What's in the Oven? Going Bananas

This week's recipe isn't so much "in the oven" as it is "in the refrigerator", but one layer of it does get baked so it qualifies!

I'm sure this recipe will look familiar to many of you. I don't think I've picked up a church cookbook, yet and not found some variation of it in there. It's a versatile recipe and you can change the flavor of it very easily - all you need to do is change the flavor of the pudding and maybe the type of crust you use.

Today, I decided on banana.

Layered Banana Pudding Dessert

1^st Layer (the crust):

1 cup ‘Nilla Wafer cookies, crushed (about 35 cookies)

1/2 cup pecans, crushed

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

I used a food processor to crush and mix the cookies, pecans, and flour. If  you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender or mix the crust by hand (crush the cookies and pecans first).

Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and pulse (or mix) until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Using your hands, press the mixture into a 9" x 13" pan. It may not look like there is enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but there will be – this is meant to be a thin crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 350° F. Cool completely before adding the next layer.

2nd Layer:

1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups whipped topping (Cool Whip)

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping until well blended and smooth. Very carefully, spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust. It helps to use an offset spatula and keep the filling between the spatula and the crust. This helps keep the crust from tearing.

3rd Layer:

3-4 medium sized bananas

Slice the bananas and lay the slices on top of the cream cheese layer, covering completely.

4th Layer:

2 small pkgs. instant banana-flavored pudding
3 cups cold milk

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the pudding and milk until smooth. Pour over the bananas. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Spread whipped topping (as much as you like!) over the pudding. If you like, you can sprinkle shaved chocolate or toasted coconut over the whipped topping just before serving.

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