Jans Banana Pudding

I've made 3 different versions of this. The one this week was:

• 12 ounces of fat free cool whip, thawed
• 1 can of reduced fat sweetened condensed milk
• 1 - 8 ounce pkg regular cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups skim milk
• 2 - 1.34 ounce boxes of sugar free french vanilla pudding (I found the Great Value/Wal Mart brand in this flavor)
• 6+ bananas (these were large bananas - recipe calls for 6-8)
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

Line the bottom of a 13x9 inch dish with cookies and layer bananas on top. Crush any leftover cookies for topping.

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 sprinkle with crushed cookies . Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I like to make it a day ahead to give the cookies a chance to soften up a little.

In another version, I didn't have cream cheese or condensed milk, so I used one box of sugar free cheesecake pudding and one box of sugar free french vanilla pudding. The cool whip wasn't thawed out so I whipped a package of dream whip and folded it in. My daughter in law gave it two thumbs up, but I think it would have been better with more whipped topping.

The first version I tried, I used the same recipe as above except used fat free cream cheese and fat free sweetened condensed milk and I could tell immediately that it was going to be too thin. It tasted okay, but the texture wasn't as good. I think it would be okay with fat free condensed milk; I think the fat free cream cheese was the issue.

Here is the original version & website (in case you are trying to induce a heart attack):

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/not_yo_mamas_banana_pudding/

• 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cup milk
• 1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
• 6-8 bananas, sliced
• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish 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.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen