Tuna Chicken Gumbo Salad

If there are any old Rock and Roll ‘ers out there, they may be familiar with the song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by the group “Blue Oyster Cult.” No, I’m not going to get into the song or the group here, but that song title came to mind when I was deciding on sharing this recipe with you. When you look at the list of ingredients you probably think: “Now, I wonder who first had the idea to combine this with that?” I know I did. The title and the ingredients might not look like what you’d think to put together, but “Don’t Fear The Tuna Chicken Gumbo”. Really. I’m not making this up. This recipe was one of mama’s – my sister Lana has the original still in Mom’s handwriting in her recipe box.

It must be part of the Mormon running gag/culture of making salads with Jell-O, too. I didn’t even realize it until I was checking facts with Lana, but this recipe (or a close version of it) is actually in the “Mormon Country Cooking” recipe book, by Winnifred Jardine, which we both have, but we’re thinking mom must have got it from a newspaper clipping or from one of her “Club Ladies”, the two most common sources of her recipes, since she didn’t have that cookbook. Anyway, the combination of flavors albeit different (OK, weird!) are very tasty. The only people who have tried this and don’t like it are small children and people with small minds. (Just kidding.) To hearken back to an old breakfast cereal commercial, “Try it, you’ll like it!”

Tuna Chicken Gumbo Salad

Dissolve:  1 small package (3 oz.) lemon Jell-O in 1/2 Cup boiling water

Let cool slightly while dicing:

1/2 Cup celery

2 Tablespoons green onion

2 Tablespoons green pepper

Whip together:

1/2 Cup cream (may substitute canned evaporated [not sweetened condensed] milk)

1/2 Cup mayonnaise

Add Jello and whip together. Add:

1 can chicken gumbo soup (minus about a Tablespoon of the liquid)

1 can GOOD (as in Costco Albacore) tuna, flaked

Mix & let set in fridge.

Makes 1 loaf dish.