Fresh Strawberry Yum Yum (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Crust

01 - 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Strawberry Filling

03 - 5 to 6 cups sliced fresh strawberries
04 - 1 (3 oz) package strawberry Jell-o

→ Cream Cheese Mixture

05 - 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
06 - 1 cup confectioners' sugar
07 - 4 cups whipping cream
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
09 - 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Instructions:

01 - Place sliced strawberries in a saucepan and sprinkle with dry Jell-o powder; stir gently to evenly coat berries. Heat over medium-low heat just until Jell-o is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
02 - In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Blend with a fork until crumbs are moistened. Set aside 3 tablespoons of crumbs to sprinkle on the top. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
03 - With an electric mixer, cream together softened cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream, granulated sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. By hand, mix together whipped cream and cream cheese mixture until well combined.
04 - Spread a little less than half the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture evenly over the crust. Gently spoon and spread cooled strawberry filling evenly over the cream cheese layer. Top strawberry layer with the remaining cream cheese/whipped cream mixture. Gently spread it evenly over the strawberry layer, covering it completely. Sprinkle the top with the 3 tablespoons reserved graham cracker crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

# Notes:

01 - 2 (16 oz) packages of strawberries will yield about 5 to 6 cups sliced berries needed in this recipe.
02 - Sugar-free strawberry Jell-o works just fine, if you'd prefer.
03 - You can substitute 16 ounces of Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping for the homemade whipped cream in the cream cheese mixture if you'd like.
04 - You can easily halve this recipe and prepare it in an 8x8-inch pan.

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