Preheat oven to 350° F. Place bananas and butter in a large mixing bowl and mix together, using a wooden spoon. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir. Add the optional walnuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Add the flour and continue to mix by hand.
Pour the mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack and remove from pan. Slice and serve.
Notes
When freezing ripe bananas, you can also peel them and place them in freezer bags for storage in the freezer.