Slow Cooker Comfort: Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Imagine a quiet and calm dinner where your entire meal comes together quickly without a fuss! It’s possible with the slow cooker. What could be easier than preparing a few simple ingredients, adding them to the slow cooker, and then walking away while dinner and even dessert practically cook themselves? Our recipe for Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding is delicious and nutritious, and it is sure to keep you and your family warm and well-nourished during the cold days of winter.
Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
To keep your family healthy and happy this winter, try our slightly sweet and naturally delicious apple dessert. It comes together quickly with cinnamon swirl bread (look for whole grain at your supermarket), milk, eggs, apples, and raisins and cooks up in a few short hours in the slow cooker. Our kids love this treat served warm right out of the slow cooker with a few spoonfuls of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt on top.
Makes 8 Servings
- 5 cups (½-inch diced) whole wheat cinnamon raisin swirl bread (about 8 slices)
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
- 2 small apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/3 cup raisins
Optional Toppings:
Plain or vanilla yogurt
- Generously coat the bottom and sides of a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the milk. Stir in the bread cubes and mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes until the bread has absorbed some of the liquid. Mix in the apples and raisins.
- Pour the bread mixture into the bowl of the prepared slow cooker. Cover and cook on high, about 2½ hours, or until the apples are tender and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition Information per Serving (about ¾ cup):
210 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 190mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 9g protein, 10% calciumOne Meal Served 3 Ways
Our recipe for Pulled Barbecue Chicken is perfect when you are cooking for a big group or if you plan to feed your family throughout the week. (Or freeze the leftovers in zippered bags for later.) To add excitement to this warm and comforting meal and to keep the kids from getting bored with the same chicken dish three days in a row, change up the way you serve it.
Chicken Bowl
Place half a cup of cooked brown rice in a bowl and top with the pulled chicken and your choice of toppings.
Soft Tacos
Warm a stack of soft corn tortillas and then top each with the pulled chicken and your choice of toppings. You’ll need one to three tortillas per person.
Lettuce Cups
Use the outer leaves of iceberg or Bibb lettuce to create cute “cups,” and then fill them with pulled chicken and your choice of toppings. You’ll need one to three lettuce “cups” per person.
Optional Toppings
Lime Wedges
Beans
Green Onions
Avocado
Cilantro
Low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
