Winter is upon us, and we’ve been craving warm, hearty breakfasts. Our mornings can be pretty busy, so I’ve found that the key for me is having a few go-to recipes that everyone in our family enjoys. Here are a few of our current favorites. I’d love to hear some of yours too!
Banana-Oat Chocolate Chip Pancakes
OK, chocolate chip pancakes don’t sound particularly healthy, lol… but hear me out! This recipe is filled with whole grains and it happens to be vegan if you’re into that. If not, you can easily use cow’s milk in place of the plant milk. I use a cast iron griddle and they come out PERFECT. My griddle gets so much use and is so well-seasoned that I don’t even need to use any oil in it. It’s my favorite pan in the whole house.
Even though pancakes definitely take some time in the morning, I’ve found that this recipes reheats wonderfully. That means that I can make a big batch and we can eat off of them for a few days, which is pretty perfect.
Old-fashioned Oatmeal
The meal that we probably eat the most during the week is just a big ol’ pot of oatmeal. After finding out the startling numbers for how much Round Up is in our oats, I have been trying to buy ones that are organic (or at least aren’t Quaker!) I know we can’t completely avoid these environmental toxins, but I would at least rather have 10 parts-per-billion instead of 1300.
I usually make my oats very much like Sadia describes on the Pick Up Limes blog. I cook my oats either in water or whatever milk I have on hand, using twice as much liquid as oats. Then I cut up a banana or two and let it cook in the liquid with the oats. This makes the banana all caramelized and yummy. I throw in some goji berries and let them plump up while it cooks, too. Once the oats are done cooking, I add nuts/nut butter and berries to the top of each bowl.
Skillet Granola
We love granola of all sorts, but skillet granola is a special, magical thing. It is ready in just a few minutes and it is so easy to customize. It’s perfect for using up bits-and-bobs of nuts/seeds/dried fruit and it is delicious over milk/plant milk/yogurt.
Also, I know the name is “Skillet Granola”, but we make ours up in our dutch oven and it’s fabulous. There’s enough oil in the recipe so nothing really sticks and I feel like the cast iron helps it to really brown nicely.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (with or without the chocolate chips)
This recipe has been an old standby for years. Much like the pancakes, these muffins store beautifully and can be eaten over a few days. If you don’t have whole wheat flour (or just prefer white flour) you can sub it out and it works just fine. My kids REALLY love if I make them into mini muffins.
Sweet Potato/Apple Crumble
This recipe is one that I got off of a parenting board back in 2005. That seems like a lifetime ago! It’s basically a normal crumble, but it includes sweet potatoes with the apples. You dice them both up and cook for a bit, then you add the oat mixture on top and let it crisp up. I love topping mine with cashew cream and my kids are a bit obsessed with our Whip It, so they tend to put whipped cream on there.
Pinterest is always my friend
For some extra ideas, I tend to keep my food boards on Pinterest quite full. I have them separated by meal, but my breakfast one is what I use the most. I made sure that each of these recipes was pinned on there and I am always adding more.
During the summer, eggs feature much more heavily on our menu because our chickens are laying then. We don’t supplement our chickens with light, because we want their bodies to have a natural break. That means that winter is focused on lots of whole grains. If you check out my pin board, you’ll see the difference in seasons as I pin a bunch of egg recipes vs a bunch of grain ones. 😛
I’d love to hear about some of your favorites. I am always trying new things and the best way to find them is through personal recommendations!
