Fresh Strawberry French Toast Recipe

16 slices day-old light wheat sandwich bread
1 (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
1⁄3 cup, plus ¼ cup, sugar, divided
1 cup no-sugar-added strawberry spread, divided
7 egg whites
2 eggs
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup coarsely ground pecans
1 quart ripe strawberries, sliced
Frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed (optional)

1. Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Arrange half the bread in a single layer in the pan, trimming to fit as needed.
3. Combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and ¼ cup fruit spread; beat until smooth. Spread over bread in pan. Top with remaining bread.
4. Combine egg whites, whole eggs and milk; mix well. Pour over bread. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remove pan from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375F.
6. Combine ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon and pecans; sprinkle evenly over top. Cover pan with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until puffy and golden brown on the sides. Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting.
7. Heat remaining fruit spread over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in strawberries. Serve berry mixture warm on the side. Garnish with whipped topping, if using. Serves 12.

Tips From Our Test Kitchen: This also works well with fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. For a large crowd, make both kinds of sauces, keeping them on the warming tray so guests can choose what they prefer. Have some maple syrup available, too, and pass whipped topping, if desired.

Nutritional facts per serving: 210 calories, 2.5g fat, 40mg cholesterol, 11g protein, 40g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 280mg sodium.