Strawberry Pretzel Salad

 Nothing is better than fresh strawberries straight from the fields. The only problem is that fresh strawberries can turn bad very fast so you have to eat them fast or freeze them to use later. This is a great recipe to use up your strawberries and very tasty. The combination of the salty pretzels, smooth cream cheese layer, and the sweet strawberries are very close to perfection. I have found that it is best eaten after a day of sitting but still good anytime. After a couple days the pretzel crust gets a little soggy but still is very good. This has become a stable at most of our family events and hardly ever is there any left. That is the only negative--no leftovers. So if you are planning to take it to an event and want to have some left for desserts during your week--MAKE 2!


What you need:
CRUST:
2 cups crushed pretzels (not too fine) (Rold Gold is our favorite)
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar

CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
8oz. cream cheese block
1 cup sugar
2 cups cool whip

JELL-O LAYER:
1 large package strawberry or other red jello
2 cups boiling water
2- 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries or 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (or your self frozen berries)

Crush your pretzel into little pieces--not too fine, not too large. I use a gallon zip-lock bag and a rolling pin to crush my pretzels. Mix together the crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press the pretzel mix into a 9x13 inch dish and bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes-don't over bake. Let it cool. With a mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold the cool whip into it. Spread the mix over the cooled pretzel crust. Now mix the Jell-O and boiling water and stir until Jell-O is completely dissolved. Add your berries. If using frozen berries immediately pour mixture on top of cream cheese layer. If using fresh strawberries then place Jell-O/Strawberry mix in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until slightly thickened and then pour on top. Refrigerate and let set at least 4 hours before serving.


**I am not a patient person so the first time I made this I didn't wait long enough for the Jell-O to thicken. The result was still good but the Jell-O seeped through all the layers and made the pretzel crust soggy a lot faster. From experience waiting on this one is the best so your layers stay defined and delicious!