Shelly's Recipe

BANANA CREAM LAYER DESSERT

Category: Layered Desserts

2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups confectioners sugar
4 cups frozen whipped topping, completely thawed and divided
2 -3 medium bananas (don’t use very ripe bananas)

1 package cook and serve banana cream pudding and pie filling mix (do not use the instant, it must be the cooked kind)
3 cups half-and-half cream

Prepare an 11 x 7-inch baking pan. In a bowl, mix the cracker crumbs with cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter. Pat lightly into the baking pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, with an electric hand mixer, mix the cream cheese with confectioners sugar until well blended (about 2 minutes). Fold in 2 cups thawed topping. Remove the crust from the fridge; spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Return back to the fridge (at this point, the dessert may be left covered in the fridge overnight, and the last stage may be finished the next day if desired).

Prepare the pudding mix on top of the stove in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (be careful not to scotch the bottom) or it can be prepared in the microwave, my prevrence is the microwave; transfer to refrigerator for 1 hour to thicken and cool.

After 1 hour slice the bananas. Remove the dessert from the fridge; place the banana slices evenly over the cream cheese layer. Gently spread the prepared pudding over the bananas. Top with 2 cups (or more) whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve