Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside. Dissolve the strawberry jello mix in 2 cups of boiling water, then let it cool to room temperature.

Crush the pretzels to fill 2 cups, and chop the pecans. In the baking dish, combine the crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, and ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour the melted butter over the mixture, toss to coat, and press into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a clean mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining ½ cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the whipped topping until smooth. Set aside.

Hull and slice the strawberries, setting aside one-third of the slices to finely dice. Mix all the strawberries together.

Once the pretzel crust has cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over it. Arrange the sliced and diced strawberries on top of the cream layer.

Pour the cooled jello mixture over the strawberry layer, using about three-quarters of the jello to coat the berries without them floating.

Refrigerate until the jello is set, typically 2-3 hours. Cut into slices and serve cold.