Chop the washed strawberries into ¼” cubes.

Half the result (should equal about 2 servings of 1 ¼ cups each) into two bowls.

With one half of the strawberries, sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar over the strawberries and let rest while you prepare the whipped cream.

Mix the heavy cream, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the mixture on medium high until firm peaks form (several minutes).

In a ziploc bag, lightly crush the meringues into medium to large chunks. (If you are baking your own meringues, make sure they have completely cooled before this step).

To crush, you may only need to press with your fingers since meringues are delicate. You don’t want to crush them too small because they add a nice crunch to the dish.

With the strawberries and sugar mix--Now that the strawberries have set in the sugar for a while, mash them until you get a jam-like consistency. (If you desire, you can use a hand blender to puree them). Reserve the other bowl with the second half of the chopped strawberries for assembly.

At this point, you can choose to fold in the strawberry jam mix into the whipped cream or leave them separate.

In serving glasses, spoon a dollop of whipped cream, followed by the strawberry jam mix (if separate), then a scoop of the remaining chopped strawberries, and a scoop of crushed meringues.

Continue until the glasses are full, finishing always with a spoonful of whipped cream topped with crushed meringues.

Serve immediately.