and has no bite. I don't recommend it for this dish.

What About The Whipped Cream

Never have I ever heard anyone say they loved a non-dairy whipped topping over heavy whipped cream. Ever. Well, unless maybe they can't consume dairy. But even then, non-dairy folks probably would prefer the real thing over the fake. 

Don't get me wrong here, I do use non-dairy whipped topping sometimes. But if you can afford to splurge on calories, the real deal is the winner here.

Marshmallows In A Rice Salad

Marshmallows in a rice salad, and a sweet rice salad, sounds kind of crazy doesn't it? Let me tell you, there is something magical about marshmallows in this Glorified Rice salad! And, the longer the salad sits, the texture of the marshmallow changes. It doesn't disappear, but it kind of puffs up more and is not as firm.

Marshmallows all taste the same in my opinion. Unless you buy specific flavors, and believe me, they are out there! The most common marshmallow for this recipe is the pastel colored mini marshmallows. If you have kids, then they will love this. They even have fruity flavored marshmallows now days!

I went with regular mini marshmallows in this recipe, but only because at the time I wanted to make Glorified Rice, I couldn't find the colorful marshmallows in the store. 

Tips and Substitutions

• I recommend cooking the rice the day before and store it in the fridge until ready to use so it is cold when you are ready to assemble the salad
• Use a long grain rice for a fluffier and better bite
• Be sure to drain the pineapple. I use a mesh strainer and press the pineapple to extract all the juice.
• Substitute 2 cups of non-dairy whipped topping.
• Substitute fresh pitted cherries for the maraschino cherries.
• Stir in ½ cup chopped roasted pecans

Other Retro Dessert Salad Recipes You May Like

Watergate Salad is a pistachio dessert salad made with pistachio pudding, whipped topping, pecans, marshmallows, and coconut.

Oreo Fluff is a cookie salad made with instant pudding mix, non-dairy topping, and mini marshmallows

Glorified Rice

Shelby Law Ruttan

A sweet dessert salad with pineapple, cherries, marshmallows, and whipped cream.

3.22 from 14 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup cooked white rice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 13.5 oz can crushed pineapple
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream whipped
• 2 Tablespoons drained chopped maraschino cherries
• 6 whole maraschino cherries for garnish

Instructions

 

• [mv_schema_meta name="mix rice component"]In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, cherries, and pineapple. Set aside. [mv_img id="26108"]
  
• [mv_schema_meta name="whip cream"]Add the whipping cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla In a separate mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend until heavy cream is thickened. [mv_img id="26112"]
  
• [mv_schema_meta name="fold in cream"]Fold in whipped cream [mv_img id="26111"]
  
• [mv_schema_meta name="add marshmallows"]Stir in marshmallows and chill up to 4 hours. To serve, top with extra maraschino cherries.[mv_img id="26110"]
  

Video

Notes

Tips and Substitutions

• I recommend cooking the rice the day before and store it in the fridge until ready to use so it is cold when you are ready to assemble the salad
• Use a long grain rice for a fluffier and better bite
• Be sure to drain the pineapple. I use a mesh strainer and press the pineapple to extract all the juice.
• Substitute 2 cups of non-dairy whipped topping.
• Substitute fresh pitted cherries for the maraschino cherries.
• Stir in ½ cup chopped roasted pecans

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 19mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21g

Keyword Dessert Salad, Glorified Rice

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