Banana Pudding

Name: Banana Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 9 servings.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 cups 2% milk; 3 large eggs; 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 8 ounces vanilla wafers (about 60 cookies), divided; 4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 35 min. + chilling YIELD: 9 servings.

I didn’t see my son, Lance Corporal Eric Harris, for more than two years after he enlisted in the Marines after high school. And when I saw him arrive at the airport, I just grabbed hold of him and burst out crying. When we got home, the first thing he ate was two bowls of my easy banana pudding recipe. He’s a true southern boy! It’s a dessert, but you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. —Stephanie Harris, Montpelier, Virginia

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups 2% milk
3 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces vanilla wafers (about 60 cookies), divided
4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, mix sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish, layer 25 vanilla wafers, half the banana slices and half the pudding. Repeat layers.
4. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, remove wrap; crush remaining wafers and sprinkle over top.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 302 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 80mg cholesterol, 206mg sodium, 55g carbohydrate (37g sugars, 2g fiber), 7g protein.