Pineapple Upside-Down Bread Pudding

Get out your cast iron skillet for this favorite comfort food dessert. Instead of cake batter base, this clever recipe soaks bread in a sweet egg custard before baking.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 2  large eggs, beaten
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, undrained
• 8  cups  white bread, cubes
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
• 1  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 (6 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half (about 1/2 cup)
• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

1. Combine eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; stir well.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice.
3. Add juice to egg mixture; add bread crumbs and toss gently.
4. Melt butter in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Remove 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and add it to bread mixture.
5. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter remaining in skillet, sprinkle cherries and pecans over brown sugar mixture and arrange pineapple tidbits over cherries. Pour bread mixture over fruit in skillet.
6. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bread pudding is set and lightly brown.
7. Place a platter or large cake plate over skillet and invert skillet so pudding falls out, upside over plate. Spoon any thing left inside skillet over top.