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Do you need a way to streamline your meals? Our annual meal plan has been a sanity saver around here! But, breakfast still manages to throw me for a loop occasionally. So I’ve been searching for simple breakfasts recipes that fit our menu plan, and streamlining as much as possible.
I’m loving how it’s working out, and wanted to share with you.
Our breakfast rotation is pretty simple to start with, which helps! Here’s what we eat each morning:
Sunday: Breakfast casserole
Monday: Toast/muffins
Tuesday: Hashbrowns and Eggs
Wednesday: Oatmeal
Thursday: Yogurt Bar
Friday: Pancakes
Saturday: Breakfast Burritos
But, the trick was finding recipes that weren’t time consuming. And that actually tasted good. Oh yeah–they had to be simple.
I don’t have time for complex meals folks. And I hate the mess that usually accompanies those. My kids love knowing what’s to eat each day. They love the routine.
And so do I!
Simple Breakfasts for the Win!
Let’s take a look at how I simplify our breakfasts as much as possible. I have a pretty good system in place now, and love not feeling frazzled in the morning.
Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast casseroles shouldn’t be complicated, but so many recipes are! They either have to be made the day before (which is what I do in an ideal world) or they call for way too many ingredients.
This casserole from Laura at Heavenly Homemaker is delightfully simple. I can make it the day before if I remember, but it still tastes good if I don’t!
I love being able to throw breakfast in the oven and walk away. It gives me time to tackle farm chores, knock out a post, or do some housework. All without babysitting my breakfast.
But, that casserole I linked to above uses a lot of eggs. Which normally isn’t a problem since we have our chickens.
Except, we’re coming up on molting season for my chickens. That means I won’t have lots of eggs to spare. So I’ve been looking into simple non-egg based breakfast casseroles.
The top contenders so far are:
They’re both easy and tasty!
Toast/Muffins
Really, what could be easier than toast? The kids can handle this one all on their own, the older kids each helping a younger one. Just leave a stick of butter out the night before so it’s not too hard to spread and won’t leave holes in the bread.
But I seem to make things complicated. I don’t really like store bought bread. I’ve been spoiled with homemade for far too long.
So if I bring out the bread machine Sunday night, I can use the delay feature and have a loaf of bread ready for toasting Monday morning.
If I forget, we have muffins instead. Since they whip up easily and then go into the oven without needing to be watched.
We love banana muffins and apple muffins. I make up 24 at a time, and while that number used to last for two breakfasts, they don’t anymore. I’m amazed at how much the kids eat as they are getting bigger!
Hashbrowns
I don’t like buying pre-shredded hashbrowns when potatoes are so much cheaper per pound. So I’ve learned shortcuts for making these quickly.
We typically have baked potatoes on Sunday with our lunch. I always cook several extra. Then when I’m cooking Monday dinner, I take a few minutes to shred those extra spuds.
Then I cover them and leave them in the fridge.
Tuesday morning, I heat some oil in a pan and toss in my shredded potatoes. They cook on medium heat for five minutes and then get flipped.
Those five minutes? Perfect for using my smartphone to knock out some social media or brainstorming. Just make sure you set a timer or burning hashbrowns will draw you out of your work.
Once flipped, the potatoes cook for a few more minutes. I use that time to pull out plates and ketchup. Because you can’t have hashbrowns without ketchup!
As for the eggs, my six year old loves making scrambled eggs. She can handle them all on her own, as long as I get the burner turned to the right temperature.
Easy breakfast, though a little more hands on then my other ones. Good thing Tuesday is typically a slower day!
Oatmeal
Our breakfast oatmeal cooks up quickly. I typically spend 10-15 minutes making this breakfast, which isn’t much time at all!
Here’s the method I use to get super creamy oatmeal and raise the protein level a bit.
Yogurt Bars
Thursdays are a little crazy for me! So we have a super easy breakfast.
The kids each grab a yogurt. They dump it into a bowl. Then they add whatever they want from the cupboards.
Well, maybe not whatever they want, but they add a variety of ingredients! Some favorites are:
- Chocolate chips
- Dried fruit
- Granola
- Cinnamon
- Frozen blueberries
Super simple! And the kids love customizing their bowls.
Pancakes
Pancakes can take forever to cook. But they don’t have to. We sometimes make a giant dutch pancake in the oven.
Other times we make a huge batch and freeze half. That makes the next week really easy.
You can also have kids make pancakes. My eight year old son is great at this now!
Breakfast Burritos
These are a fabulous make in bulk and freeze breakfast item! We just fry up some bulk sausage, add some eggs, toss in whatever veggies sound good, and then add cheese.
Once it’s nice and hot, put some in tortillas. Roll them up, and then place a napkin around each one. Then wrap each in foil. Put into a bag and freeze.
When you’re ready to reheat, unwrap the foil and leave it in the napkin. Microwave it for a minute or so, until hot.
Other Simple Breakfast Ideas
These are the simple breakfasts we’re using this year, but they aren’t the only ones! If you’re looking for recipes to fill your family’s bellies in the morning, here are some other ideas:
- Smoothies
- Fried egg sandwich
- Sausage patty on a toasted English muffin (with cheese if desired!)
- Bagels and cream cheese
- Granola bars
How do you handle breakfast in your house?
Are mornings stressful for you too? How do you streamline your breakfast?
Looking to streamline even more?
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Lisa Tanner is a former teacher turned homeschooling mom with 11 kids. She's also a successful freelance writer. Lisa enjoys helping other busy moms find time to start and grow a side hustle of their own.
