Kids Cuisine

This is one of those “breakfast for dinner” dishes that you can throw together in a couple of minutes, takes less than an hour to bake, and will accommodate nearly everyone’s tastes.

Of course, you can serve it for breakfast and it makes a fantastic brunch dish, but I like to serve it for dinner on those nights when I need to throw something in the oven and feed it to the kids fast — sometimes, I confess, in the car on the way to whatever it is that we’re rushing toward. The best part? In spite of the quick composition, there’s no compromise in nutrition. This casserole hits all four food groups.

The kids can help with most of the prep work. Invite them to break and whisk the eggs, measure out the milk and sugar, cut (or tear) the bread cubes. Older kids who can safely handle the oven can probably manage this one on their own (with a bit of supervision, especially when taking the casserole out of the oven).

I like to serve this with vanilla yogurt, applesauce, and syrup as topping options, and if you’re a family of meat-eaters, you can accompany this with bacon or breakfast sausage.

Fruited French Toast Bake

• 12 slices wheat, white, or light wheat bread
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (I like blueberries and raspberries)
• 4 ounces light cream cheese, cubed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups milk (can use skim)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2.5-liter casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Cut or tear bread slices into cubes. Place about one-third of the bread cubes in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with berries, then dot with cream cheese cubes. Lay another layer of bread cubes and top with additional berries and cream cheese. Repeat until all the bread, berries, and cream cheese are gone.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in casserole dish. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and dot with butter pieces.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out with only clear moisture on it. If the top is browning too quickly, you can cover it with a piece of foil. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.