Banana eggnog bread pudding is low-cal, believe it or not

No one enjoyed bread pudding more than our good friend and cookbook author JoAnna Lund, who created so many luscious recipes that are also low in fat, sugar, calories, and cholesterol. In fact, she remarked about this recipe: “I never saw a dessert disappear so fast as when I was testing this one!”

Can’t beat that kind of endorsement!
This is for those who are still in a holiday eggnog kind of mood.

BANANA EGGNOG BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE

2 4-serving packages JELL-O sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 teaspoons rum extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 slices reduced-calorie white bread, cubed
1 cup (1 medium) sliced banana
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Twin
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. spray 8x8-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. In large saucepan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, combine 1 package dry pudding mix and 2-1/2 cups skim milk. Add raisins. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and nutmeg. Add bread cubes and banana. Mix gently to combine. Spread bread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 35-45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. In medium saucepan, combine remaining package dry pudding mix, remaining 1-1/2 cups skim milk, and Brown Sugar Twin. Mix well to combine. Let set until 5 minutes before bread pudding has completely baked. Then, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Lower heat. Add margarine and remaining 1 teaspoon rum extract. Mix to combine. Continue cooking on low until bread pudding has completed baking, stirring occasionally. Remove baking dish from oven and cut warm bread pudding into 6 servings. For each serving, place piece of bread pudding on serving dish and spoon about 1/4 cup warm rum sauce over top. Serves 6.
Each serving equals: 233 Calories; 1 g Fat; 12 g Protein; 44 g Carbohydrate; 427 g Sodium; 1 g Fiber.
Diabetic exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Skim Milk.
(Recipe from Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind by JoAnna Lund, 1997)