Stuffed French Toast

We knew this recipe could stand some serious downsizing. By combining fat-free and 1/3-less-fat cream cheeses to replace the regular cream cheese, we trimmed the fat by more than 100 grams without losing any richness. Reducing the half-and-half and making up the difference with 1% milk cut another 60 grams of fat, while using egg substitute instead of eggs brought the number down another 23 grams. The lightened version remained so rich and flavorful that it rated even higher than the original in our Test Kitchens.

Yield:

12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients

1. 24 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread
2. 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3. 2 cups egg substitute, divided
4. 1 cup half-and-half
5. 1 cup sugar, divided
6. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
7. 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8. 1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
9. 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
10. Bottled cinnamon-sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Trim crusts from bread. Arrange half of the bread in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2. Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, half-and-half, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.
3. Combine 1/2 cup egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cheeses in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Uncover and bake at 350° for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.

Notes