Stuck In A Breakfast Rut

In our house, breakfast is a super rushed, on-the-go affair during the school year. Usually eaten in the car on the ride to school, my kids survive on Pop-Tarts and Little Bites muffins from August through May. On the weekends (and during the summer), we feel like we’re living large when we can slow down and eat a proper meal at the table in the mornings. However, even the allure of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes grows stale after a while. (And should my kids really be eating bacon every day?) We’re only a couple of weeks into summer, and I’m already tired of feeling like I’ve taken a part-time job at the Waffle House, preparing the same breakfast foods every morning. 

If you’re like me and your family is also stuck in a breakfast rut, here are five somewhat unconventional breakfasts for you and your kids to try this summer:

1. Apple Slice Nachos

Who doesn’t love nachos? These just happen to be of the healthy, fruit-related variety. Slice up some apples (bonus points if you use one of those fancy Pampered Chef or Williams-Sonoma gadgets to do it), drizzle the topping of your choice (honey, yogurt, caramel, etc.), and then sprinkle with the toppings of your choice (cinnamon, granola, that tiny bit of Raisin Bran left at the bottom of the box that isn’t enough for a bowl of cereal, etc.). You could make this differently every single time, trying different combinations until you find your favorite “recipe.” My kids love trying different kinds of apples as well (my youngest loves Granny Smith, while my oldest is more of a Honeycrisp fan).

2. Crustless Quiche (made in a muffin pan)

Quiche doesn’t have to be reserved for fancy luncheons and baby showers. 😂 Why not try a simple version at home on a slow morning? Feel free to make a “real” quiche in a pie pan with crust, but I prefer the easy shortcut. You need 8-10 whisked eggs and the ingredients of your choice. My kids prefer shredded cheddar and diced deli ham. I like “fancier” ingredients like mushrooms and bell peppers. This is another easily customizable recipe because you could throw literally *anything* in with your whisked eggs and it will likely turn out well (one mom even used last night’s broccoli with some cheese)! Toss all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl with your whisked eggs and season with salt and pepper. Spray your pan with cooking spray and then pour the egg mixture into the muffin pan carefully. 

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could use separate mixing bowls to make half a pan of “kid quiches” and half a pan of “grown-up quiches.” Bake this in your oven at 350F degrees. The cook time will depend on the size of the muffin pan you’re using. Mini-muffins might be as quick as 10 minutes, while standard-sized muffins will be closer to 20 minutes. Either way, you’re going to make this quicker than a standard quiche in a pie pan which would need to bake for at least an hour to cook all the way through.

3. Peanut Butter Banana Sandwiches

On some mornings, you don’t want to cook anything. Mama is TIRED, the kitchen is CLOSED, and everyone is left to fend for themselves. On days like these, a suggestion you could holler to your kids while nursing that cup of coffee from your spot of the sofa is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. The less bougie cousin of avocado toast, PB&B feels *slightly* healthier than your standard PB&J, and it’s easy and filling enough to satisfy your kids until lunch.

You can also customize this one to your preferences:

• Toast the bread first or grab the bread straight from the bag.
• Use fancy baguette slices fresh from the bakery or whole wheat if you’re being healthy — perhaps even an English muffin.
• Spoon some Jiff from the jar or opt for fancy deli-made Whole Foods peanut butter.
• Slice the bananas and eat it open-faced like toast or put the slices together and eat it sandwich style.

4. Overnight Oats

I love eating healthy whole-grain oats for breakfast, but I kinda hate the goopy, slimy texture of oatmeal. Something about it just feels SAD, like I’m getting an early preview of my future nursing home years. An option that I have really been enjoying lately is overnight oats. It does require some thinking ahead, but it’s so nice to be able to just pull it out of the fridge on the morning of.

It’s pretty simple:

The night before, maybe while you’re doing dishes or cleaning up after dinner, measure ½ cup of dry oats into a bowl (I like to use a Tupperware bowl with a lid). Then measure out ½ cup of milk (this could be almond milk, 2%, skim, or whatever you prefer). Mix it together (if you’re using the Tupperware bowl, you could just put the lid on it and give it a shake). Put it in the fridge overnight, and in the morning, it’s ready to eat! Add whatever toppings you like: honey, cinnamon, chia seeds, fresh raspberries, etc. 

5. Everything Bagel with Smoked Salmon Slices

I fully realize that not everyone is a “fish person,” but we are definitely big fans at my house. Salmon is probably the least fishy of all fish varieties, and it’s also always a popular ingredient in sushi rolls. My opinion is that if you like sushi, you’ll like trying this for breakfast. And I promise you won’t have to cook any fish at 8am (no one wants to do that). 

Here’s what you need:

• An Everything bagel (or plain bagel, if you prefer–but NOT cinnamon raisin)
• Some chive and onion cream cheese
• Pre-packaged smoked salmon (it tends to be a little pricey, so you might want to watch for a sale)
• if you’re feeling healthy, add some fresh spinach leaves or sprouts

Nothing beats that smoky flavor! And it already comes thin-sliced and ready to eat from the package, so this is a super easy (and slightly fancy?) breakfast to try. If your kids can’t get into the salmon, they might still enjoy having a bagel with some other topping (my favorite when I was growing up used to be making a breakfast “cheesecake” by having a plain bagel with plain cream cheese topped with strawberry jam). 

Comment below with your favorite breakfast suggestions!