STRAWBERRY PRETZEL JELLO SALAD

Recipe from: https://lmld.org/strawberry-pretzel-jello-salad/

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Servings: 16

6 oz package of instant strawberry jello
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS brown sugar
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
8 oz cool whip
2 cups sliced strawberries (can use frozen, bring to room temperature and slice)

Instructions
Mix your jello with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Stir for 2 minutes till totally dissolved.
Add in the 1/2 cup of cold water. Stir together and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl, combine your crushed pretzels, butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Beat your cream cheese and sugar together for 3 minutes, until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the edges with a rubber spatula as you mix.
Carefully fold in the cool whip .
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust. Make sure to spread it all the way to the edges and corners, creating a seal, so the jello doesn't leak through. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Place your strawberries over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
Carefully and very slowly pour the jello over the strawberries and place the pan in the fridge. (It can be helpful to pour it over a spoon to make it slower)
Chill for 4 hours, or overnight, until the jello is completely set.
Slice and serve with cool whip on each slice if desired.

Notes
**Total time does not include chilling time.
**Please make sure your jello comes completely to room temperature, it can't be warm at all. After baking your pretzels make sure your pretzel layer cools completely before spreading the cream cheese layer over the top. Then place in the fridge for 30 minutes before very slowly pouring your jello over the top. If you rush these steps and don't wait till each layer is no longer warm you will most likely end up with the jello seeping through to your pretzel layer