Grandmother's Banana Pudding

Both of my Mom's parents are from the South. This means several awesome things including that entire side of my family pronouncing my name "Gin (yes, like the alcohol)-Uh" instead of "Jen-Uh" like everyone else does. If you can't hear the difference, don't worry, it took me 25 years to even notice it.

Hailing from the South also means awesome and HUGE family reunions with plenty of cousins my age and discovering I am related to an entire town. Of course going to Florida or Mississippi during the middle of the summer now doesn't sound like a vacation at all to me (have I mentioned I hate the heat and especially humidity???), but as a kid I enjoyed every minute. Well, maybe not the horseflies. Those buggers are nasty. But I LOVE my cousins!!!! We even hung out in high school and I still get to see most of them on a pretty regular basis. I especially love that my kids and their kids are getting to spend time together.

But I digress. The MOST important part about having grandparents from the South is the FOOD. I know you're jealous, unless you are just as fortunate and then you know what I am talking about. My Granddad is from Florida, so he passed down a love for seafood. Shrimp (especially), lobster, clam chowder, and his famous clam dip. Seriously. Ask any of my cousins about that dip. He'll only make it by special request now, so I try to specially request it every time. It's A.MAZE.ING. The only thing I (thankfully) didn't inherit was a love for catfish or crayfish. Yuck. On to better things!

My Grandmother is from Mississippi. If you saw the movie, The Help, then you know where she went to college and met my Granddad in Jackson. She is from a small town about an hour south from there. Her Great-Grandfather, Nathan Britt, owned about 80 acres of land there. Needless to say, most of the town was and still are all Britts. The house she was born and raised in is still standing and remains the gathering place during reunion time. My Mom and her siblings and cousins have memories of that house, as do I and my siblings and cousins. I hope I get to take my children there someday, especially since Rylin's middle name is Britt. :)

So, now that you've heard some of my genealogical history, you're probably wondering where all of this is leading. At every single one of those reunions and any other family get-together, my Grandmother has either made her signature ambrosia and/or banana pudding. Don't get me wrong, the ambrosia is good, but it's basically fruit salad with coconut. The banana pudding, however, is something I am certain we will get to enjoy in the great beyond. It's that good.

So here it is, straight from my Grandmother this morning. You should feel lucky I am willing to share this recipe with y'all. :)

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What you need:

1 20oz can of crushed pineapple

1 small box INSTANT vanilla pudding

1 small box INSTANT banana cream pudding

3 1/2 cups cold milk

6 bananas (at least)

1 box Nilla wafers

Flaked coconut (optional)

What you do:

1.  Line a 3 quart (13x9x2) casserole dish with Nilla wafers. My Grandmother wants to make sure you know how important it is to "line the sides too."

 

2. Drain the pineapple juice into a separate bowl. Slice and add the bananas, stirring after you add each one. The pineapple juice will help prevent the bananas from going brown, so make sure they get coated well. Once all your bananas are added, mix about half of the pineapple in and stir gently.

3. Pour milk into another bowl. Add both pudding mixes and whisk until well-mixed. Set aside. You only need 3 1/2 cups of milk (instead of 4) because of the pineapple juice. Trust me on this, otherwise your pudding gets runny!

4. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the banana/pineapple mixture over the wafers being careful not to disturb them out of place. Pour remaining juice over the top layer and spread gently to coat.

5. Stir the pudding again, then gently pour over entire pan. Spread evenly to edges.

6. Spoon remaining pineapple over the top (sometimes I don't do this and just add it all to the bananas). Sprinkle coconut on top. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!!!

I grew up under the assumption that this delightful dish was entirely of my Grandmother's making. I later found out that it is very commonly enjoyed in the South. My Grandmother took the original recipe and made it her own though. Just in case you are interested in the traditional method, here ya go: