Wake-Up Casserole

By Hklbrries

Marsha Baker, of Pioneer, Ohio, substituted hash-brown patties for the bread slices originally used in this recipe. We’ve substituted thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes to up the potassium and fiber. We’ve decreased the amount of cheese, used a combination of whole egg and egg whites, and used 2% reduced-fat milk rather than whole milk. The savings: 140 calories, 15g fat and 205mg cholesterol.


"Many of the recipes American Profile receives from readers are family favorites passed down from one generation to the next. Many were developed before healthful food products - such as low-fat sour cream, 2% reduced-fat or skim milk, lean cuts of deli meats, and turkey bacon - became available.

As a contributing photographer for American Profile, I prepare each recipe that appears in these pages, testing to make sure that measurements are correct, cooking times work and everything actually turns out the way that we say it will. This time, however, instead of just testing, I tinkered with some of my personal favorites, substituting healthful ingredients wherever possible.

Having recently lost almost 50 pounds, I am very conscious of the meals I prepare for my family. I'm not feeding my three kids rice cakes at every meal or asking them to give up their favorite foods; instead, I've made simple changes like using lower-fat substitutions in recipes and reducing sodium levels - changes like the ones incorporated in this "lightened up" breakfast. Try it. You'll see it's brimming with flavor."

Karry Hosford, Editor

Ingredients

• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced Black Forest ham
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack or Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 chopped green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch nonstick casserole dish with cooking spray.

Arrange one-third of the sliced potatoes over bottom of pan. Layer ½ cup ham over potatoes and sprinkle ½ cup cheese over ham. Repeat layers twice.

Whisk egg and egg whites in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir in milk, thyme, green onions, salt, pepper and mustard; mix well. Pour evenly over ham and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 1 hour and 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer, or until edges are golden and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.


Tips From Our Test Kitchen: You may substitute sausage or bacon for the ham, if desired.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
270 calories,
10 g fat
65 mg cholesterol
19 g protein
25 g carbohydrates
3 g fiber
620 mg sodium