When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Gilligan’s Island. Hilarious hijinks in the tropics kept me coming back for more. Actually, truth be told, it was Mary Ann. I adored a down-home girl, cute pigtails, and of course, she was constantly making her dreamy coconut cream pies. Mary Ann, all the way! But coconuts are really hard to crack. So, here’s a casserole-ified banana version … with absolutely no Ginger.
Ingredients
FILLING:
- 2½ cups milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 egg yolks (keep yolks and whites in separate bowls)
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 medium bananas, cut into ½ inch slices
CRUST:
- 2 cups (about 1½ sleeves) graham crackers, finely ground
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 9 Tbsp butter, melted
MERINGUE TOPPING:
- 4 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
How to Make It
- To prepare filling, in a heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar,
- cornstarch, and salt. Cook milk mixture over medium-low heat until the mixture boils and thickens, whisking constantly to avoid scalding the milk. Once the mixture boils, cook 2 more minutes.
- Move mixture off heat briefly and spoon half a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and stir well. Stir this egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and put back on the heat for 2 more minutes to thicken more. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl to cool. Add butter and vanilla and stir until butter has melted and vanilla is fully incorporated. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard (to keep a film from forming) and cool for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the crust, in a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Butter a baking dish. Press graham cracker crumb mix into the bottom of the baking dish evenly. Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool.
- To prepare the meringue topping, whip egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla in a stand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble the casserole, spread a small amount of custard on the crust evenly (½ inch layer). Spread sliced bananas in one even layer over the custard edge to edge. Gently pour in remaining custard and spread evenly in the pan. Drop meringue gently on top of the custard and spread evenly, sealing the edges.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the meringue begins to brown on the edges. Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot, dreamy scoops.
