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I currently live in Charlotte, NC and after spending 7 years as a personal chef and caterer, I am now happy to share my love of cooking with friends and family. My heart is in the kitchen, but my soul is in the stars!

Great Day In The Morning ~ Breakfast Part I


Being relegated to just a microwave and/or toaster in the office kitchenette makes it really hard for us Monday-through-Friday-desk-jockeys to keep breakfast healthy. Sure, it's easy to pick up fast food on the way to the office or keep a stash of Poptarts and bagels in the desk drawer, but do you really want to eat something loaded with enough preservatives to make you glow in the dark?

If you crave breakfast worthy of weekend-breakfast-in-bed status, you can be the envy of the office during morning break with a little pre-planning and preparation at home. I've scoured the internet for quick and easy make-ahead breakfast recipes that store well in the freezer ~ would you believe me if I told you that I currently have 12 weeks of breakfast meals already made and stored in the office freezer?! Here's how you can do the same....

On your next shopping trip, pick up a box of your favorite waffle mix and dust off your long forgotten waffle maker. Prepare the entire box of mix per the directions on the box and bake just until the waffles are lightly golden brown ~ not as dark as you would bake them if you were eating them right away. Cool the waffles completely and store in zippie bags in the office freezer. Take one out and pop it into the toaster and Voila! you have breakfast. I have waffles on Mondays because they don't need time to thaw whereas the other recipes that I'll share in this three-part series do. I pull out a selection of items from the freezer for the rest of the week and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. Don't forget this easy recipe for yet another weekday option.

These savory muffins are dense and hearty and excellent slathered with butter and served with fresh fruit. Enjoy your breakfast and stay tuned for links to the next round of recipes!

Savory Breakfast Muffins

2 cup(s) whole-wheat flour
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup(s) buttermilk
3 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon(s) butter, melted
1 cup(s) thinly sliced scallions (about 1 bunch)
3/4 cup(s) diced ham or cooked bacon (3 ounces)
1/2 cup(s) grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup(s) finely diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter in a medium bowl. Fold in scallions, bacon, cheese and bell pepper. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just moistened. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full).

Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in zippie bags or air-tight containers in the freezer.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in microwave prior to serving.

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1 comments:

Becky said...

Alison, you so brought a smile to my face today. "Great day in the morning" is an expression my grandmother used to use fairly regularly. I haven't heard or read it (that I recall) since she crossed over ten years ago. Thanks so much for the reminder. I think I will start to incorporate this into my regular speech. It can be SO useful.

I am majorly impressed with "12 weeks of breakfast meals already made and stored" and look forward to seeing posts on the others. These muffins look like they would be a hit around here. Thank you!