Who wants to get the waffle iron or griddle out for just one meal? When I make pancakes, waffles, French toast, etc. I try to make extra and freeze on cookie sheet in single layer. When frozen, pop them into freezer bags. French toast and waffles heat well in the toaster; I recommend the microwave or oven for the pancakes. (The same principle works for cookie dough balls if you don’t have time to bake all the batches.)
We make egg sandwiches on buns or bread or tortillas. Mix eggs slightly and cook like an omelet and put on buns. Or scramble to put in tortillas with cheese.
For “farmer’s eggs” in the morning: Sauté onion and red/green pepper in mild olive oil in a skillet. Add thinly-sliced potatoes and cover to steam for a few minutes till the potatoes are softened. Pour mixed eggs over the softened potatoes and cook till firm. You may add cooked, sliced meat at this point, if desired, and let it warm in the egg. Season as desired. (I also add some chopped spinach when I add the egg.)
Oatmeal only takes 5 minutes to cook on the stove in the morning:
I put ¼ to ½ cup oats per person, double that amount of water, and a shake of salt in the saucepan; stir once to distribute oats. Bring to boil and then simmer covered on lowest setting for 5 minutes; do not stir (unless you prefer it “sticky”). After removing pan from pot, I add a squirt of flaxseed oil, a few spoonfuls of honey or Sucanat (we like the brown sugar taste), some applesauce and/or cinnamon and/or chopped walnuts or almonds. Sometimes I put raisins and/or chopped apples in when I first start cooking, so the apples are soft and the raisins are plump. (Note: Sucanat can be used interchangeably with brown sugar.) Oatmeal can also be baked.
Whole grain toast with fruit spread and juice, or whole grain toast and cheese are decent choices.
I have also made coffee cake and let the kids have it for breakfast. It contains freshly-milled whole grains, eggs, nuts, honey, raisins, etc. It’s basically bread dough with an egg and fruit added, with crumbly stuff/nuts on top!
My kids love the Egg Casserole that I prepare at night and bake in the morning (see Main Dishes section of Everyday Cooking). We have it with Do-Ahead Coffeecake and/or Baked Oatmeal.
Sometimes I’ll make fried apples to go with it: Slice at least one apple per person. Melt about 1/2 stick butter in a skillet and add about a Tbsp or 2 of cinnamon and about 2 Tbsp Sucanat (or dark brown sugar). Toss apples in the mixture and simmer covered about 5 minutes or so, till apples are softened to the point you can pierce them easily with a fork.
Breakfast cookies are a good on-the-run option or healthy-ish snack.
You can make pretty much any grain into breakfast, especially in the crockpot overnight on low (I personally think oatmeal with flaked oats is too mushy after all night in the pot, but some like it that way — steel cut oats would be a better choice). Most grains cook at a 1:4 ratio of grain to water—you can use whole barley or oats or wheat or millet, etc. Then season with cinnamon, honey, etc. in the morning. I recommend buttering or greasing the crock before adding the ingredients.
Spelt, oat groats, kamut, or brown rice cooks at about 2 parts water and 1 part grain. Or just a little more water.
We like poached eggs (5 minutes and little clean up)—boil water in a skillet, slide eggs gently into boiling water from shells, leaving a little space around them (or use poaching rack with greased egg cups over water in a skillet). Cover and boil about 5 minutes for pretty firm (not runny yolks). When done, use a slotted spoon to remove from pan into individual bowls. I like mine with a very little sliver of butter or a bit of flaxseed oil, and some salt and pepper. Serve with whole-grain toast. (If you like yours moister, cook a minute less.)
Fruit smoothies served with muffins are good, too. A good basic combo is: 1 can pineapple, 1 banana, 1 apple, some milk or vanilla yogurt, a spoonful of flax seeds, and some ice cubes. Blend on HI till smooth. May vary fruits, etc.
And nobody says breakfast has to consist of typical breakfast foods — how about leftovers from a recent dinner?
So….What are some of your favorite quick breakfast ideas?
