Intimate Family Dinner during the Holidays {Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding recipe}
This post about an intimate family dinner during the holidays, featuring a chocolate banana bread pudding recipe, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All stories, photos, and opinions are my own. #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias
The holidays can be hectic and things are about to start happening really fast. I’m going to show you how to have an intimate family dinner during the holidays and share my husband’s chocolate banana bread pudding recipe for your enjoyment. To you and yours from me and mine, I wish you the happiest of holidays this year and every year.
Can you believe the holidays are here? It seems like we were just enjoying the Summer weather and taking our boy to summer camp at the Y and now we’re almost halfway through his 2nd grade year and Halloween is over. I was in the store today and looking for some Fall decorations and all I could find was clearance Halloween decor and then Christmas decor. It seems we’ve skipped over Fall and Thanksgiving and moved right onto Christmas these days. I’m going to show you how to slow down and have an intimate family dinner with a great dessert (perfect for Thanksgiving dinner) in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Do you have traditions for Thanksgiving? My family all gathers at my dad’s house for a huge dinner of turkey, chicken, ham, and all the sides that you can possibly imagine. My dad doesn’t like anyone in his kitchen, but he allows me to make monkey bread for breakfast and fruit salad for the dinner and he allows others to take over dessert (as long as they make it at home and bring it!). I love this annual tradition because it makes us all slow down just a little before Christmas and it gathers the family around for one day before we all scatter for the holidays.
Since Howard and I have been saving up our money for Christmas and my surgery just before the new year, we have been eating at home a lot more. We have been looking for something quick and easy, but an intimate family dinner, so we can still do all the activities of the holidays while staying at home for dinner.
On Monday night, we went to Boy Scouts and found out about a few more activities on our agenda for the year. We already have the scouts meetings on Mondays, soccer on Tuesday, Tyler on Thursday, soccer again on Saturdays, and then all the special activities. Last Saturday we started building a cardboard car with the Boy Scouts and next Friday we have to go finish it. Then Saturday we have two soccer games and the cardboard car races. We have the Trail of Lights and The Polar Express coming up and who knows what other school activities we will have throughout the holidays. We are so busy and the holidays haven’t even hit yet!
This week we decided to try out something we haven’t eaten before and we headed to Walmart to pick up a STOUFFER’S® Family Size Entrées Lasagna (we picked the cheese one so Benjamin would eat it with us). I feel good about feeding my family STOUFFER’S® Lasagna because it is made the way I would make it if I had the time this holiday season to make my own. While at Walmart, we picked up the ingredients for Howard’s chocolate banana bread pudding and found these BUTTERFINGER® Bits for the chocolate component. We found the lasagna in the frozen meals aisle and the baking bits in the baking aisle.
Benjamin was a little skeptical about the lasagna, but after one bite, he was hooked. He asked for seconds and that never happens! I thought the lasagna tasted fresh and cheesy and did not taste like a frozen meal at all. My mom used to make homemade lasagna when I was a kid (rarely, but I do remember it). This lasagna reminded me of my mom’s lasagna…and that’s saying a lot about a former lunch lady’s cooking. She was a lunch lady back when they used to cook from scratch!
Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding Recipe
Now, I know I’ve peaked your interest with this homemade chocolate banana bread pudding. Let me tell you how to make it:
What you’ll need:
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
5 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups french bread, cubed
1 bag BUTTERFINGER® Bits
3 bananas, thinly sliced
1 tsp table salt
What you’ll do:
Put cubed bread in a bowl with bananas and BUTTERFINGER® Bits. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients. Mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes. Put into greased 13×9 in baking pan. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Now that you know about our intimate family dinner, I would love to know about your holidays. Do you have lots going on like us or do you take it slow? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving or skip right over and go into Christmas? For more Thanksgiving recipe inspiration, visit Flavorful Moments on Pinterest.
This looks really interesting and yummy! I’ve never tried banana bread pudding, but I’d love to try to make it for my son – I feel he would love it! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never made (or had) bread pudding, but this whole meal looks pretty darn good!
Alison recently posted..The Magic of Friendship With Little Charmers
FABULOUS looking! And the fried bananas…YUM!
Brianna recently posted..Three Dream-Killers and How to Overcome them
This all looks so good! I need to try it out!
Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life recently posted..Celebrate Fall with Crisp Apple SPARKLING ICE
Oh wow, this sounds incredible! I would love to make this for my family asap!
Erin recently posted..6 Easy Ways to Overcome Camera Shyness
Adding Butterfinger to anything’s gonna make it AMAZING!
Lauren Watson {Native Texan Livin’} recently posted..Elf on the Shelf Ideas {& Free Printable Calendar}
That looks delicious in every sense of the word! I will definitely have to try this recipe sometime.
HilLesha recently posted..Young Living November 2015 Promo
This chocolate banana bread sounds amazing!!! I may need to try this soon!!
ricci recently posted..My Everyday Eye…featuring {Circa Beauty}
Sounds like a great pairing. I’ve never tried lasagna with chocolate banana bread pudding. Yum. I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I love the idea of trying something new.
April G recently posted..Nineteen
I have never had bread pudding before! I love collecting new recipes to try, especially if I have never had it before.
Kelly Hutchinson recently posted..Tips For Planning The Perfect Holiday Party #ThisIsMyTwist
I just love bread pudding. Sadly, I am the only person in my family who does. I don’t get to make it very often. This sounds amazing. I might have to just make a small batch for myself.
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane recently posted..Break Through that Migraine with Essential Oils
absolutely love this sweet idea and it looks so yummy too!
lexie recently posted..Fashion Favorites | Fuzz & Fur
I have never tried making any kind of pudding. I love that this has banana in it.
Chubskulit Rose recently posted..A Tribute for our Fallen Heroes: Our Visit to the Memorial Park in Weirton
I just got some bread pudding coffee. I’ve never had bread pudding (or the coffee) so I’m intrigued.
We didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia, but since moving to the U.S., it has definitely become my favourite holiday – it’s a welcome break with family before the madness of christmas comes
OMG anything with Butterfinger bits added to it has got to be amazing! Will have to try it!
laura londergan recently posted..TOP POSTS :: Best of October
Omg this sounds so yummy! I’m definitely going to have to try out your recipe!
That banana bread looks so tasty. I don’t think I have ever had it with actual chunks of banana. I will have to try this out!
Dawn recently posted..6 Reasons Why I’m Thankful I Met My {Almost Ex} Husband
What a lovely treat for the family. I like that it’s easy to prepare and make for the holidays. Both the chocolate banana bread pudding and lasagna look great.
That bread pudding looks and sounds divine! Will definitely have to save this one since Todd loves anything banana! Our holidays aren’t usually too hectic, but we also don’t really start the Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving–it’s a definite rule in our house!
Jenn recently posted..2015 Digital Scrapbooking Day
This sounds soooo good! I need to buy the ingredients right away!
Debra recently posted..Frozen Snack Table with LOTS of Healthy Options
I have never ever had this before. It looks really good, I would love to give it a try! I bet my kids would love it too!
Jeanine recently posted..IAMS Proactive Health: Spoiling Our Pups & Giving Them The Very Best #FurryFoodie
This Banana Bread pudding recipe looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to get the ingredients i need so i can make it this weekend.
It looks like your calendar is jam packed with social activities. Do you like to be this busy? I find that I tend to start dropping out of things this time of the year to allow for pleasurable stretches of no commitments time. I feel like all members of my family need it, if you know what I mean. Good luck with the surgery!
Eva/ Kid Minds recently posted..Plant Science: using chlorophyll as a coloring agent
Chocolate Bananna Bread Pudding!!!!! Yes!! I want some right now!!! I’ve never had this flavor before!!!
Nikka Shae recently posted..Meet Empire’s Jussie Smollett
Yum. This looks and sounds amazing! I wish I could try it, but our daughter is allergenic to bananas.
Jenn recently posted..Interesting facts about women’s firsts in politics #Suffragette
We get together at my sister’s house and have our family get together on Christmas Eve. We usually all bring a dish so it is like a pot luck dinner. This chocolate banana bread pudding recipe I will have to try because we all love banana pudding and this recipe is that with a twist.
I haven’t had bread pudding in ages! Your recipe sounds amazing. I’m going to have to try it.
Brandi @ penguinsinpink.com recently posted..Letter Y is for Yak and Yarn Craft
Wow, this looks great. I actually love this Lasagna, it has replaced my homemade version.
Sounds super good. And I love butterfingers
I love bread pudding and never thought to put banana in it! Sounds incredible
Wow, the pudding looks so yummy! I’m definitely making this on Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe.
Ourfamilyworld recently posted..Wind Down after Decking the Halls with These Best Christmas Movies For Kids
Life can get so very hectic can’t it?!? Sounds like you are in the thick of scouting activities. I love Stouffer’s for an easy and delicious dinner that the whole family will enjoy when I simply do not have the time or energy to cook from scratch.
Stacey recently posted..First Ever National Mini-Maker Faires this Weekend!
I read the words banana and chocolate-and was instantly excited! This looks so good!
Mar recently posted..Hask Keratin Products Review
This looks really good. My kids and husband love bananas but they don’t agree with me. Maybe I can make it for them!
lisa recently posted..STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – New Character Posters and a Star Wars Cereal Treat!
Looks tasty! <3 I like the roasted bananas on the side too! <3
Susannah recently posted..Faith and Fellowship Blog Hop
I have never tried chocolate banana bread pudding, but I love chocolate and I love bread pudding, so I know this must be amazing!
Logan Can recently posted..Time for Cocoa…and Surprises
I’d love to get a few days of relaxed family dinners within the next few weeks. I wouldn’t mind trying that lasagna or that delicious banana bread pudding!
Liz Mays recently posted..Denny’s Menu Serves Up Quality, Fresh and Delicious Meals! #DennysDiners
That chocolate banana bread pudding sounds (and looks) delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Trish @Almost Sexy Mommy recently posted..Holiday Fire Safety
I love bread pudding but have never actually made one at home. Oh, and the cardboard car races you mentioned sound like a lot of fun.
Sicorra@NotNowMomsBusy recently posted..Work-from-Home Job Lead Round Up
Thank you so much for the Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding recipe I will be making this! x
Claire recently posted..Comfort food – corned beef hash
That’s a great bread. Chocolate banana bread pudding sounds fantastically delicious.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle recently posted..5 Tips for Hosting the Perfect Backyard Movie Night #PopcornPartyTime
Yum this looks so yummy! I may try to make this for our next family get together
Mmmm, that sounds so good. I host both Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house, so I am always looking for new ideas.