• Preheat oven to 400° and spray the bottom of a 13 x 9" baking dish.

Pretzel Crust:

• Crush the pretzels in a sealed bag using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pieces should be small. (If using a food processor, be sure to not reduce to dust.)
• Mix in the brown sugar with the pretzel pieces until combined. Stir in the melted butter until there are no remaining dry spots. Press into prepared baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Layer:

• Cream the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the whipped topping. Dollop mixture over top of cooled crust. Spread carefully into an even layer making sure the edges are sealed to keep the crust below dry and crunchy.

Strawberry Layer:

• In a large bowl, add the gelatin to the boiling water. Whisk until dissolved, then stir in the sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until gelatin begins to set up, then pour gently over cream cheese layer. Carefully move strawberries around to make sure they are in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate until gelatin is set, about 4 hours, or overnight.
• OPTIONAL GARNISH: add piped-on whipped topping, more strawberries, and/or more pretzels.