Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Thanks to my girlfriend Susan for sharing this recipe with me. It has become one of our family favorites and is always a hit with guests. I took the following pictures when I made this dish at Easter and had meant to publish it then. Sigh. Well, better late than never, right? Just pretend that my little memo board reads, "Happy July 4th!" :D I did, afterall, make it this past week for the holiday per my husband's special request. :)

You will need the following ingredients: 

2 cups crushed pretzels

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 T. white sugar

1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (3 ounce) pkgs. strawberry flavored gelatin

2 cups boiling water

2 (10 ounce) pkgs. frozen strawberries

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 T. sugar. 

 Mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Set aside and cool. 

In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. If you forget to soften your cream cheese (as I did in this particular instance) and you're lucky enough to have a sunny day *sigh* you can  try this desperate strategy. 

Fold in the whipped topping and spread the mixture onto your cooled crust.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still frozen strawberries.

*Sidenote* Learn from my mistakes. Add the dissolved gelatin to the frozen strawberries and not the other way around. Yes. Yes, I did.

When mixture is about the consistency of eggwhites, pour and spread over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set.

Again, pretend the memo board reads, "Happy 4th!" Sometimes the pictures and the post get a bit separated. :)