There are several ways to use up day-old and leftover bread, buns and rolls. You can make quick breadcrumbs to top off a casserole, or you can use them my favorite way – to make bread pudding. I grew up eating bread pudding, and there are hundreds of recipe variations that can be found on the Internet. This one is very basic and simple – and delicious. Feel free to make the recipe as is, or change it up and make it your own by substituting chocolate chips for the raisins. Add some whiskey or bourbon to the vanilla sauce – the possibilities are truly endless.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

4 cups cubed bread (slices, day-old buns or rolls – whatever you have)

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon good vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon good vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine bread and raisins in a large bowl. Combine milk and 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and raisins; let stand for about 10 minutes. Stir in all the remaining pudding ingredients, and pour the mixture into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake at 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the pudding is set in the center.

To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients except for the vanilla in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

Spoon warm pudding into serving dishes and serve with sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

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