Berry Granola Parfait

 

I posted this picture last week in an Instagram round up and have gotten so many emails and comments about the trifle that I figured I should give y'all some addition details.

Our bi-monthly moms group rotates which ladies bring breakfast dishes to each meeting, and my table was slotted for this past week.  Sickness and work situations had a few of the moms at my table unsure that they'd be able to attend, so I upped my game and prepared three dishes instead of the required one.  I don't say that to toot my horn, but to lay the ground work when I tell you I needed to keep it simple and inexpensive.

The parfait in the trifle dish was the belle of the ball, but was SO simple and frugal.  In fact, I think I only spent $4.50 to purchase the ingredients I didn't have on hand.  Here's how it breaks down:

Ingredients include blueberries and strawberries (I thawed out only what I needed from my freezer stash of summer's bounty); store brand granola cereal ($1.49 at Aldi); vanilla pudding mix (of course you could use yogurt instead), and whipped cream.

I merely laid a ring of blueberries around the base of the dish, filling the center with granola.  A layer of strawberries followed, then a layer of pudding.  More granola, then fruit, then the remainder of the pudding right in the center, topped with fresh whipped cream (just a pint of heavy cream whipped with a little powdered sugar), and a final sprinkle of granola and berries.

SO pretty, and SO easy, and SO yummy.  Granted, I realize that yogurt would have been healthier than pudding, but, well, I like pudding better, and since I figured I might be bringing leftovers home, I wanted to make sure it'd get eaten.  (I needn't have worried; I only brought a large serving home, and Jim and the kids and I were all fighting over it!)

I promise, you could throw this together for any potluck or shower or holiday gathering coming up, and it'll be a sure hit!