Italian Brunch Casserole

By Hklbrries

Big changes come to the breakfast casserole recipe sent in by Carol Ann McClelland, of Somers, Conn., by using Italian turkey sausage, no-salt-added tomatoes, 2% reduced-fat milk instead of half-and-half, fat-free croutons and part-skim mozzarella. The savings: 150 calories, 22g fat, 150mg cholesterol and 740mg sodium.


"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

• 1 1/4 pounds mild or hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced no-salt-added tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano, drained
• 3 cups fat-free seasoned croutons
• 5 egg whites
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded part skim, low-fat mozzarella cheese

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Crumble sausage and place in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until no longer pink, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and onion; cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, garlic and oregano; cook until mushrooms are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in croutons; mix well. Spread sausage mixture in pan.

Combine egg whites, eggs, milk and black pepper. Whisk until well blended and pour evenly over sausage mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Loosely cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
240 calories
11 g fat
85 mg cholesterol
20 g protein
14 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
650 mg sodium