Mid-week breakfasts can be so “meh,” don’t you think? Cereal, toast, yogurt, repeat, repeat, repeat. Maybe with a coffee shop breakfast sandwich thrown into the mix. What fun.
Well, I’m here to switch things up a bit and turn that “meh” into awesome. I’ve come up with five easy recipes to start you off in the morning that can either be thrown together in five minutes or prepped the night before so you can grab them on your way out the door. You’ll actually be excited to jump out of bed when you’ve got these breakfasts to look forward to, I promise!
1. Sausage and Cheese Egg Wrap
- 1 tortilla
- 1 pre-cooked sausage, chopped
- 1-2 eggs (or egg whites)
- 1 slice cheese
The key here is to buy pre-cooked sausage, which means the whole recipe can be thrown together in minutes with the help of a microwave. I’m a big fan of the Aidell’s brand, which you can buy just about anywhere.
Whisk the eggs together in a microwave-safe bowl, then add the chopped sausage and a pinch of salt and pepper. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stopping halfway to stir everything together. Top with the sliced cheese, microwave for 30 more seconds, then wrap the mixture up in a tortilla.
2. Overnight Oats
- Oats (steel cut or old-fashioned)
- Milk (regular, almond, soy, half and half, or cream)
- Sugar (brown, white, agave, or honey)
- Nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans)
- Dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, or apricots)
Overnight oats are one of my all-time favorite “grab-and-go” breakfasts. There’s no recipe required, you put the meal together before you go to bed at night, and you get to wake up to perfectly “cooked” oats that have been doing their thing while you’ve been catching up on your beauty sleep.
All you have to do is mix one part milk to one part oats (I usually do 1/2 cup of each) in a small container, then add whatever other ingredients you feel like or have on hand. I usually do some rendition of the ingredients listed above, but you could also add in coconut flakes, fruit jam, lemon or orange zest, grated ginger, pumpkin, or almond or peanut butter. The next morning, just grab it on your way to work. If you have a few minutes to spare, you can even spiff it up with some fresh fruit or a dollop of Greek yogurt.
3. Updated Breakfast Cupcakes
(Recipe makes 12 cupcakes)
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 strips cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
I’m still a big fan of my original recipe for sausage breakfast cupcakes, but they’re equally delicious when made with bacon, so I had to share this version with you as well. And, I’ve updated my original recipe by ditching the muffin liners—they’re much, much easier to eat when you don’t have to remove the liner. Plus, if you buy the bacon that’s already been cooked, they’re a lot faster to pull together.
All you need to do is whisk together the eggs and milk, then add the cheese, bacon, spinach, salt, and pepper. Spray a cupcake tin with some nonstick spray, then divide up the egg mixture evenly in each cupcake cup and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so, until the egg has set. You can grab 2-3 of these in the morning and microwave for 60 seconds to warm up. You may need to bring in a few extra to share with jealous co-workers, but since this recipe makes 12 cupcakes, you should be good to go!
4. 3-Minute Smoothie
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 banana
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 tsp chia seeds
I’m a huge smoothie fan, especially if you’re on the run and don’t have time to sit down and eat a meal. There’s so many different combos you can do here—try switching out frozen pineapple for the mango, using strawberries or blueberries instead of the raspberries, or adding Greek yogurt instead of the almond milk. And if you have spinach on hand, throw some in for an added veggie boost.
All you need to do is blend everything together and pour into a to-go container to take with you on your way out the door.
5. Avocado and Egg Toast
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 slice bread
- 1 egg
Avocado toast is one of my favorite snacks for any time of the day, but it’s especially wonderful at breakfast because you can put it together lickity split and be out the door in no time at all. It’s delicious as is, but if you have the extra few minutes to sit down and eat, you should try it with a fried egg on top—so delish!
All you have to do is toast a slice of bread, and then take some avocado and mash it slightly with a fork. You then spread it on top of the bread, and finish with some cracked salt and pepper. While the bread is toasting, quickly fry up an egg in a non-stick pan and place on top of the avocado toast. Extra points if your egg is extra runny!