Easy Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings

Do you ever skip breakfast in the morning because you just don’t have enough time or you’re too tired to put something together? I’m not proud to admit it, but I’m guilty of doing this. And then, when I’m at work, and the smells of food cooking in the Test Kitchen come wafting into my office, I really regret not having eaten something in the morning.

If you haven’t heard it already, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Breakfast is what gives you energy in the mornings. Plus, it plays a big part in maintaining a healthy weight and controlling morning moods. In the spirit of how wonderful breakfast is, and my own promise to make sure I start every morning with something yummy in my tummy, I’m going to share some quick and easy breakfast ideas that I love (and you will too!).

Don’t forget to stick around all the way through to the end, for a tutorial on how to make a version of these Breakfast English Muffin Melt’s from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen. 

First things first, if you’re going to stick to eating breakfast every morning you need to make sure you’ve got a good supply of quick and easy staples in your kitchen. I’m talking frozen morning favorites, like waffles and pancakes. You can also pick up a box or two of frozen breakfast sandwiches or wraps, for those mornings when you’re really in a rush.

 

You can use frozen waffles or pancakes to make these breakfast delights:

Clockwise from top left: Pancakes with Berry Syrup | Glazed Waffle Donuts | Fruit and Waffle Breakfast Pizzas | Pancake Yogurt Breakfast Bites | Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

A smoothie is another great breakfast option. You can find smoothie mixes in the freezer case at your grocery store, or you can buy all the ingredients separately (fruit, veggies, milk, etc.) and make your own mix in the mornings. Personally, I like to buy frozen fruit because it lasts longer and makes my smoothie extra-cold. This Yogurt Smoothie is perfect.  

Since not having time in the morning to make breakfast is a sure fire way to keep you from starting the day off right, a little advanced planning can make all the difference.  My solution?  I make some breakfast sandwiches ahead of time so all I have to do it reheat them in the morning. 

You might already be aware that I love sandwiches, so when I saw the recipe for Breakfast English Muffin Melts, which is basically an open-faced sandwich, I knew I had to give it a try. 

 

Now, in the original recipe you’re asked to make fluffy scrambled eggs. I love scrambled eggs, but I thought, “What if I have to eat my sandwich on-the-go?” I figured that having my egg contained would be a better idea for me, which is why I decide to cook my eggs in a muffin-tin:

 

This is probably the easiest way to make eggs ever. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, spray each cup with a little cooking spray, crack your eggs, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until desired doneness. They pop right out, and can even be stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you need ‘em (up to 2 weeks!).

While my eggs were baking, I got to work on making my sandwiches. That means, slicing the English muffins, toasting them with some butter, and topping them with slices of tomato and Canadian bacon.

The next step was to place the egg on top:

 

Then, just top off your sandwich with your cheese of choice. I chose Provolone for half of the sandwiches and Cheddar for the other half that way I wouldn’t get bored of eating the same sandwich all week. 🙂

You can choose to eat these topless, like in the original recipe (pictured below) or you can place the sliced tops on them, wrap them in aluminum foil and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat one. To reheat, just stick it in your toaster oven/oven for a few minutes, unwrap the foil, and you’ve got yourself the perfect on-the-go breakfast sandwich!

 

I got all these quick and easy breakfast ideas from Easy Home Meals and the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, but there are plenty more I couldn’t share in just one post. So, if you’re looking for more quick breakfast recipes, you know where to go!

Now, I want to know:

What do you eat for breakfast when you’re in a hurry?