Back to School Breakfast Ideas

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Contributor: Sarah from Chickie Momma Crafts

As the school year starts up again, I always get in the mood to bake.  I’m not sure exactly why, but for some reason I like to spend the first few weeks of September baking up a storm.  Typically, I would be filling my home with cookies, coffee cakes, pies, and other goodies, but I am trying to keep the waistline in check and so I have been making a plan to do more productive and purposeful baking.

My boys love pancakes, waffles and French toast for breakfast.  I do to, but getting a big breakfast like that made and ready before we head out the door on school days can be a little crazy and usually leave my kitchen in a mess!  They also refuse to eat anything but homemade – I have tried “tricking” them with Krusties mix or the frozen Eggo, but it is a “no go!”  I actually prefer if they have the homemade one – it’s cheaper and much better for them.  However, sometimes time is of the essence.  For the past few days, I have been indulging them in all their homemade favorites and at the same time stocking my freezer.  I have been making triple batches of everything and freezing the leftovers to use on school day mornings.

Breakfast Ideas
{these freeze & reheat well!}

• Pancakes
• French toast
• Waffles
• Banana bread (made in mini loaves)
• Muffins
• Smoothies
• Mini quiches
• Baked oatmeal {made the night before}

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Flash Freezing:

The key to getting a good thawed product is flash freezing and using the proper  freezing containers.   Flash freezing is freezing the items separately on a cookie sheet for 10-20 minutes before placing together in a freezer bag. This technique helps the pancakes and waffles not to stick together in the freezer bag. Freezer bags work very well as long as you make sure to get all the air out first.

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Homemade Options are more Frugal:

Not only are homemade breakfast items more healthy for your family, they can also be a great way to lower your spending on your grocery budget.  Here’s a comparison between homemade and  store-bought pancakes & waffles.  {As couponers, you could find sales for these items making them cheaper, but these are still great prices overall for making homemade breakfast items.}

Smoothies:

A favorite breakfast item in our house are smoothies.  The boys love these and  they are great for mornings that we need to eat in the car.  I make a large batch of our favorite smoothie recipe then freeze in cups with lids (I use the disposable ones you can get in the sippy cup section of the stores – the ones that come with the straw).

Be sure when you freeze the smoothies that you leave about 1-2 inches room at the top because they expand when frozen.  I take these out first thing in the morning and usually in an hour they are ready to eat.  For a quick thaw, you can set them in the sink for a cool water bath.

Favorite Smoothie Recipe:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 pineapple slices
• 6 fresh strawberries
• 15 frozen raspberries
• 10 frozen blackberries
• 15 frozen blueberries
• 3 oz. favorite berry yogurt (optional)
• ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until SMOOTH. Pour into cups & serve.  If you’re freezing the smoothies, remember to leave a 1″ gap at the top for expanding before placing in the freezer.

Quiche:

I have also recently rediscovered quiche.  I love quiche and really had forgotten about it until a while back I came across a blog post about a gal who caters.  She made them ahead in muffin tins then froze them for events.  So I decided to try it and I was so excited they worked and the boys loved them.  Super easy and the muffin tin size is perfect for kids for breakfast.

Crustless Muffin Tin Quiche:

• 8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of your favorite diced or chopped veggies
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 5 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup 1% milk

Directions:

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F.
2. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray (see Tip).
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
5. Add oil to the pan. Add veggies and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Transfer veggies to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.
8. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl.
9. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.
10. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes.
11. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Tips & Notes:

• Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.
• A good-quality nonstick muffin tin works best for this recipe. If you don’t have one, line a regular muffin tin with foil baking cups.

Baked Oatmeal:

We love baked oatmeal.  It sticks to your ribs and would be perfect for those longer days when they have sports or other activities after school or on a testing week.  It is so versatile too- you can top it with berries or seasonal fruit or milk and sugar.  My favorite topping is with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 small apple, grated
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions:

1. Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except the oats.Fold in oats and combine well.
3. Transfer mixture into the buttered baking dish and spread evenly around.
4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the oat mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat oven to 375°F. Unwrap oatmeal and place in oven.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes until oatmeal is set and browned on top.
7. Serve hot with more milk or cream

I wanted to share one final favorite recipe with you – my recipe for Buttermilk Waffles. These waffles are great to make ahead as they freeze really well & are easy to reheat quickly.

Buttermilk Waffles:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grease waffle iron with a small amount of melted butter, and heat.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture, and combine.
4. Add melted butter (may get clumpy-that is ok, just mix)
5. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter onto each section of the waffle grid; spread batter almost to the edges. Close lid, and bake 3 to 5 minutes, until no steam emerges from waffle iron.
6. Transfer cooked waffles to a baking sheet; place in an oven set to low heat, about 200 degrees, while using remaining batter.

Breakfast is one of our favorite meals of the day and I am always looking for yummy breakfast recipes!!  So, what are some of your tips for healthy, yummy breakfasts for crazy school days?

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Tagged as: back to school, breakfast recipes, Recipes