This one's an award winner! Sure to win any ward's pie making contest!
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C cold milk
1 package (5.1 oz) vanilla or white chocolate or banana cream instant pudding
2 medium bananas
Strawberries for garnish, if desired.
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake pie crust 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
2. Place 1 1/2 C of the whipped topping and chocolate chips in a microwave safe container and microwave, uncovered, for 30 seconds. Stir. If there are still bits of unmelted chocolate, zap it again for another 20 - 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Put 2 Tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into a small, ziplock bag and set aside. (I usually stand it up in a small cup so that it doesn't spread all over inside the bag.) Spread remaining chocolate mixture over the bottom and sides of the pie crust.
3. Slice the bananas and place slices on top of the chocolate.
4. Whisk the pudding and the milk for 1 minute or until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in 1 1/2 C of the whipped topping. (There should be just a bit of topping left to use as garnish). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, garnish the pie by snipping a small tip off the corner of the ziplock and squeezing the chocolate mixture over pie in a decorative design. Pipe rosettes of whipped topping around the edge of the pie (I usually do 10 - 12). Place sliced strawberries, pointing up, just in front of, or in the whipped topping rosettes and you can place a slice of banana too (but those can turn brown rather quickly, so unless you're serving it right away, I'd hold off on the banana slices.)
