Basic Banana Cream Pie

3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups whole milk
2 eggs or 3 egg yolks
1 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
3 large ripe bananas

1 baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell

In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, flour and salt. Stir in 1 cup of milk, mix until smooth, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Beat the eggs or egg yolks with the remaining cup of milk. Temper the egg mixture with a small amount of the slightly cooled milk mixture then blend this into the larger saucepan with the cooling milk mixture.
Return saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly, lower heat and simmer until mixture thickens a bit more, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla. While cooling slightly – slice 2 bananas and line them on bottom of cooked pie shell. Pour slightly cooled cream mixture over bananas. Slice remaining banana and place on top of cream mixture.

Cool completely. Slice remaining banana and place on top of cream mixture, then cover top of pie with whipped cream.