Tasty Tuesday: Monte Cristo Casserole

What ever happened to Benningan's?  Anybody else ever eat there?  We used to occasionally when I was younger, and each and every time, I would get their Monte Cristo sandwich.  I don't order them often anymore because...well, let's face it...deep fried bread with cheese and powdered sugar isn't exactly the most healthy choice, but each time I have tried one, it has yet to live up to that Bennigan's Monte Cristo.
When I came across this Monte Cristo Casserole recipe, then, I was immediately intrigued.  For one, there is nothing deep fried in there, so it's immensely healthier than the other options (by the way, I put it through My Fitness Pal and got it at about 350 calories for 1/4, minus the strawberry topping...not too bad!).  Plus, I reasoned, it was something the boys would like. And it was something different than our usual array of chicken, pork chop, pasta.  So we gave it a whirl, and as you can probably tell since I'm devoting a post to it, we liked it!  Actually, as predicted, the boys loved it (Colton told me it was his best dinner ever, although he told me the same thing the next night with spaghetti too, so who knows!?!).  Either way, it's a keeper in our house, and so I pass it on to you...
                                

Monte Cristo Casserole

• 1/2 cup non-fat milk
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 4 oz. deli ham, diced
• 4 oz. deli turkey, diced
• 2 oz. swiss cheese, diced or shredded
• 12 oz. package frozen French toast, thawed
• 1 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup strawberry ice cream topping

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 8x8 pan with non stick cooking spray.

2.  Cut french toast into 3/4 inch cubes and place in large bowl.  Heat milk in microwave until hot (2 minutes or so).  Stir in egg substitute.  Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, toss gently, and set aside.

3.  Combine ham, turkey, and swiss cheese in another bowl.  Set aside.

4.  Put a layer of French toast on bottom of pan.  Top with half the meat/cheese mixture.  Repeat the layers.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

5.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  

6.  Let stand 10 minutes.  While waiting, slice the stawberries and combine them with the strawberry topping.

7.  After 10 minutes, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.  Serve with strawberry dipping sauce.