Strawberry-Stuffed French Toast

By RJamoralin

This dish can be assembled the night before and popped in the fridge. It'll be ready to cook first thing in the morning. Use whole-wheat bread to increase the fiber.

Per slice: 233 cal, 7 g fat (3 g sat), 31 g carbs, 10 g protein, 2 g fiber, 51 mg chol, 384 mg sodium, 113 mg calcium

Ingredients

• 1 loaf italian bread (about 1 pound)
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons confectioners's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup finely chopped strawberries (about 12 medium)
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 35mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cut the bread into about ten 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut a slit through the top crust of each slice to form a deep pocket.

2. Mix together the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir in the strawberries and spoon the filling equally into the bread pockets. Lay the stuffed slices of bread in a shallow 4-quart baking dish, such as a 15x10-inch dish.

3. In a clean medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Carefully tilt the pan and swirl the egg mixture to completely coat the bread. Let sit for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

4. Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the Frendh toast in batches and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.