Attention Banana Pudding Lovers!

My grandpa LOVES banana pudding. That's usually the only dessert he ever wants, besides red jello (he hates the green kind) and yellow cake with chocolate icing. He is not much of a sweets fan, but he likes the occasional treat. I saw this recipe from Paula Deen and thought I'd make it for him. It has been his favorite ever since and that was about 3 years ago. It serves a crowd and can be made up to a day in advance. It's fairly simple, and oh so good!

My aunt now makes this for him on special occasions when I'm not around. It's sweet, thick and creamy and layered with buttery shortbread cookies and bananas. I hope if you're in the mood for something a little different, that you'll give this recipe a try.

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding by Paula Deen

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups cold 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 Cool Whip

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.

NOTE: I have made this fat free sweetened condensed milk, low fat cream cheese and lite cool whip and it tastes just like the original. However, do not use sugar free pudding. It does not turn out the same (it gets a little lumpy and the proportions aren't the same). Would be good with banana or chocolate pudding too-yum!

Also, when I make the pudding, I only use 1-3/4 cups of milk, so the pudding stays a little thicker and I only use about 6 bananas. But add as many or little as you like.

And last but not least, I sandwich the bananas between the pudding mixture so they don't get brown. Here are the layers: cookies, pudding, bananas, pudding, cookies.

I usually make this the day before I need it, so the cookies can get a little softer. You can make it about an hour before you are going to eat it, with the cookies will be a little difficult to cut through.