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:
- 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.
- Choose a lower sodium (and nitrate-free!) meat option such as oven roasted turkey breast instead of ham or bacon.
- Boost the protein by substituting 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of egg whites
- Consider adding a leafy green such as spinach, to boost the nutrient density
- Reduce the butter from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup (or less)
- Use a natural white cheese instead (Jalapeño Jack) of an orange cheddar.
- 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***
- Set 8 pieces of bread into a 9″ x 13″ (23 x 33 cm) buttered, glass baking dish.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour over the sandwiches, cover and let stand in fridge overnight. In morning, melt butter, pour over top. Cover with bran cereal.
- Bake, uncovered, 1 hour at 350 deg.F (180 deg.C). Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve this with fresh fruit.
**Unsweetened almond milk
***Nature's Path Heritage Flakes
Happy Brunching!!
