Bread pudding is one of my family's favorite desserts, especially when it's cold out.  This is a recipe from one of my mom's old sorority cookbooks, from Diane Howell in Texas.  Scroll to the bottom for some yummy variations.  We love it because it's more custard and less bread.

Custard Bread Pudding

Beat 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled), and 1 tsp vanilla.  Stir in 5 chopped up slices of bread.  Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish, buttered.  Sprinkle w/ a 1/4 cup of sugar mixed w/ a 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and set.  Serve warm or cold.

*Important note:  most bread pudding recipes, including this one, work best with sturdy firm stale bread.  Too fresh or soft bread just gets mushy.  We like homemade whole wheat, sourdough, ciabatta, or challah bread.  I freeze the last few stale slices from each loaf and save up to use for this treat.

Variations:  sliced bananas and chocolate chips; chopped apples, pears or peaches + nuts; fresh blueberries and cream cheese cut into chunks; caramel or chocolate sauce on top.  Any variation is yummy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  You can also use half the sugar and it turns out just fine.  Brown sugar gives a nice caramelly flavor.