Easy Bread Pudding

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 loaf sweet egg bread, such as challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten

For the optional vanilla sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 4-6-cup baking dish.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk, 2 tablespoons of the butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, the cinnamon, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the nutmeg, and the salt.
4. Cook the milk mixture until the butter melts and then allow it to cool.
5. Fill the prepared baking dish with the cubed bread.
6. Add the eggs to the cooled milk mixture and whisk to combine.
7. Pour the milk mixture over the bread.
8. Bake the pudding until the custard is set, but still a little wobbly, and the edges of the bread are browned, about 30-45 minutes.
9. Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
10. Add the remaining sugar, the cream, and the remaining vanilla and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
11. Serve the pudding warm with the vanilla sauce.