Oreo Banana Cream Pie

I make a banana cream pie or some version of it every year for my husbands birthday.  One year, I made this Banana Pudding Poke Cake (one of the most popular recipes on my blog!).  This year, he wanted both a banana cream pie and my Double Layer "Dirt" Cake (you gotta check this one out too)...I think he just couldn't decide.  Me being the wonderful wife I am, agreed.  

Fast forward to baking day and I discover that most of the Oreos for the "dirt" cake were missing.  Ah-hem, husband...guess you didn't want that cake THAT bad.  Since I had some of the Oreos plus all of the ingredients for the banana cream pie, I decided to sort of combine the two.  Wow, SO glad some of the cookies went missing - this pie is amazing!  

Pudding in pies or cakes is my favorite.  Add a bit of crunch from the cream filled sandwich cookies and what you have is pure bliss.  So delicious!  And I love the fact that it's no-bake.  Easy!  

I started with a chocolate graham cracker crust (and made it easy on myself by using a ready to use one).  That gets layered with bananas, pudding, cookies, more bananas, more pudding, Cool Whip, then more cookies.  I'll say it again - ah-mazing!!  

Serves 8

Oreo Banana Cream Pie

1 ready-to-use chocolate graham cracker pie crust

2 ripe bananas, sliced, divided in half

2 (4 serving) packages banana pudding flavor instant pudding

2 1/2 cups cold skim milk

2 cups Cool Whip, thawed, divided in half

20 Oreos, crushed, divided in half

Place half of the bananas in the bottom of the pie crust.  Combine pudding mixes and mix in a large bowl.  Whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended.  Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.  Spoon half of the pudding mixture in the crust, over the bananas.  Top with remaining banana slices and sprinkle on 1/2 of the crushed Oreos.  Cover with remaining pudding mixture.  

Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.  Top with remaining Cool Whip, then sprinkle on remaining Oreos.  Serve cold and store leftovers covered in fridge.  

You may also like:

Double Layer Chocolate Cream Pie

Oreo Brownies with Mint Buttercream

Chocolate Pudding Sundae Cake

Chocolate Banana Brownies with Vanilla Glaze

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Double Layer Chocolate Cream Pie

One of the easiest dessert recipes you'll ever make.  My grandma used to always have chocolate cream pie at Holiday dinners for dessert...since we will all be thinking about Thanksgiving dinner soon enough, I thought I'd share!  

It's a no-bake dessert, including the crust.  Just use an already made graham cracker crust (directions will say to chill the crust first if you're not baking it).  Chocolate pudding, milk, cool whip - done! 

Serves 8

Double Layer Chocolate Cream Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 1/4 cups cold milk

2 (3.5 oz) packages instant chocolate pudding

1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip, thawed

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, pudding and 1/2 of the Cool Whip for 1 minute.  Spread into crust (mixture will be thick).  Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the pudding mixture.  Serve chilled. 

(Source: recipe from Food.com)

Bacon and Tomato Quiche

This quiche would be an amazing brunch dish (breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner - really any time of day!).   I chose to make it for our dinner a couple of nights ago - I had an extra pie shell and thought why not do something savory?  

I love the brown crispy edges.  This baked up so perfectly!  The tomatoes were a great addition and went really well with the swiss cheese - you can also add peppers, mushrooms, etc. and really make this how you like it.  

This was polished off in no time!  My husband had seconds and even pulled this out for breakfast the next morning!  I was shocked!  He's not a huge leftover person so I took that as a good sign that this quiche was a winner.

Serves 8

Bacon and Tomato Quiche

1 9-inch frozen pie shell

2 cups swiss cheese

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups half & half

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place frozen pie shell on 9 x 13-inch baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine cheese and flour and mix well; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly, then add the half & half, tomato, bacon, salt and pepper and mix well.  Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

(Source:  Adapted from For the Love of Food) 

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!  As you can see from how long ago my last post was, I was busy busy. My in-laws were visiting from Pennsylvania, staying in downtown Savannah in the cutest house on Greene Square.  We got to live like we lived downtown for a week, which was nice...walking to dinner, breakfast, strolling around.  It was great.  

As for Thanksgiving dinner, I had all these grand ideas about posting all sorts of recipes from the dinner and dessert, but it just didn't happen.  We did most of the cooking on Thanksgiving morning and I couldn't get all the pretty pictures before everything was consumed!  I managed to sneak in a couple here and there and thought I would share my pictures of not just the food, but of our Thanksgiving holiday.  Enjoy!

This was the first day that Nonni and Poppi were here.  We were walking to lunch at Moon River Brewing Company...Jules wearing her Princess Halloween costume.  She's a trip.

 This is Jules and her Aunt Nikki, or Tetta as we call her.  Long story short, there was an Aunt Tetta in my husband's family, or Tetta is Russian for Aunt (not that he's Russian, so maybe that's wrong, too?)?  I forget, but that's what we call her! 

Me and Baxter, one of my three fluffs.  Relaxing...

Jules and Poppi making an advent calendar that is a tradition in my husband's family.  The princesses helped, of course.  

Jules after her Preschool Thanksgiving program.  The sweetest little Indian!  

This recipe you will surely see posted on this blog, probably sometime soon.  This is a tradition in my family on Holidays...Tollhouse pie.  Sorry I don't have a picture of the inside, but it is a scrumptious chocolate chip pie and so easy to make.  Stay tuned for that one.  

Getting set up for dinner.  I love the little decorations that Jules brings home from Preschool.  So homey...

This is our attempt at getting a Thanksgiving family picture.  Believe me....this is a good as it gets.  It's next to impossible to get everyone to sit still.  

Me and Miss Bean...so very thankful.  She is my world!! 

Jules helping Nonni tear apart the bread for the stuffing.  This has been her "job" since last year when she helped my dad, Nonno do it.  

 Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole - so good!  

I love using lemons when I roast a chicken or turkey.  These came from my lemon tree!!  Cool, right??

And this delicious looking turkey is adapted from Ina Garten's Herb Roasted Turkey Breast.  OMG, really.  So unbelievably good.

Max was so sleepy at dinner, he fell asleep right at the table.  We all took naps afterwards, I mean, pretty much that's just what you do...

 And, what a perfect way to end such a lovely day.  Glass of Riesling and a fire...

How was your Thanksgiving?  Any recipes you need to tell me about?  

Come follow me on Instagram, too.  I'm addicted!  @bsgriffin