Strawberry Pretzel Jello

I made pretzel jello this weekend for reasons that are too evil to mention on the blog... but this dish is something I've had at every holiday since I was born. However, this was the first time I made it myself. For a first time try, it looks decent and tastes really good, but I am looking forward to the day when I make an aunt/grandma-worthy pretzel jello. I am open to suggestions.

Due to an uneven cream cheese/whipped cream layer, the Jello was too thin in some parts.

In other news, Twilly met the love of his life last weekend. He can't stop talking about her.

Strawberry Pretzel Jello

Adapted from Family Circle (I think)

3 cups roughly chopped or blended pretzels (or finely crushed if that’s how you like it)

½ cup sugar

¾ cup butter, melted

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 8-oz container frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed

2 10-oz packages frozen strawberries, thawed

2 3-oz boxes of strawberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. For the crust, spread out the pretzels in an ungreased 3 quart baking dish. Mix in the ½ cup sugar and melted butter and press in. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool.

Combine the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until well-mixed and smooth. Gently mix in the whipped topping. Spread it evenly over the crust once the crust is cooled.

Combine strawberries and Jello powder in a large bowl. Stir in the boiling water and stir for about 2 minutes or until all the powder is dissolved. Carefully pour it onto the cream cheese layer. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.