Grandma's Apple Salad Recipe

One of the things I remember most about Thanksgiving is going to my Grandma's house, where all of my family would be. We would eat a HUGE meal and then visit and watch TV. One of my favorite dishes is this apple salad that my grandma used to make. 

I really miss my Grandma. She passed away earlier this year, and I haven't been the same since. She was an amazing cook and baker, so really, this recipe doesn't do her justice, but it was one of my favorites. We would always have this at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's actually pretty simple! Actually, it was one of the first recipes I ever learned and one of the first dishes I learned how to make. 

Here's what you need. It's one of those "rough" recipes, where all of the ingredients are in quantities of your liking. 

Apples, preferably tart ones to offset the sweetness of the sauce. I used 4 medium apples.

Red or Purple grapes (I guess you can use green grapes, but I've always used red)

Peanuts/walnuts/pecans (I roughly used a cup)

Mayonnaise, enough to cover all of the fruit. 

Milk (I use a couple of tablespoons depeding on how thick I want the mayo to be) 

Sugar to taste

Marshmallows

Mint Sprig for garnish if desired

Sprinkle of raw sugar (the brown stuff) for color. 

Start by cutting your apples. 

I like to roughly chop them into bite-size pieces like the photo above. Put the pieces in a large bowl. 

Cut all of your grapes in half until you have about the same amount of grapes as apples. Add them to the bowl with the apples in it and stir with a spoon. 

Take your nuts and chop them. I use my food processor to make quick work out of it. My grandma always used one of these hand choppers where you'd push the handle down over and over. Chopping those nuts was always the most fun part of this whole recipe and my sister and I would sometimes fight over who got to do it. 

When you're done chopping the nuts, add them to the bowl with the fruit. 

Don't forget your marshmallows! Add some marshmallows to the bowl. The more you add, the sweeter it will be. My preference is just a cup or so of the mini marshmallows. 

Next, in a small bowl, put enough mayonnaise in to cover the contents of the fruit bowl. How much is really up to you. I don't like a ton of the mayo on it, but other family members wanted it as creamy as could be. I put enough in to barely cover all the other ingredients. Add a couple tablespoons of milk to thin out the mayo; again, as much as you want. More milk will make it thinner, and less milk will keep the mayo pretty thick. Finally, add enough sugar to suit your taste. I usually add about 2 teaspoons or less, depending on how sweet the apples are. Mix the mayo, milk, and sugar together well. Taste your sauce by dipping a piece of apple into it since the apple affects the sweetness. You can always add more sugar to it if it's not sweet enough for your preferences. 

Once you're happy with the consistency and sweetness of your mayo sauce, add it to the bowl of fruit, nuts, and marshmallows. Make sure to mix well. 

Leave in the refrigerator until right before mealtime. When it's time to serve, sprinkle some raw sugar over the top and add a sprig of mint or two for color. 

Enjoy! It lasts for only a day or two before the apples get mushy and the marshmallows dissolve, but we rarely had any leftovers anyway! 

What's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?