Mom's Banana Pudding - It's National Banana Pudding Day!

Way back when Mr. Devilish Dish was merely my Devilish Boyfriend, he told me that he liked Banana Pudding.  So I made him a big ol' batch of this.  I must have doubled or tripled it because whenever he tells this story he makes sure to gesture that the bowl was "THIS BIG."  I do remember buying the biggest plastic bowl that Walmart had back then.  It could have been in the wash tub department, I don't remember because that was quite a while ago.  He loved it.  He was also a poor, starving college student so he patiently ate his way through that gigantic batch of banana pudding and kindly asked me to never make it again.  I was young and taking the whole, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" idiom very seriously.  It worked because we've been together well over 30 years.  Once he mentioned that he liked Pineapple Upside Down Cake and quickly added, "But I don't want you to make me one." Needless to say, I don't make this Banana Pudding for him that often, but I do make it for tailgates and other events.  My Mom's recipe is my favorite.  I think because instead of the traditional "cooked" pudding, this version is so light and fluffy.  It is the most decadent "homestyle" dessert you'll ever try.  It does fill a good-sized bowl (not a wash tub though) so I made it last week in Colorado while there were several of us to eat it.  I didn't want Mr. Devilish Dish to have flashbacks to the time he had the banana pudding diet.  He still likes it. He ate MOST of the serving I gave him.  I ate mine, AND finished his.  Like him, this recipe is the one and only for me.  It's that good.

If you've got a glass bowl, you can place the vanilla 
wafers around the sides between layers of pudding
for a fancy presentation.

This is one of my favorites.  It is so light 
and fluffy and full of bananas and vanilla wafers.

I quicky made this while the Littlest Devils were taking 
their afternoon nap.  I tried to make it look pretty,
but I was rushed and also stepping over two golden
retrievers.  It still came out looking pretty good.
Try to set aside a few unbroken vanilla waters to decorate
the top.

This is truly the best recipe.  Thanks Mom!

MOM'S BANANA PUDDING

2 large (5.1 oz) boxes Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1 can condensed milk
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 large container Cool-Whip (16 oz)
Bananas (5-6 depending on size) sliced
1 box Vanilla Wafers

In a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer: Combine pudding mixes, condensed milk, whole milk, and vanilla together.  Fold in Cool Whip until smooth and combined.

Begin by layering vanilla wafers in to the bottom of a refrigerator-safe dish or bowl.  Add a layer of the pudding mixture and a layer of sliced bananas.  Keep repeating the layers ending with a smooth layer of pudding and decorate the top with vanilla wafers.  Cover and chill several hours.  If you use a glass bowl, you can place your vanilla wafers around the sides for a pretty presentation.