What are your thoughts on breakfast? Are you a grab-and-go or sit down to eat type of person? Or a skip it all together? I fall into the “I love breakfast foods, but I usually don’t want the big breakfast first thing in the morning” category.
I’m pretty sure my love of a good breakfast started early on. Growing up, breakfast was was always quite the affair. Dad would play short order cook almost every morning, and we would have omelets or breakfast burritos or bacon and scrambled eggs. I always felt bad for the kid just eating a Pop-Tart in the hallway at school. (No shade to Pop-Tarts, I secretly love them, just not for breakfast.)
Dad’s most famous breakfast creation was the “Cunningham Sandwich”. Usually reserved for the weekend, this open faced sandwich of toast, bacon, grits, and eggs could rival any restaurant dish. Bonus - it came with a show. He would stand over your shoulder, knife and fork in hand, and with ninja “hi-yah!” sound effects, slice and dice your breakfast into perfect pieces. Squeals of delight abounded. How could I not love breakfast?
These days, a typical morning finds us all eating something different at different times, and I suspect most families are the same way. We save the elaborate breakfasts for the weekend, or holidays, or breakfast for dinner.
For our weekday morning routine, I try to keep a few store bought helpers and homemade things prepped ahead that are either ready to go or easy to put together in a jiffy, and I thought today I’d share some of my go-to’s.
I always keep hard boiled eggs on hand. It’s the perfect way to add more protein to breakfast. I really love my scaled down version of a German breakfast - toast, cheese, black forest ham, and a hard boiled egg. I also love to mix a chopped up hard boiled egg into instant grits with toast on the side. My husband thinks it weird, but maybe it reminds me of that Cunningham Sandwich.
I’ve made these Banana Oatmeal Muffins several times - sometimes with nuts, sometimes with chocolate chips. They freeze and reheat beautifully. (Although, I think they’re more like little baked oatmeal cups than muffins.)
Freezer breakfast sandwiches are always good, and there are a bunch of ways to change them up! These ones from Tastes Better From Scratch are a great place to start.
Speaking of breakfast sandwiches, I always have Goolsby Sausage Patties and Pillsbury Frozen Biscuits on hand (Costco!). I can bake off several sausage patties and biscuits in the oven and then have breakfast biscuits ready to go for a few days in a row.
Muffins and quick breads also freeze really well and just need a minute to reheat in the microwave. I love this banana bread from Bon Appetit. (Go ahead and slice it and place little pieces of parchment between the slices before freezing.)
Homemade granola (recipe below!) is the perfect way to get a touch of something sweet without going overboard. I like to pair it with fruit and yogurt for breakfast and spread a banana or apple slices with peanut butter and a sprinkle of granola for a snack. It’s easily changeable to add the things you like and keeps for a long while in an air-tight container. (It also makes a great gift in a cute little jar!)
Oatmeal is my choice when I want something hot and filling. I prefer the texture of steel cut oats, but they can have a lengthy cook time, not ideal for weekday mornings. Until now! My recipe below can be frozen into individual portions and reheated quickly. I call them my “oatmeal hockey pucks”. I like mine topped with maple syrup, fruit, and some of that homemade granola.
Have a great week, everyone! Next week we are back to dinner recipes with my favorite roasted chicken!
MONDAY - Chicken Enchiladas and Shrimp Tacos
I’m out for the evening, so I’m sending the boys over to Yaya’s for dinner while family is in town visiting. She’s making everybody’s favorite enchiladas and trying a new recipe for shrimp tacos!
TUESDAY - Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Salad
The Kiddo has been asking for his favorite pasta (his favorite changes on the daily, he just loves pasta) - so my one pan pasta with vodka sauce (recipe found back here) is on the menu! It’s rich and comforting, but easy to put together and clean up is a breeze!
WEDNESDAY - Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin, Potatoes, & Brussels
I’ll marinate the pork tenderloin over night so it’s ready to go. For dinner, I just start my sheet pan with the potato wedges (since they take longer), and while they get going, prep the brussels sprouts. Then move the potatoes to one side, add the tenderloin and sprouts, and 20 minutes later dinner is done!
THURSDAY - Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage
We have a family favorite dinner that stirs shell shaped pasta into a creamy, cheesy sauce with italian sausage and fresh basil, but I recently saw a recipe that inspired me to try swapping the shells for gnocchi. I think I’ll take it one step further and bake it under a mozzarella topping for a bubbly around the edges with crispy bits on top situation.
FRIDAY - Friday night pick-up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)
She got a frozen family style Chicken Pad Thai “meal helper” that we are excited to try!
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s…?
Dad has run off again traveling the world. He’s sending me pictures of the meals he is eating while touring around Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Austria (and if he’s not careful, I might not pick him up from the airport next week). So I guess we’re on our own for dinner. Ideas include DIY pizza or salmon and rice bowls.
LUNCHES for this week - Pesto Quinoa and Chicken Bowls (or salads)
I saw this recipe for pesto quinoa bowls with chicken, tomatoes, and zucchini from Eating Well and instantly thought “I need to make that”. I think it will also work cold, like more of a salad.
EXTRAS for this week
I’m having a bit of a “bitten by the baking bug” moment right now, so I’m making lots of little goodies - blondies, lemon cake, shortcakes…I think it could also be described as a “procrastinating other tasks” moment, but oh well. At least we’ll have snacks.
Homemade Granola
Makes about 8 cups.
· ½ cup Coconut Oil (or other neutral oil)
· ½ cup Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
· 1/3 cup Honey or Maple Syrup
· 2 teaspoons Vanilla
· ½ t kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 6 cups old fashioned rolled Oats
· 1 ½ - 2 cups Chopped Nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, etc.)
· 1 tablespoon Flax Seeds, optional
· 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds, optional
· 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes or Chips
· 1 cup Dried Fruit, chopped if needed (raisins, cranberries, apricots, banana chips, etc) , optional
Preheat oven to 350 with the rack arranged in the upper third. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, and honey or syrup. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until oil is melted and sugar is dissolved. (Usually between 60-90 seconds.)
Stir in vanilla and salt. Set Aside.
In large bowl, combine oats, nuts, and seeds. Drizzle oil mixture over the top and stir to combine well.
Spread the mixture on the parchment lined baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Stir, and bake for 10 minutes more.
Stir in coconut flakes and bake another 8-10 minutes. (Watch it carefully so the coconut doesn’t burn.)
Remove from oven, cool completely. Stir in dried fruit, if using.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Steel Cut Oatmeal (for the freezer)
Makes about 6-10 servings, depending on size.
· 6 cups Milk (traditional, oat, almond, soy, etc)
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or store-brand)
· ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon Vanilla, optional (do not use if using vanilla flavored milk)
· 1 ½ cups Steel Cut Oats
· ¼ cup Pure Maple Syrup
In a medium pot, combine milk, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla (if using). Bring to a simmer. Watch the pot closely as milk has a tendency to boil over.
Stir in oats and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until oats are tender and thickened. Reduce heat as necessary to keep a simmer but prevent a mess!
Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup. Let rest for 10-15 minutes, oats will continue to thicken.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze for later.
To freeze – Refrigerate oatmeal until cold, then use a large cookie scoop to scoop portions onto a plastic wrap lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the freezer for several hours or overnight, then move oatmeal portions to a freezer bag or container. OR - Coat muffin cups with a thin layer of non-stick spray or line with plastic wrap. Evenly divide oatmeal among muffin cups, and place muffin pans in the freezer to freeze until firm. Move portions to a freezer container.
To reheat – place the frozen oatmeal portion in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for one minute, then stir, and heat again for 30 seconds to one minute.
Serve with toppings of choice!