By Carolyn Hill, Talladega County

Prep Time: 25 mins
Freeze Time: 4 hrs
Servings: 12 to 16

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, room temperature
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 bananas, sliced and quartered
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries with juice
2 cups chopped pecans
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping

Instructions

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and cream cheese. Gently mix in all fruit and pecans, then fold in topping. Spray a 9-inch-by-13-inch dish with non-stick cooking spray or prepare a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners. Spread mixture into prepared dish or muffin tins. Freeze. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

Stacey’s Recipe Notes:

I couldn’t find frozen strawberries in juice, so I used a bag of plain, sliced frozen strawberries. I do miss the delightful pink color the original ingredient adds, but it still tasted great! I imagine a 1-pound container of fresh strawberries that have been hulled and sliced would work, too. For even more flavor, toast pecans in a 350 F oven about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Allow them to cool completely before adding. Frozen whipped topping, a.k.a. Cool Whip, is no longer sold in a 12-ounce container. I grabbed a 16-ounce container and used about 3/4 of it in the mixture and used the leftover as a topping. I reserved a little of each of the pecans, strawberries and pineapple and sprinkled them over the top to give the dish a little more color.