Watergate salad

Watergate salad, also referred to as Pistachio Delight or Shut the Gate salad, is a side dish salad or dessert salad made from pistachio pudding, canned pineapple, whipped topping, crushed pecans, and marshmallows. It is very quick and simple to prepare: the ingredients are combined and then often chilled. It is a popular dish in the Upper Midwest and other areas of the U.S. where potlucks are popular. Canned pineapple is usually used, but other canned fruit, e.g., fruit cocktail and/or mandarin oranges, can be substituted, and there are many slight variations that use additional ingredients. Watergate salad is similar to ambrosia salad, which includes pineapple and marshmallows as part of its base ingredients, and whipped topping and nuts as part of its variational repertoire.[citation needed] The origin of the name "Watergate salad" is obscure. The recipe was published by General Foods and called for two General Foods products: Jell-O instant pistachio pudding and Cool Whip whipped topping, a whipped-cream substitute. According to Kraft, "There are several urban myths regarding the name change, but we can't substantiate any of them." Several competing explanations exist.

Source: Wikipedia