Banana Bread Pudding

6 C. any kind of bread (I used old angel food cake), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 bananas, mashed (you can make this without bananas, too)
4 eggs
1 C. brown sugar
2 C. warm milk
1 Tbls. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 C. pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350, and prepare a greased 9 x 13 pan
2. Combine everything but the bread and the pecans in a bowl.  I just used a whisk to mix it all together.  Be careful when you add the warm milk to the eggs.  You want to add it slowly and whisk the entire time, so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs.
3.  Dump the bread into the wet mixture and stir to coat the bread.  Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid (this helps ensure that all of the liquid is evenly distributed when you cook it, rather than having all the liquid just settle at the bottom).
4.  Stir in the pecans
5.  Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 pan
6.  Put some dollops of butter on the top so that it melts over the top as it bakes.  I used a total of about 2-4 tablespoons.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
7.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
8.  Warning:  this will smell amazing as it bakes.

Serve RIGHT out of the oven.  It will be sizzling and delicious.  Top with vanilla ice cream for an amazingly delicious treat.

*Note: as it cools, this will deflate.  But it will still taste good, so don't worry.