A bread pudding-soufflé hybrid, this dish gets its inspiration from a rich, pineapple soufflé traditionally served as an accompaniment to baked ham. We turned it into a main dish, putting the ham straight into the soufflé. Then, we improved the nutritional profile by omitting heavy cream and butter and choosing whole-wheat bread over white. For the best texture and flavor, look for soft whole-wheat sandwich bread without any added malt or molasses. Be sure to use canned, not fresh pineapple—fresh pineapple makes the soufflé too wet.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 2/3 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 pound soft whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed
6 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup low-fat milk
3 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple, very well drained
1 1/2 cups finely diced ham steak
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2 1/2-quart soufflé or casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Process bread in a food processor in three batches, until coarse crumbs form (about 5 cups).
3. Whisk 2 egg yolks (discard the remaining yolks or reserve for another use), milk, pineapple and ham in a large bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs and butter.
4. Beat 6 egg whites, sugar and salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the bread mixture in two batches. Transfer to the prepared dish.
5. Bake the soufflé until puffed, golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 160°F, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 475 calories; 16 g fat (7 g sat, 5 g mono); 117 mg cholesterol; 59 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 6 g fiber; 493 mg sodium; 320 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (37% daily value), Vitamin C & Iron (20% dv), Calcium (16% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 fruit, 2 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Equipment: 2 1/2-quart soufflé or casserole dish

I made one-third of this recipe and put into two individual-size souffle dishes. My husband and i liked it well enough to make again, but we agreed that it was a bit dry, and i thought it was too sweet. I think next time i make it, i'll leave out the sugar and add some macadamia oil.

Tina, Bellingham, WA

A (very) rare clinker from Eating Well. In fact, of the dozens and dozens of EW recipes we have tried, this is the only one we've ever tasted, then simply thrown out. The bread overwhelms everything else. The egg yolks and cream from the "unhealthy" original version of this recipe are sorely missed. We even tried adding a bit of shredded cheese at the table to try and pump this up with some umami - to no avail. Looked good. Smelled good. Tasted - yuk!

Stephen & Jayne, St. Paul, MN