Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

Today our friend Lee is coming into town and she is so much fun. We usually get her to make us homemade chicken and dumplings so I can't wait! I went ahead and made dessert for tonight... banana pudding. This stuff is very, very addictive. So if you are on a diet, stay away because when I make it, the leftovers become breakfast, and lunch, and usually a late night snack, too. Everyone loves it! The recipe is so easy, I thought I would take a cue from Sarah and put it on my blog. Enjoy!

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

6 bananas, sliced

2 cups milk

1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed (I like the extra creamy kind)

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish(sometimes I do two smaller ones if you want to give some away) with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*** VERY IMPORTANT***

They don't say this in the recipe, but if you want it to be REALLY good, make it the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator all night. It makes the cookies so soft. Also, the more ripe the bananas are the better it tastes.

Let me know if you try it! More recipes later... if I remember.