Easy Breakfasts for Busy People
Had this for breakfast last week: a base of shallots, rainbow chard, and garlic with two eggs, feta, green onion, and dill.
It has come to my attention recently that the reason I love breakfast so much may be due to the fact that I love eating and it’s really exciting to start my day that way. I was initially going to title this ‘3 Breakfasts That Will Make You Feel Alive Even When You Have A 7 AM Meeting’ but that was too long. Anyway, this won’t be your standard overnight oats or chia pudding. I like something hearty and filling. Something special. Not only does it give me energy throughout the morning but it’s nice to have had something substantial when you have meetings wall-to-wall and may not be able to break for food again until later in the day. The key to most of these will be to make them ahead. Whenever I’m planning one for the week I do the heavy lifting on Sunday so that it takes little effort on weekdays.
*photos below are courtesy of Unsplash but provided per a request from Dzifa because she said she loves food pics
Not Your Niece’s Avocado Toast: This actually isn’t anyone’s avocado toast because there’s no avocado. But it’s about the spirit of avocado toast, i.e., taking something basic and making it feel fancy. The other nice thing about this (as with #3) is that you can change it to fit your needs or so you don’t get bored. I know this isn’t revolutionary, toast is definitely not groundbreaking. But just think about the ways you can have it that are a little more ~magical~ than just some butter. As a spread my go-to is hummus. My store-bought preference is the Boar’s Head Sweet Chili Garlic but if you can get your hands on authentic hummus do that! I also will usually soft or hard boil a batch of eggs at the beginning of the week to include on it as well. For the rest of the in-betweens, I switch it up depending on time and what’s in my kitchen. Some other of my common add-ons include rainbow chard, caramelized onions, bacon, or sliced tomato. TLDR: Think outside of the box when it comes to how fun your toast can be.
Shakshouka. This is a Mediterranean dish that is low maintenance but fills my belly and soul with happiness. Again, it’s about the prep. On Sunday I throw the ingredients (tomatoes, peppers, garlic, spices) in my crockpot. Once cooked through I blend it and package it for the week. Morning of I toss it in a small saucepan and add some eggs (which get poached in the mixture). It takes very little time until it’s done but even better it doesn’t need much babysitting. Yes, I’m saying you can answer an email while putting this together if you must. Great with some feta sprinkled on if you have it but delicious on its own and keeps me satisfied for a very long time.
Quiche. Don’t you feel a little fancier even just thinking about having quiche for breakfast on a weekday? Let me tell you my secret. I make it in a muffin tin. I buy pre-made pie crust and divide it among the 12 cups, mix 5 eggs with ½ cup of buttermilk and pour it in, then add any other fun bits I’d like (this makes a full muffin tin or a full casserole dish). As mentioned previously one of the best parts about this is you can change the flavors every time you make it or even have a variety in one tin since they’re separate. Some flavors I’ve done in the past are ham and swiss, ground turkey and cheddar, hot Italian sausage and caramelized onion, and tomato and swiss. I make this on Sunday and throughout the week just heat them up (and sometimes add more fun things like green onion, sour cream, or hot sauce). They also freeze well.
Crepes. I use this recipe here. And they’re a fairly new addition to my rotation. I will caution that these are a lot quicker if you don’t panic and also just accept that your first couple will be terrible. Similar to most things on this list I make batter early in the week and store it which lasts me for a few days. When it comes time to cook it takes about 5 minutes to make 3 of them so you really can’t ask for anything faster than that, this may rival even your cereal assembly time. I love a spinach and artichoke filling but feel free to go the bananas and Nutella route if you want to treat yourself.
I hope you try one of these out and it makes your morning that much more bearable. We all have lots of responsibilities but it’s important to take care of our bodies and treat ourselves well. Tell me your favorite go-to breakfast :)
