Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding

My kids would eat cereal every morning for breakfast if I let them. But that just gets on my nerves for some reason. I like to mix it up - sometimes we do eggs and toast, sometimes oatmeal, sometimes smoothies.

I recently had some bananas that were getting a little overripe, and some big slices of Whole Wheat Nature's Pride bread that needed using. I decided to make a bread pudding using those. I had never made bread pudding before, so I perused MANY recipes (both online and in my Joy of Cooking cookbook) to get ideas.

This is what I came up with. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture or figure out nutritional stats. But it was good! The bananas were sweet and went well with the brown sugar, and the chocolate chips made it feel decadent - like dessert for breakfast!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding
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8 slices whole wheat bread, torn into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 can Evaporated Milk (I used fat free)
1 cup water
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (could use substitute if available)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3 large bananas, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease an 8x8 baking dish (I used nonstick spray).

Mix together egg substitute, milk, water, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add bread pieces and stir until combined. (I used clean hands for this step).

Place half of bread pieces in pan; top with banana slices. Cover with remaining bread, pouring any leftover liquid on top.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until edges start to brown and egg looks set.

Allow to set for a few minutes before cutting into slices. Top each serving with a small handful of chocolate chips.

Makes 6-8 servings.