Recipes: Five easy breakfast ideas for busy mornings

Here are five simple breakfast ideas to make sure you and the kids have breakfast no matter how rushed your morning is. Watch Chef Jill’s segment on WCNC Charlotte Today and give her recipes a try!

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Muffins

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 12 rounds of bread

• 1 lb pork breakfast sausage

• 11 eggs

• Salt

• Pepper

• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut 12 circles out of bread, making sure they are the same size as the bottom of the muffin tin. Place each bread circle into a muffin cup. Sauté sausage on stove according to package directions. In a large bowl, beat eggs and add in cooked sausage, salt and pepper. Fill each muffin cup ¾ full with the egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of egg cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When muffins are done, they will be firm and a fork inserted in the center will come out dry.

Granola Muffin Cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup maple syrup, agave nectar or honey

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1-1/2 cups quick cook oats ( blend if want more cupcake like)

• 1 cup granola

• 1/3 cup flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup fresh berries OR 1 cup mashed banana

• Raisins or chocolate chips-optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a  bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together.

Fold fruit into dry ingredients gently, then add to wet ingredients to incorporate.

Line pan with muffin cups or spray lightly,

Scoop into muffin cups and cook for 20-25 minutes

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup semisweet or dairy free mini chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1/2 cup ground flax ( or combo of ground chia and flax)

• 1/3 cup raw honey ( or substitute pure maple syrup)

• 1 tsp pure vanilla ( or almond) extract

Directions:

Combine oats, chocolate chips, flax seed, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; form into balls using your hands. Arrange energy bites on a baking sheet and freeze until set, about 1 hour.

Smoothie Pops

• Fruits (of your choice)

• Protein powder

• Almond milk or milk of your choice

• Popsicle molds OR paper cups and wooden sticks 

Put all fruits in the blender with protein powder and almond milk. Blend until smooth.

Pour the smoothie mixture into pop molds or cups ( put sticks in if using cups and put them in the freezer overnight.

Toasted Waffle Sammies 

Toast waffles before assembling (these are not hot sandwiches, so it’s ok to let them cool off)

2 waffles, toasted 

The Elvis:

• 1/2 banana, sliced into 1/2 inch medallions

• 2 tablespoons nut butter ,sun butter or Nutella

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

• Drizzle of honey

The Croque Monsieur:

• Two slices deli ham

• One slice Swiss or Emmentaler cheese

• 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves

Assemble waffle sandwiches and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or place in a Ziploc bag. Place in refrigerator and can be easily grab on the way out the door to school or  work.