Crock Pot Bread Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups plain breadcrumbs (or more to make mixture as thick as cooked oatmeal when mixed with all ingredients)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 banana, mashed or sliced (optional)

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together until bread crumbs are thoroughly wet, and mixture is smooth like thick oatmeal.
Place mixture in a WELL greased crock pot.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until a knife stuck in middle of the\"pudding\" comes out fairly clean.
NOTE: For the last 1/2 hour of cooking, lift the lid a\"crack\" by putting a spoon or fork between it and the pot, to let the excess moisture escape; otherwise you will have a clear liquid all around the bread pudding.
Bread pudding should rise slightly like a cake while cooking, and be smooth on top.
It should be fairly solid when done, like a very moist chewy brownie, or perhaps like a dense souffle.