If your mornings are pretty chaotic – insert school-age kids with toddlers in tow, making breakfast for yourself can be quite a chore. This is also true with really busy adults who can’t wait to go to work and are oftentimes opting to just skip breakfast. Well, worry not, because here are 10 easy to cook breakfast ideas that can start your day right.
Most of us probably grew up with the old adage of starting the day with breakfast. And although there are some who think otherwise it’s really up to you. The key would be to listen to your body – if you feel more energized and healthy when eating breakfast, then you are team Yes-to-breakfast!
Alright, I’m no Miss Perfect, I also skip breakfast every once in a while. Either I’m crunched with time or couldn’t really think of something I’m particularly excited to eat in the morning. Hence, the list! I really tried to come up with easy to cook breakfast ideas – ideally something delish as well of course, so that I don’t get tempted to skip breakfast.
So, how about we go over each quickly?
Easy To Cook Breakfast
Chocolatey oatmeal
If you’re using no-cook oatmeal then technically there’s no ‘cooking’ involve – but hey, I also use Quaker Whole Grain Rolled Oats and I also don’t cook it! I simply add about 5 tablespoons of oats to my mug. Add milk powder, chocolate powder, and then hot water! I just give it a few minutes and it’s pretty much ready.
I usually prepare mine right away, then I go about my other morning routines. By the time I’m ready for breakfast, my chocolatey oatmeal is ready – there’s a bit of crunch or bite to it, but I actually love it. Of course, you can always cook it, five minutes of cooking time is just about right.
Scrambled eggs
Perfect – protein in the morning! I use one or two eggs, a medium-sized tomato and onion, plus salt and pepper. Simply dice your veggies and saute them in a little bit of oil or butter (up to you), then add your scrambled eggs and season with salt and pepper. Just continue stirring until the eggs are cooked and you’re pretty much done!
I particularly like this breakfast when I feel like I’m prepping for a busy or big day. It gives me the sense (perhaps even technically because that’s protein right there) that I’m ready to seize the day!
French toast
Sounds very fancy but it’s actually really easy. Simply give your sliced bread a good dunking in a bowl of beaten eggs and milk (add cinnamon if you’re into spices, if not all good, no judgment here!) and then fry in a pan with melted butter.
If you prefer your French toast on the sweet side then you can add sugar to your egg and milk mixture and also sprinkle some on your toast after frying. You can also top it with syrup. But if you’re more of the savory type then a simple pinch of salt and pepper instead of sugar should do it.
Fruity oatmeal
Yes, oatmeal again! This time around I simply add sliced fruit in it once it softened after a few minutes of sitting in hot water. So same thing, about 5 tablespoons of oatmeal in a mug. Add fresh milk, brown sugar, and hot water. Right before eating, I simply add sliced fruit in it – bananas, ripe mangoes, strawberries, apples, or whatever fruit you have (skip the citrusy ones of course!).
If you have honey, you can substitute that instead of brown sugar – though I particularly like the taste of brown sugar in oatmeal. Try both and see which one you prefer. I also skip milk sometimes.
Egg omelette
Although I prefer scrambled eggs I also make egg omelet – not only is it also an easy to cook breakfast but it’s quite protein-packed, as well. Probably even a tad more than scramble eggs because of the addition of milk. So, it’s pretty much fried beaten eggs with milk and salt and pepper.
You can also add bits of veggies, cheese, or meat when folding the omelet. Honestly, it’s pretty much-scrambled eggs without the stirring part while cooking, so the omelette is cooked flat and then folded.
Toasted sandwich
If you have a panini maker then a toasted sandwich has become twice as easy to prepare! I simply make mine by buttering up the slices of bread then adding a slice of cheese, or ham if you have any – if none, you’re still good. It’ll taste good just the same.
I’ve also tried using mayo instead of butter, and corned beef instead of ham – both are really good! You can experiment of course with whatever you have in the fridge. You just can’t make your sandwich too thick or you’re going to make a mess out of your panini maker.
Pancakes
Alright, hear me out first, although it involves measuring, mixing and all that (especially if you don’t use the instant pancake mix), it can still be a breeze to make in the morning. You can just make a big batch of pancake batter and simply freeze them in portions. That way, you can easily defrost a small serving whenever you’re in the mood for some pancakes!
Quick cooking tip, make small-sized pancakes! They’re quick to cook and they look quite cute, too. Then, it’s up to you what you’re going to top it with. I like mine with a little drizzle of honey – but sure, go ahead if you’re the maple syrup type.
Hard-boiled eggs
Okay, it’s probably not as exciting as we would like it to be but it’ll do that job of filling you up in the morning. You can boil maybe 6 eggs (or a dozen) in one cooking and simply store them in the fridge for up to a week. You can just heat one or two in the morning when you’re in a time crunch but you still want breakfast.
I simply soak my eggs in a mug of hot water to heat them up. If you want, you can also give it about 10 seconds in the microwave – peeled and sliced by the way! Don’t reheat whole boiled eggs, you would not want to end up cleaning a mess in the morning (or cleaning a mess, period.).
Fried rice
Because why not, right? If you have leftover rice simply saute onion and garlic in a little oil. Add hotdog, ham, or bacon bits, and then simply add the leftover rice after a few minutes. Season it with salt and pepper, or my favorite – soy sauce and pepper! You can add beaten eggs as you’re stirring them. Or you can simply serve it with separately fried eggs.
I’ve also tried fried rice with different mix-ins – leftover sauteed minced pork, frozen mixed vegetables, left-over roasted chicken, and left-over sausages – yum!
Overnight chia pudding
Again, technically no cooking. And for this one – well…you’ll have to prepare the night before. But it’s still super simple so it still counts, right? It still belongs to the list of easy to cook breakfast – okay perhaps easy to prepare will be more appropriate.
In a mug simply add about 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, plus maybe a teaspoon of brown sugar (up to you how sweet you want yours, but start with a teaspoon of brown sugar first), give it a quick mix, and then add fresh milk. Give it a good stirring, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then into the fridge it goes.
You can also substitute honey instead of sugar here and use whatever milk you prefer. You can also add sliced fruits before serving them in the morning.
