New Mexican Chicken-Cilantro Sausage Strata

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

olive oil cooking spray
1 pound (480 g) purchased low-fat New Mexican chicken-cilantro sausages or other low-fat chicken or turkey sausages
2 cups (480 ml) 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) egg substitute
refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray
3/4 cups (90 g) shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Directions:

Remove and discard sausage casings. Crumble the sausage and sauté in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until evenly browned, stirring and breaking up any large clumps with a wooden spoon. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned sausage to paper towels to thoroughly drain.

In a 1-quart (1 l) measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg substitute.

Lightly coat a 2-quart (2 l) casserole dish with cooking spray. Place 1/4 cup (30 g) of the shredded cheese in a self-sealing plastic bag. Refrigerate. Layer 1/3 of the bread cubes on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the browned sausage and 1/4 cup (30 g) of the shredded cheese. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk-egg mixture over the top. Repeat the layers, finishing with the final bread layer and the remaining 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of the milk-egg mixture. Cover with the tomatillo salsa. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Pre heat oven to 350°F (180°C, Gas Mark 4). Uncover the casserole. Sprinkle the top with the reserved shredded cheese. Bake until the strata is bubbling and golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving: 199 calories (19% calories from fat), 20 g protein, 4 g total fat (1.6 g saturated fat), 21 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, f24 mg cholesterol, 375 mg potassium, 689 mg sodium

Diabetic exchanges: 2 lean protein, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1/2 skim milk)