Strawberry and Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast (make ahead)

This is a personal favorite of mine. Can be garnished with fresh strawberries and sprigs of fresh mint. Also the powdered sugar can be pre-flavored with a vanilla bean. Yum!

These can be made up to a month ahead and frozen. They should at least be made one night in advance. The bread slices need to soak in the egg mixture, you can get everything ready the night before and bake the French toast in the morning.

You will need a loaf of French or Italian bread that's at least 16-inches long to get slices thick enough to hold the strawberry and cream cheese filling.

Makes 10 slices

Filling
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

French Toast
1 loaf day-old French or Italian bread
1 1/4 cups fat-free egg substitute
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and almond extract or vanilla. Fold in the strawberries.

To make the French toast: Cut a small diagonal slice off each end of the bread and discard. Cut the bread diagonally into 10 thick slices. Cut a slit through the top crust of each slice to form a pocket. Divide the filling among the bread slices, stuffing each pocket with the cream-cheese mixture. Lay the slices in a 13x9-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg substitute, milk, and vanilla. Slowly pour over the bread, then turn the slices to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Turn the slices at least once while soaking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with no-stick spray. Place the bread slices about 1-inch apart on the sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes per side, or until golden. Serve warm.

Hint: In a pinch, you can replace the confectioners' sugar with granulated sugar that has been powdered in a spice grinder or mini food processor.

After soaking, the stuffed French toast can be stored in resealable freezer bags and frozen for up to 1 month. Place the frozen French toast on a baking sheet coated with no-stick spray and bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes per side, or until golden.

(Recipe from the Prevention's Health Guaranteed Cookbook)