Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

In the movie Julie & Julia, a blogger decides to fix all the recipes in Julia Child's first cookbook. That's an interesting challenge. I'd love to do that with a Paula Deen cookbook but not without a new treadmill. Or a hundred of her wooden slotted spoons.--I just love those things.

Our Labor Day menu consisted of the usual summer fare--burgers, potato salad, baked beans and corn on the cob. And for dessert I decided to give Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding a try. It was fantastic! I loved the cream cheese flavor and the buttery Chessman cookies. I fixed mine in a 10 x 14 baking dish and it probably weighed a good 20 lbs--plenty enough to make everyone as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine. Y'all.

Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding (from food network)

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies (for a 10x14 dish go for 3 bags)
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

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-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.