On the Menu Monday: Banana Pudding

Easy, delicious banana pudding.

I grew up eating banana pudding which is a mainstay in any good Southern diet.  Furthermore, I was indoctrinated to believe that magnificent banana pudding could only be made one way…from scratch.  This being the status quo of my grandmother and mother, I blindly went through life loving the creamy vanilla pudding, sweet wafers and soft banana goodness having no idea other people were making banana pudding with instant vanilla pudding -the horrors!  Once I tasted the instant version I understood why my family culinary teachers had practically made me swear on a Bible I would never use instant pudding, the taste did not even remotely come close to the goodness my palate was accustom to.  Cue me, adult, reading recipes one day coming across a version that was a “quick” rendition of what was held as sacred. As I read the ingredients I realized I liked them all and combined maybe, just maybe, it might work out.  Tentatively the next trip to the grocery store I gathered the said list I needed and came home to  knowingly sin before the Lord as I was using instant pudding! Fifteen minutes later the deed was done and it tasted pretty good, so into the fridge it went.  After dinner that night I served up the husband, waiting and watching for any reaction that might suggest treason, but instead he raved and in time, the family did.  Behold-an acceptable substitute for making hot pudding on the stove while not compromising taste!  Interesting tidbit: never, ever underestimate the power of remarkable banana pudding-it sealed the deal on my first teaching job in education and that is the truth.