Coffee Breakfast

Wouldn’t it be so nice if we all had the leisure time to cook a three-course breakfast every morning and then linger in some idyllic breakfast nook to savor it? Well, probably, but that’s not how the real world works most of the time: barring weekends and holidays, breakfast is usually a bit more of a rush.

The grain-based answer to this is typically granola bars, cold cereal, or freezer waffles, which leaves many people wondering what on earth they’re supposed to do when they go Paleo.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to cook every morning – or any morning, if you don’t want to! Instead, the trick is to make a big batch of something on the weekend, and then slowly eat your way through it all week. So here are some make-ahead breakfasts that aren’t too hard to put together, taste good hot or cold, and give you the energy you need to make it through the morning!

1. Frittatas (and other baked egg dishes)

Eggs are a perfect source of healthy fat and protein, not to mention all kinds of micronutrients – and with a frittata, you’ve got your vegetables conveniently included in one finger-friendly package. Bake up a frittata or two on the weekend and store them in the fridge: they’ll keep all week, and you can just carve off a slice for breakfast every day. Some recipes to get the oven fired up:

Hint: you could make any of these into frittata mini-muffins just by baking them in a muffin tin instead of a big skillet.

2. Meatballs

Meatballs are a great breakfast food: they’re portable, easy to eat, good hot or cold, and endlessly versatile so you don’t get bored. Here’s a recipe for meatballs in tomato sauce, but if the typical beef, tomato, and oregano-style meatballs sound too heavy, why not try a lighter, more summery version with ground chicken or turkey, maybe with some coconut milk, fresh herbs, or green onions? Some ideas:

3. Hard-boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs might be the most dead-simple breakfast you could come up with. Boil a dozen at a time and grab 3 or 4 for breakfast every day with a piece of fruit or some leftover vegetables, or a cold baked sweet potato if you like a little more starch in the morning. Or if you have a bigger appetite, try Scotch eggs: hard-boiled eggs wrapped in a savory sausage coating. Some delicious variations:

4. Breakfast Peppers

Stuffing anything inside a pepper makes it so much easier to haul around with you, and the pepper “shell” helps you get in a serving of vegetables, to boot! You could go with a classic stuffed pepper recipe and just eat it for breakfast, or scramble some eggs with fresh herbs and onions and pour them inside instead. Add a pinch of chili powder if you’re feeling spicy! Some other ideas:

5. Breakfast Meatloaf