Cooking Light magazine brings us this hearty casserole – a light, comforting, autumnal bread pudding.

Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash (peel, dice into ½ in cubes)
• Cooking spray
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or other hard cheese), grated fresh, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 8 ounces (approx. 9 cups) day-old French bread, (cut into 1 in cubes)

Nutritional Information

• Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
  334 calories; 14 grams fat; 16 grams protein; 5 grams saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 116 milligrams cholesterol; 638 milligrams sodium

Note:

The information shown is only an estimate based on the available ingredients and specified preparation. This should not take the place of a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray, arrange your squash in a single layer, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt. At 400 degrees, bake until tender – approx. 12 minutes. Take out of oven, and lower the temperature to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized non-stick skillet, heat the oil over a med-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, combing the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, milk, ½ cup cheese, nutmeg, eggs, egg whites and pepper – stir with a whisk. Stir in the onion mixture and squash. Add the bread, and gently stir to mix. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, spoon in the mixture. Sprinkle the last ½ cup of cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes – until pudding is lightly browned, and set.