Mornings can be a frenzied affair. Battling for time in the shower, selecting the most un-creased attire, and stuffing down hastily-prepared breakfasts are just a few of the things we have to get done in the melee. So here is a way to save time when you need it most.
The answer: pre-prepared, nutritious breakfasts.
You can make some amazing food, ready for the morning, that will take just a few minutes to prepare during the night before.
What to Prepare?
Whatever you like, but keep it simple. Particularly when you might use food items from your evening meal in your breakfast. But remember that what you fancy in the morning is not always what you choose to eat in the evening, although there are some common ‘staples’ that carry through.
For example, pizza at dinner… how about pizza in the morning? Try one of these breakfast pizzas that could be entirely, or mostly, prepared the night before? Eat it hot, or cold – it’s up to you. An easy thing to do if you’re having pizza for your dinner.
And if you’re mixing up some cookie dough, then why not prepare a Bacon Bun for your breakfast. It’s easy: mix a quarter cup of finely diced cooked ham and finely crumbled crispy bacon (use a rolling pin) and slide 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto refrigerated biscuit dough rounds, and add another layer of dough on top – crimp the edges to keep it together. Bake this at 320 degrees F/160 degrees C for about 17 minutes.
Breakfast sandwiches can be prepared in advance (in fact I like croissants used the same way) – clearly anything goes here, but my advice is not to add tomatoes or any other squishy fruit/vegetables until the morning, or you’ll end up with a soggy mess. There are some great freezer-friendly breakfast sandwiches you can try.
Talking about fruit/vegetables, one of the simplest breakfasts is to chow on pieces of vegetation, perhaps with some added honey, seeds or yogurt. This is a great way of using leftovers and can be super-healthy, depending on how it is prepared. Roasted pumpkin – eaten at dinner – can easily be repurposed at breakfast. If it’s roasted with oil then you could spread some on granary toast with a couple of spoons of tomato relish, or if your roasted pumpkin in ‘virgin’ then mix it with some granola or even with some porridge (see below.)
What about healthy, filling and nutritious breakfast shakes? These can be made the night before and suffer no flavor-impairment. In fact, I think many foods taste better the day after once the flavors have been given the chance to incorporate (we call this ‘festering’ in my house). Try this whole-food chocolate shake, for example. Simply delicious and ridiculously easy to prepare.
If waffles are your thing, then they can be prepared in advance! In fact you can cook up a big batch and then freeze them (best not to transfer from the pan to the freezer though). You could make a whole weeks worth in one go! They heat up real nicely in a toaster – in fact I think they taste even better as you get some tasty caramelization this way. Eat with some maple syrup before you head out, or eat as they are on the move. Both work for me. You can do the same with pancakes too – small ones will fit in the toaster too.
Eggs in the morning can be prepared the night before – but IMHO only when scrambled or boiled, or made into an omelette. Fried eggs do not re-heat well at all, and they are dreadful when cold. I like to cook up an omelette, bang it in a sandwich with some bacon strips and next morning, re-heat for 30seconds in the microwave. Add ketchup, or hot sauce for a taste that will wake you up.
Who said you can’t prepare porridge in advance? Nobody. Pre-prepared porridge tastes no difference once re-heated – if anything it is less grainy. Squidge on some syrup or honey and you’re in business. Like waffles, you can cook up a big batch in a vat and freeze it. Re-heat in the microwave at mid-power and keep mixing it. You might need to add more milk or water to loosen it up a little – only a little.
I’ve given you some ideas to prepare your breakfast in advance, to save valuable time in the morning. Of course, you don’t need to be in a rush every morning to feel the benefit of this, but it helps!
Do you have a great recipe for a pre-prepared breakfast?
Then please share it by leaving a comment below. Thanks!
