From My Recipe Box to Yours: Strawberry Jell-O Salad

My mom found this recipe a long while back in one of her many cookbooks and it has been a hit since the first bite! It's technically called Pinwheel Molded Salad, but that doesn't really say much about what it actually is. It really should be a dessert, due to the sweetness, but our entire family serves it along with the main courses at our large family get-togethers. My grandma ALWAYS requests my mom bring it. I think she gets bored of only providing this, but hey, at least it's good enough that everyone always wants it! And if nobody else actually does want it, I will claim the entire thing, so she has nothing to worry about!

So if you want to make a crunchy, creamy, sweet Jell-O salad/dessert that will keep people begging for your recipe, this one's for you!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 cups pretzels, coarsely crushed

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c butter, melted

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 c sugar

12 oz. Cool Whip (or you could try whipping your own to control sugar intake, make sure it's whipped very stiffly though)

1 large strawberry Jell-O

2 c hot water

2 sm packages frozen strawberries (they need to be frozen, if you prefer fresh, then you will have to add cold water to the Jell-O)

Directions:

Mix pretzels, sugar, and butter for crust. Press in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Bake 6 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Allow to cool.

Mix second layer - cream cheese, sugar, Cool Whip - and spread over cooled crust

Make Jell-O with 2 c hot water ONLY. Place strawberries individually in rows, then pour liquid Jell-O over the strawberries. Chill until set.

Cook's note:

-This can be done with raspberries and raspberry Jell-O (or any mixture of fruit flavors one might desire). But why would you do that when you can make it with strawberries???? ;) I might try this recipe one of these days when peaches are in season, I think that would be an interesting take on peach cobbler. What do you think?

-Seriously, TRY THIS RECIPE. There is NO ONE in our family (and I mean cousins and grandparents, too) that doesn't like this. Sure, a few choose not to eat it because of their current diet or whatever, but everyone has at least tried it and LOVES IT. If you don't like it, I will eat my shorts. Or try my dog's food.