Breakfast Casserole

I have to be honest, I am not a huge breakfast person.  My friend Kristin and I were just having this conversation on the way home from the shore the other day and I was saying how I would much rather have lunch.  But, when we had guests over the other weekend, I knew we would need to have something ready for breakfast, so I went with a casserole!  I like casseroles because they are quick and easy!  They incorporate the main breakfast ingredients into one dish and they always end up tasting delicious, like the one I adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. turkey breakfast sausage
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1.5 cups egg beaters
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 16 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into bit size squares (I used Wonder's Smartwhite -- I love this bread!)
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-fat cooking spray and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat pan with non-fat cooking spray.  Add turkey sausage to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes, until the sausage is a little browned (at this point, I broke them up into bite size pieces).  Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the milk, egg beaters, egg whites, dry mustard, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and eggs.  Stir all the ingredients so they are combined.
4. Add sausage, cheese, and bread to the mixture and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into the 9 x 13 baking dish, making sure it fills it evenly, and cover.  Refrigerate overnight. 
5. Remove the casserole and uncover it 30 minutes prior to when you are going to put it in the oven. 
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Nutritional information (serves 12): 202 calories, 7.2g fat, 79mg cholesterol, 18.0g carbohydrates, 3.4g fiber, 5.2g sugar, 20g protein

Weight watchers points per serving: 5 points plus