Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

originally from Food Network by Paula Dean

Ingredients:

2-3 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 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, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream)

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch dish with one bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
2. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a hand held electric mixer.
3. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.
4. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves approx. 12 (in my experience it serves more)

**personal notes:

I usually get 3 bags of cookies and lay them closely together. It is much more attractive if the entire top is covered.

Experience has taught me to mix the milk and pudding as a last step instead of first. If you overmix a bit, the pudding tends to congeal before you are ready to mix the cream cheese mixture into it. It sometimes will get grainy and that's not good.

I usually use the "Lite" frozen whipped topping. Obviously it is not to save on calories :)