I don’t know about your kids, but mine wake up starving. Maybe it’s because they refused to eat the healthy and delicious dinner I made the night before? Maybe they are secretly out fighting crime all night like their favorite cartoon trio? I’m not really sure which is the right answer, but here are a few of my tried and true make-ahead breakfasts that my kids devour.
Overnight Oats
In its purest form, it is just yogurt, milk, and oatmeal. Simple enough. I use a 1-1-1 ratio for the main ingredients
Main ingredients:
- 1 cup milk (unsweetened vanilla almond milk in our house)
- 1 cup yogurt (whole milk yogurt)
- 1 cup old fashion rolled oats
After you have your base, you can add anything your heart desires.
Common add ons:
- Fruit (sliced)
- Chia seeds **these need to go in the oats and sit overnight**
- Honey
- Cocoa powder
- Peanut Butter
- Nuts/Seeds
- Protein powder
- Granola
Since my girls never like the same thing at the same time, I usually just make the base and add the fun stuff morning of. The overnight oats are good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Egg muffins
These are great because you can leave them in the fridge or pop them in the freezer.
Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 lb meat of your choice (ham, bacon, or sausage)
- 1 cup grated cheddar, or any cheese you like
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- (If you want to class it up a bit, add bell peppers, onion, garlic, jalapenos, or tomatoes)
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 6 count muffin pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, crack in eggs and whisk together with salt and black pepper.
- Stir in cooked/chopped meat and cheddar cheese.
- Divide evenly into muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full.
- Top with more meat and cheese if you like.
- Bake the egg muffins in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until set.
To freeze:
- Let them cool completely
- Put the muffins on a tray in a single layer and freeze them for about an hour.
- Remove them, put them in a plastic bag or airtight container, and put them back in the freezer to freeze completely.
- This keeps them from becoming one big mess in the freezer.
- These muffins will keep in the freezer for about three months.
To reheat:
- Remove one egg muffin from the freezer.
- Put on a plate and cover with a bowl. Put the plate in the microwave.
- Cook for 30 seconds at a time until warm all the way through.
Baked French toast
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 slices Texas toast bread
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted, plus more for serving if desired
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 18x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and salt until very well blended.
- Cut each slice of bread into even three strips.
- Dip each portion into egg mixture then lift and let excess run off and transfer to the prepared baking sheet (it will be a tight fit, but it will fit)
- Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.
- Remove from oven, flip french toast sticks to the opposite side and brush tops lightly with melted butter.
- Return to oven and continue to bake until cooked through, usually about 13 – 18 more minutes.
- Brush lightly with a little more melted butter if desired and serve warm or let cool to freeze.
To freeze:
- Let the oven French toast sticks cool completely.
- Then place them on a baking sheet.
- Freeze the French toast sticks and transfer them to a freezer bag once firm enough.
To reheat:
Bake French Toast sticks at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes (or until warmed through)
I usually keep boiled eggs and fully cooked bacon in the fridge to pair with the above-mentioned meals. My kids can be so finicky about food but having these options ready to go in the mornings sure does help us get out the door when its time to leave.
