Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast

By Kay MacInnis

Sure, you know what you’re making for Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve got that down pat. But with breakfast being so important to our day, why on Earth would we not make Thanksgiving Day breakfast extra special?

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: More to worry about on the toughest cooking day of the year? But bear with me: Baked apple-cinnamon French toast is an easy way to start the day off right.

Preparation for this dish begins the night before, making it super easy to throw in the oven when you wake up on Thanksgiving Day morning. Not to mention, it’s good for you.

The recipe calls for whole-wheat bread, which is full of fiber to aid in digestion; dried fruit, which is packed full of concentrated micronutrients; and egg substitute to keep cholesterol as low as can be on this food-filled holiday.

While research does suggest that eating eggs in their complete form provides vitamins A, E, D, K, lutein (for eye health), and choline (for your heart), it is recommended that the daily limit of cholesterol be 300 mg. With only one egg containing about 213 mg. of cholesterol, and keeping in mind that we will most likely be indulging in the extreme throughout the day, an egg substitute helps to keep that count down.

As always, you can get creative with this recipe, adding a fruit of your choice (such as blueberries or raspberries) to provide more color, flavor and nutrition!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups non-fat milk
• 2 cups egg substitute
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 one-pound loaf of sliced whole-wheat bread
• 1 cup chopped dried apples (3 ounces)
• ½ cup raisins
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

• Whisk milk, egg substitute, honey, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
• Trim crusts off 8 bread slices and set aside.
• Cut the crusts and the remaining bread into 1-inch pieces. Toss with dried apples, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg in another large bowl.
• Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Transfer the bread mixture to the pan. Lay the reserved crustless slices evenly on top, trimming to fit.
• Whisk the milk mixture one more time, then pour evenly over the bread. Press the bread down with the back of a wooden spoon, making sure it’s evenly moist.
• Cover with parchment paper, then foil, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake the casserole, covered, for 30-40 minutes.
• Uncover and continue baking until puffed, set and lightly browned – about 20 minutes.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutritional information per serving: 183 Calories; fat 1 gram; cholesterol 1 mg.; carbohydrates 33 grams; protein 19 mg.; sodium 344 mg.

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

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