Low-fat Turkey Sausage Breakfast Strata

I love watching "The Kitchen" on the Food Network at the gym. I feel like I'm vicariously eating delicious food while burning calories. However, when it comes time to actually cook the recipes, I almost had a heart attack with the Holiday Sausage Strata recipe. I entered it into my handy-dandy fitness tracker, and the total fat came to 40 grams per serving. Total calories were 557 calories per serving. While I'm sure the original recipe is delicious, here is a lower-fat version:

4 tbsp, I Can't Belive it's Not Butter
16 slice, French Baguette
12 oz, Cheese, Gruyere
2 cup, Fat-Free Milk
3 cups Egg Beaters or other egg substitute
1 tbsp(s), Kosher Salt
1 tsp, Cracked Black Pepper
1 cup(s), Parmesan
1 lb(s), Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Spread margarine on both sides on the bread, and put 8 slices of the bread as a bottom layer of a 9x13" casserole dish. In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 of egg mixture over the bread. Cook sausage over skillet, and layer over bread.

Sprinkle 1/2 of cheese mixture over sausage. Repeat layer, making sure to end with the cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

The substitutions don't cut down the calories that much to 487 calories per serving, but they bring the fat content to a more reasonable 18 grams per serving. According to my local Whole Foods cheese specialist, Gruyere doesn't come in a low-fat version. (Actually, she gave me a horrified look when I asked.) To cut down the fat even more, substitute a low-fat cheese such as low-fat mozzarella.

Nina Snyder is the author of ABCS OF BALLS and the designer of the HOT PINK ORCHARD JOURNAL. Follow her on Twitter @nsnyder_writer.