Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the pretzel crust: Get out a large bowl and add the crushed pretzels, 8 tablespoons of butter, and ¼ cup of sugar to it. Use a spoon to incorporate all of those ingredients together. Then transfer this mixture to a 9 x 13 baking pan and use your hands to firmly press the crust to the bottom of the pan.

Bake the pretzel crust: Place the pan in your heated oven and let it bake for 12 minutes. Then let it sit out on your counter until it has completely cooled.

Make the cream layer: Use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and ¾ cup of sugar. Then add the cool whip and fold it into the beaten cream cheese. Next, pour the cream layer over the pretzel crust and spread it out so that it completely covers it. Make sure that there are no holes or else the jello layer might seep into the bottom. Finally, place this in the fridge and let it cool for 2 hours.

Make and add the jello layer: Get out a large bowl and dissolve the jello in 2 cups of boiling water. Let this cool down to room temperature and then add in the sliced strawberries. Finally pour this over the cream layer and place it in your fridge for 2 to 4 hours, or until the jello has set.

Slice the pretzel salad into squares and enjoy!