For more years than I can count, I’ve made my Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole for Christmas breakfast – along with innumerable times for other assorted family and group gatherings. The fact the recipe quickly and easily produced a large 9X13-inch pan of it was part of the beauty as it conveniently served a crowd of 12 as part of a breakfast or brunch.
Sometimes, however – like this year with so many of us serving fewer – a dish that can serve twelve is just too much. The good news is that a casserole recipe is easy to cut in half, as long as you make a couple of simple adjustments. The better news is that I have done this for you!
In addition to the “halve it math,” I have adjusted a couple of ingredients to make shopping easier and adjusted the baking dish size and baking time.
This easy sweet and cinnamony cream cheese laced baked French toast recipe yields six nice sized servings, or four large. It can even be made for just two – you can decide your portion size – and leftovers are also delicious. Simply wrap up what you don’t eat, place in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in the microwave.
Serves Six
Ingredients:
6-ounces light tub-style cream cheese
6 tablespoons granulated no-calorie sweetener*
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 cup egg substitute (like Egg Beaters) or 2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
8-ounces (1/2 pound) French, cinnamon swirl (my favorite), or wheat bread (1-inch slices)
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Instructions:
1. Spray an 8X8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sweetener, margarine, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth. Blend in the egg and then the egg substitute (or additional eggs). Whisk in the milk and mix well. Place the bread slices into the baking dish and cover them with the egg mixture (pressing down lightly to allow the mixture to soak in). Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Bake for 35-40 minutes until puffed in the center and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
*If you prefer to use all-natural Truvia for Baking or another baking blend that is twice as sweet use 1/2 as much, or 3 tablespoons.
Per Serving (1/6 of casserole): Calories 190 | Fat 7 grams ( 1.5 saturated) | Carbohydrate 37 grams (4 grams sugar) | Fiber 3 grams |Protein 17 grams | Sodium milligrams| Food exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 1 Medium-Fat Meat | Smart Point Comparison Green: 5 Blue: 5 Purple: 5
Per Serving (1/4 of casserole): Calories 285 | Fat 10 grams (2 saturated) | Carbohydrate grams (3 grams sugar) | Fiber 2 grams |Protein 11 grams | Sodium 450 milligrams| Food exchanges: 2 Carbohydrates, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Medium-Fat Meat | Smart Point Comparison Green: 7 Blue: 7 Purple: 7
