Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

• 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• one 3.4 ounce packet instant banana creme pudding
• 6 cups homemade whipped cream
• one 11 ounce box vanilla wafers
• 3 bananas, sliced

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add in the condensed milk, whole milk, and pudding packet. Mix for about 2 minutes on high with an electric mixer.
3. Fold in 3 cups of the whipped cream until just combined.
4. Now you can begin assembling the pudding. You can use one 3 quart trifle dish or six to eight 8 ounce glasses. Assembly pattern is the same for both.
5. Begin assembling by covering the bottom of your dish(es) with a single layer of vanilla wafers, without allowing them to overlap.  Spoon a layer of pudding on top of the wafers, leaving enough for two additional layers. Next, add another layer of vanilla wafers, without overlapping. Top the wafers with a layer of the sliced bananas, without overlapping as well.
6. Spoon another layer of pudding onto the bananas. Cover the pudding with a layer of wafers, then bananas, just like before.
7. Spoon the remaining pudding over top. Cover the pudding with the remaining 3 cups of whipped cream. If you have any vanilla wafers left over, you can crush them and sprinkle them over the whipped cream as a pretty topping.
8. You can serve this immediately or chill in the refrigerator anywhere from two hours, up to 24 hours.

*You can omit the bananas, if you don't like them. That's why I like to use a banana creme packet. A lot of people don't like the texture of bananas, so this still leaves you with the yummy flavor!

*You can substitute the banana creme instant pudding for vanilla flavored instead. This will give the pudding a more traditional taste.

Serves: 6-8