Berried Delight (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, Servings: 20, Total Time: 4 hours)
Ingredients
· 1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers· 6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
· 1 pkg. (8 oz.) low-fat or fat-free Cream Cheese, softened
· 2 Tbsp. cold milk
· 1 tub (8 oz.) low-fat or fat-free whipped topping, thawed, divided
· 4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
· 2 small pkg. fat-free, sugar-free Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
· 3-1/2 cups cold milk
Directions
1.) Mix graham crack crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.2.) Beat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp. milk in large bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in half the whipped topping; spread over crust.
3.) Top with berries.
4.) Beat pudding mixes and 3-1/2 cups milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over berries.
5.) Refrigerate 4 hours (or freeze for 1 hour). Spread with remaining whipped topping just before serving, if desired
When I started making this recipe, I did not read it the whole way through and thought that I was making a different dish with pudding and strawberries(one that I love and have had a few times). Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until I'd already started and it was too late to turn back. I guess I should also be clear that I do not like cheesecake, so when I realized my mistake, I was sorely disappointed. However, I decided to buck up and make the recipe – it’s always good to try new things.
So, the end result definitely does not look like the picture on the Kraft website. I had a lot of excess liquid that went to the bottom of the pan and made the graham cracker crust all mushy. I did try the cream cheese portion of the dessert, but did not like it. For leftovers, I have scraped this portion out and the dessert tastes just fine! My husband liked the whole thing, so maybe you should follow his feedback if you are OK with or like cheesecake (no judging from me).
The recipe is simple and easy to follow. I used the freezer method and it cut OK – although, they didn’t do a great job at maintaining a bar form. Even after keeping them in the refrigerator for leftovers, they fall apart. That’s OK though – messy desserts make me smile!
