Red, White, and Blue Bars

These creative and colorful dessert bars made with the sweet flavors and nourishment of canned blueberries and pineapple are the perfect finish to your summer holiday celebration.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8 bars

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can  wild blueberries (in water)
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 2  cups low-fat granola cereal with raisins (and nuts)
• 2  tablespoons margarine or 2  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) package low-fat cream cheese
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (8 ounce) can  crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 3⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  cup strawberry, stemmed and cut in half

Directions

1. Drain blueberries over a medium saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into blueberry juice. Cook juice until it comes to a simmer and thickens. Add blueberries and cook until mixture returns to a simmer. Cool.
2. In work bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse cereal until crushed. Add margarine, and pulse until combined. Press granola mixture into bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish. Chill.
3. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and ginger until light and fluffy. Add pineapple and beat until combined. In separate bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture and stir until combined. Pour over crust. Spoon blueberries on top of cream cheese mixture in three diagonal lines. Garnish with strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. * 1 1/2 cups non-dairy, whipped topping may be substituted for the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
5. Servings: 8.
6. Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 290; Total fat 17g; Saturated fat 9g; Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 210mg; Total carbohydrate 30g; Fiber 4g; Protein 6g; Vitamin A 15%DV*; Vitamin C 25%DV; Calcium 6%DV; Iron *%DV.
7. *Daily Value.