It didn't turn out like I wanted it to...

[Zhizara]

I finally got around to making my Banana Cream "Pie" in the casserole dish (no pie pan) with the gingersnap crust.

First mistake: I remembered that instant pudding takes 2 cups milk. I looked at the directions and saw the 2 cups milk as I had expected and went on. I didn't notice until later that for pies you're supposed to use 1-1/2 cups.

Second mistake. I bought a blender for just this purpose of making this crust as well as making crumbs for coating or topping out of cereal. By the time the gingersnaps were all done, they were more of a powder. Gingersnaps are HARD.

Third mistake. When adding the melted butter it seemed almost ready so I added the rest and it was too much. Tasty but soggy after sitting in the pudding mixture.

It really was tasty but not firm at all, but my biggest beef is that I added 8 oz. cream cheese thinking I would get a cheesecake flavor. I didn't taste the cream cheese at all.

Apparently 8 oz. is not enough to do that with 2 boxes of pudding.

What I did with the pudding mix that I couldn't get into the casserole dish is: I put several gingersnaps in the bottom of a large wide mouth cup, cut the last banana on top of the cookies and poured the leftover pudding mix on top. This one was easier and worked better than the cookie powder and no baking.

Please someone tell me the proportions to get my cheesecake flavor.

 

[Selkie]

Cream cheese has almost no flavor. The flavor you're looking for comes from sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. If you are trying to make a banana cheese cake, then use a banana cheese cake recipe, not a banana cream pie recipe and then just dump a package or two of cream cheese into it and expect it to all work out.

Unless you've been baking for many years, stick to proven recipes.

 

[Zhizara]

This is exactly why I am no baker. It just doesn't allow for substitution.

Mistake #4: I made up my own recipe without looking to see if there was one already out there. Next time I get the urge, I'll buy a small cheesecake or a slice already made.

Especially, now that it's made, there's just too much. Fortunately I have neighbors and it should be easy enough to use up. As I said, it is tasty, just not what I wanted.

I'll stick to my soups, stews and casseroles and let the bakers in the store bakery do the baking for me

Thanks Selkie for the info. It just goes to remind me of that saying about assume and being a fool. I just assumed the flavor was from cream cheese.