Ohana Bread Pudding with Bananas Foster Sauce

Confession time... I have never really been a fan of bread pudding.  I love bread and I love "pudding", but it's just not a combination that seems to go hand-in-hand to me.  Kind of like chocolate covered pretzels.  I realized watching Catherine make this that it's kind of like French toast... ish.
So, when she wanted to make a bread pudding for a dessert, I figured I would humor her since she sounded like she would like it, but I wasn't convinced I would.  I also assumed half the draw to the recipe is that it was a Disney recipe and was called Ohana Bread -- because you know, "Ohana means family; family means nobody gets left behind... or forgotten" (our favorite line from Lilo & Stitch).
Well, let's just say Ohana Bread Pudding is now my favorite bread pudding, and I may actually have to admit that it's in my top 5 of desserts -- It is SOOOOOOOOOOO good!
And it helps to have a mushy sentiment behind it too as I prepare for my baby to go off to college in the next year... sniff, sniff, sniff.  I'll have to make Ohana Bread Pudding and cry into its heavenly goodness when she's off at college.  Ohana, baby ... Ohana!

• 5 eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 8 cups French bread
• Bananas Foster Topping (see below)

DIRECTIONS

1. In bowl mix eggs, milk, salt, sugar and nutmeg and set aside.
2. Cut bread in medium-sized cubes
3. Place on cookie sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove bread and place in bowl with the egg and milk mixture.
5. Place mixture in a greased 10-inch cake pan or rectangular pyrex pan.
6. Bake at 325 degree for 1 hour.

Bananas Foster Topping

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3-5 bananas, sliced
• ¾ cup rum
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add sliced bananas; toss gently to coat.
4. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until bananas are heated through.
5. Remove from direct heat, slowly and CAREFULLY add rum.  Once it has sizzled off, return back to low heat and it just simmers.
6. Add vanilla and stir gently to combine.

Serve over bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Adapted from:

Ohana Bread Pudding:  Best Recipe’s Magazine (Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Resort)

Bananas Foster Topping:  Recipe Snobs blog