I’m sure there’s a few recipes that all of us can recall from our childhood…..

“Christmas Morning Wife Saver” from the Best of Bridge cookbook was one of those stand-out recipes for me. Did it stand out because it was associated with all of the excitement around Christmas, or because it really was THAT good?!?! 🙂

In any case, I attempted to re-create a healthier version for my husband’s birthday brunch. Here is what the original recipe called for:

16 slices white bread, crusts removed
16 slices Canadian back bacon or ham
16 slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2-1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1-2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 cups milk
dash Tabasco
1/2 cup butter !!!
Special K or crushed Corn Flakes

The variations are truly endless, but this is how I lightened it up:

1. Swap the white bread for sprouted whole grain bread. Swap the zero-fibre Special K or Corn Flakes cereal for a HIGHER FIBRE option such as Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes.
2. Choose a lower sodium (and nitrate-free!) meat option such as oven roasted turkey breast instead of ham or bacon.
3. Boost the protein by substituting 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of egg whites
4. Consider adding a leafy green such as spinach, to boost the nutrient density
5. Reduce the butter from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup (or less)
6. Use a natural white cheese instead (Jalapeño Jack) of an orange cheddar.

Breakfast Bake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Author: Crystal

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 16 slices sprouted grain bread, crusts removed*
• 16 slices roasted turkey breast
• 8 slices jalapeno jack cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup egg whites
• ½ tsp
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• ¼ cup minced onion or 1 tsp onion powder
• 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups milk of choice**
• dash Tabasco, Franks or Sriracha
• ¼-1/3 cup butter 125 mL
• 2 cups Bran Flake Cereal***

Instructions

1. Set 8 pieces of bread into a 9″ x 13″ (23 x 33 cm) buttered, glass baking dish.
2. Cover bread with slices of turkey. Lay slices of cheese on top, spread spinach over the cheese and then cover with remaining slices of bread to make it like a sandwich.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites and pepper. To the egg mixture add dry mustard, onion, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Tabasco or hot sauce.
4. Pour over the sandwiches, cover and let stand in fridge overnight. In morning, melt butter, pour over top. Cover with bran cereal.
5. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour at 350 deg.F (180 deg.C). Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve this with fresh fruit.

Notes

*I used Silver Hills Little Big Bread which is a thinly sliced lower carb bread
**Unsweetened almond milk
***Nature's Path Heritage Flakes

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛th recipe Calories: 440 Fat: 20g Carbohydrates: 29g Sugar: 3g Fiber: 7g Protein: 35g

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