Coffee Breakfast

I am so excited to present to you the winners of our Best Healthy Casseroles recipe contest! A quick overview: we asked you to share your favorite healthy casseroles. I picked my five favorites (which was very difficult!), and each will get a new Emile Henry casserole dish, and a copy of my new book. Our first winner is from reader Coco of Opera Girl Cooks, and it is a delicious yet not-too-sweet breakfast casserole, made with toasty whole grain bread and a filling of apples. Read on for the recipe, and why I liked it so much.

Why I chose Coco's casserole
Now, I love breakfast casseroles. I especially love those sugary, cream-laden casseroles that we all love to eat on Christmas morning and for weekend brunch. But I'm not going to eat these every week. Too rich! So I was very happy to see Coco's casserole, which called for only a very small amount of sugar. (If it's not sweet enough for you, serve with maple syrup!) The sweetness mostly comes from a layer of apples that soak into the bottom half of the casserole. So delicious! I did update the casserole, though, to use multi-grain bread. Use the heartiest, chunkiest stuff you can find; any additional good texture will just make the casserole better.

Also, a tip: I instruct you in the recipe to cut off the crusts of the bread. This will make for a smoother, more consistent texture in the final result. But don't worry — those crusts should not go to waste. In fact, doing this will help you get two-for-one out of one loaf of bread. Simply dry the crusts in the oven and make bread crumbs out of them. (You'll find plenty of uses for yummy homemade bread crumbs in this week's casserole recipes!)

This was just such a treat. My husband and I ate it for three days straight; it lasts beautifully in the fridge. It's also firm and cohesive enough that you could cut it in big slices and wrap them in wax paper for eating on the go.

I loved the mild sweetness of the casserole and the wonderful flavor of cinnamon and apples. It's a great way to start your morning.