Pineapple Bread Pudding ~ 3.15.12

A few days ago, I was moving around some "older" magazine issues and found a 2003 Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion that I didn't remember reading... maybe because it was from 2003.
Well, I am so glad I did open it up because it had 2 recipes that I just HAD to try this week!

The first is a side dish that pairs well with ham (think Easter!!)- so I cooked up some ham steaks, roasted some asparagus and tested this recipe on my kids.
1 out of 4 liked it, but I loved it! and decided it was MUCH better as a dessert than a side. So I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to mine later on and ate a big bowl of this pineapple bread pudding.
I saved the leftovers and reheated them a few nights later and served it up when my husband was home- he loved it, too! So that makes 3 out of 7 loving this recipe, but really, the newborn doesn't have a say in this vote. I may make it again for company- it's a super easy throw together kinda recipe!

Enjoy!

Pineapple Bake
adapted from the Silver Palate Good times cookbook

8 thick slices day old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (I removed the bottom crusts)
2 cups drained crushed unsweetened pineapple (I bought the kind in pineapple juice and saved my juice for another recipe!)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish
Combine the bread and pineapple and place in the prepared dish
Mix the butter, sugar, and eggs and pour over the bread mixture
Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately- with a scoop of ice cream is especially nice!