Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
How to Make Breakfast Easier and Cheaper
School mornings are crazy busy. Finding time to make and eat something other than cold cereal or granola bars can become a dream relegated only to weekend mornings. But what if you could serve a more substantial breakfast every morning in minutes, while staying in budget and on schedule? You can.
Here’s how to make breakfast easier and cheaper.
Egg Scramble in a Mug. While already making dinner, saute extra diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach or other similar ingredients and meats as desired. Allow to cool. Beat eggs with dashes of salt and pepper until uniform. In ceramic or glass mugs or small bowls, place 1/4 cup cooked vegetables and meats, 2 beaten eggs (uncooked), and 1 ounce shredded cheese. Stir to incorporate, then cover and refrigerate. To cook, place in the microwave on high for 60-90 seconds or until eggs are completely cooked. Eggs should be slightly soft (not overcooked and rubbery) and the other ingredients warm. Making these yourself is a huge savings over buying similar ready-to-cook products at $2-3 each. You can put together a dozen cups for less than $12, depending on the ingredients you use, making them at least 50% cheaper at $1 each.
Heat and Eat Pancakes. A full box of pancake mix will make approximately 50 small pancakes. When making your pancakes, be sure the batter isn’t too dry and don’t overmix it (leave lumps). Keep a close watch on your skillet so your pancakes nicely brown but stay moist inside. This will keep them from drying out when reheating. Allow finished pancakes to fully cool, then freeze. Pop them into the toaster to quickly reheat. By making these yourself, rather than buying boxed ones, you can make 4 times the pancakes for the same money (approximately $2). You can similarly make toaster waffles!
Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal. By gently cooking oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker you can have it warm and ready-to-eat when you want it. Online recipes abound with the proper measurements for the oats, liquids, and any additional ingredients, such as brown sugar or raisins. With this method, you can both control the sugar content and your costs. Even as convenient as individual oatmeal packets are, they easily cost 2-3 times the price of making several family-sized batches from one canister of rolled or steel-cut oats.
English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches. Using a muffin tin, make cooked eggs the perfect size and shape to fit English muffins. Simply beat eggs with dashes of salt and pepper into a uniform consistency. Lightly grease muffin tin and then portion half an egg into each space. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until just cooked through, yet soft. Carefully remove egg circles from tin and allow to fully cool. Layer on an English muffin, along with other desired ingredients such as sliced cheese and precooked sausage patties or bacon. Place sandwiches in a freezer-grade bag and freeze. To prepare for eating, wrap sandwiches in paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. Compared to paying $1-2 apiece for commercially produced frozen or drive-thru sandwiches, you can make a dozen for less than $9.
Breakfast Burritos. You can make breakfast burritos in a similar fashion to sandwiches, using tortillas, shredded cheese, diced onion and bell pepper (or salsa) and crumbled sausage or bacon. The two tricks are to soften the tortillas so they are pliable and to make sure the salsa you use contains nearly zero liquid. Be sure any filling components are completely cool before filling and tightly rolling the burritos. Tuck in the ends of the tortillas and then lightly toast in a skillet before wrapping and freezing. Because you can make 20 burritos for less than $10, they easily beat the price of drive-thru fast food breakfast burritos.
French Toast in the Toaster. In the oven, lightly toast and slightly dry out a full loaf of bread on a baking sheet. This will help make French toast that can stand withstand freezing and reheating. From the prepared bread, make a large batch of French toast using your favorite recipe. Allow the finished pieces to fully cool without getting soggy, then freeze into portions. Reheat in the toaster for quick French toast. Instead of paying over $2 for 8 commercially produced slices, you’ll have nearly three times as much for around the same cost.
Grab-n-Go Yogurt Parfaits. Build yogurt parfaits in small cups or bowls by layering yogurt with fruit such as sliced strawberries or halved grapes or whole blueberries. Make the very lop layer yogurt to keep fruit fresher. Then cover and refrigerate. For toppings to add before eating, secure a small portion of granola or nuts in squares of plastic wrap. With this method, you can make eight 4-ounce parfaits for around $5, depending on the price of the fruit and nuts you choose.
