There is nothing more comforting than knowing you have your breakfast covered, especially on a busy morning. It can be overwhelming for you if you have to balance between preparing everyone and moving up and down the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Making ahead breakfast can help save time and enable you to focus on preparing your kids for school and getting yourself ready for work. Use these make ahead breakfast ideas to help you avoid morning mayhem.
Ham and cheese breakfast strudels
To kick off your day on a cherry start, try out ham and cheese breakfast strudels. Assemble the strudels ahead and freeze them individually, then bake them as required.
Recipe
Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 25 mins
Bake time: 10 mins
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup shredded swiss cheese
- 2tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ pound ground fully cooked ham (about ¾ cup)
- 6 sheets phyllo dough (14×9-inch size)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
Topping
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Directions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheeses and salt.
- In a large non-stick skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add eggs to pan; cook and stir until almost set. Stir in ham and the cheese sauce; heat through. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons bread crumbs. Fold phyllo in half lengthwise; brush again with butter. Spoon 1/2 cup filling onto phyllo about 2 in. from a short side. Fold side and edges over filling and roll up. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, bread crumbs and filling.
- Place on a greased baking sheet; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon parsley. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Freeze option: After topping strudels with cheese and parsley, freeze unbaked on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer container; return to freezer. To use, bake strudels as directed, increasing time to 30-35 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.
Nutritional Facts:
1 strudel: 439 calories, 33g fat (18g saturated fat), 255mg cholesterol, 754mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fibre), 16g protein.
Classic Frittata
With a few vegetables and some eggs on hand, you can make a Frittata in about 20 minutes.
Recipe
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, enough to cover the ingredients
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon (8 ounces), chopped (optional)
- 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach (2 ounces)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup shredded cheese, such as Gruyère, Fontina, or cheddar (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.
- Whisk the eggs and cream together. Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
- Cook the bacon. Place the bacon in a cold 10- to 12-inch non-stick oven safe frying pan or cast iron skillet, then turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. (If omitting the bacon, heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet, then proceed with adding the potatoes).
- Sauté the potatoes in bacon fat. Return the pan to medium-heat, add the potatoes and sprinkle with the pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Wilt the spinach with the garlic and thyme. Pile the spinach into the pan with the garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Add the bacon back to the pan and stir to evenly distribute.
- Add the cheese. Spread the vegetables into an even layer, flattening with a spatula. Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it just start to melt.
- Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cheese. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs settle evenly over all the vegetables. Cook for a minute or two until you see the eggs at the edges of the pan beginning to set.
- Bake the frittata for 8 to 10 minutes. Bake until the eggs are set, 8 to 10 minutes. To check, cut a small slit in the centre of the frittata. If raw eggs run into the cut, bake for another few minutes; if the eggs are set, pull the frittata from the oven. For a browned, crispy top, run the frittata under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of cooking.
- Cool and serve. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 154 | Fat 8.5 g | Saturated 3.9 g Carbs11.3 g | Fiber1.5 g | Sugars1.0 g | Protein8.0 g | Sodium 296.3 mg
Herbed Egg Whites and Feta on English Muffins
For busy mornings, this wholesome sandwich is one to stash away in the freezer. It is super-satisfying, yet light.
Recipe
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/2 quarts purchased egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 12 whole-wheat English muffins, split
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Generously coat 1 (13×18-inch) rimmed baking sheet or 2 (9×13-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.
- Whisk together the egg whites, half-and-half, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the basil and chives. Pour the egg white mixture into the prepared baking sheet, or divide between the 2 (9×13-inch) baking dishes.
- Bake until the egg whites are set and lightly browned around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes for the baking sheet, or 12 to 15 minutes for the baking dishes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, or if not serving immediately, cool completely. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass (roughly the same size as your English muffins), cut the eggs into rounds. (Save the scraps to make breakfast quesadillas.)
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread a thin layer of butter over the cut side of each English muffin bottom, then spread a thin layer of pesto on the cut side of each English muffin top. Place 1 egg round on top of the buttered half of each English muffin. Top each egg round with 1 tablespoon of the feta cheese, then close the sandwiches with the top halves of the English muffins.
- Reheating: If not serving immediately, tightly wrap each sandwich with aluminium foil and store in resalable bags in the refrigerator or freezer. Reheat uncovered in a 325°F regular or toaster oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes if refrigerated, or about 30 minutes if frozen.
Nutritional Information
Calories333 | Fat14.6g | Saturated 6.3g | Carbs 30.2g | Fiber4.6 g | Sugars7.7 g | Protein21.5 g | Sodium 627.3 mg
Use these make ahead breakfast ideas, to get you started on a busy morning. To avoid racing against time while preparing your family for school and work, ensure that you prepare breakfast ahead of time. This allows you to focus on important matters and save time as well.
