4 Guest-Friendly Make-Ahead Breakfasts
Serve up something great for a hungry crew without having to wake up at the crack of dawn.
Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding
Cheese and veggie-filled bread pudding satisfies any big appetite. Just pair with some poached eggs and a fruit salad to round it out.
A delicious departure from quiche, this savory bread pudding is easier to prepare and very satisfying.
Total Time: 30 min
Oven Temp: 350
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cup(s) (1%) low-fat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground pepper
- 1 pinch(s) ground nutmeg
- 1 package(s) (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup(s) (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 slice(s) firm white bread, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. With rubber spatula, stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread.
- Pour mixture into 13-inch by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Bake bread pudding 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove bread pudding from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Tips & Techniques
For a Mexican-style variation, replace Monterey Jack with pepper Jack cheese and add 4 ounces sliced pepperoni. Serve with salsa.
Chocolate-Glazed Banana Bread Minis
Mini loaves ensure that every sweet-loving guest can grab a bite.
Bake breads in mini paper or foil pans — perfect bake sale packaging!
Yields: 6 loaves
Total Time: 45 min
Prep Time: 15 min
Oven Temp: 350
Ingredients
- 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
- 2 cup(s) mashed very ripe bananas
- 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, mix bananas and vanilla.
- In bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugars 3 minutes, or until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. With mixer on low, add flour mixture alternately with banana mixture, starting and ending with flour. Divide among 6 disposable mini (1/4-pound) loaf pans.
- Bake breads 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack.
- Drizzle with chocolate; let set.
Overnight Savory French Toast
A combination of cheese and chives transforms French toast into a savory wonder.
This savory, feeds-eight French toast — a cost-effective, cheese-crusted combo of baked bread, eggs, and Gruyère — rests overnight so you can sleep in.
Serves: 8
Yields: 8 main-dish servings
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cup(s) milk
- 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup(s) snipped chives, plus additional for garnish
- 1 loaf(s) (9 ounces) French bread (preferably day-old; see Shopping Tip), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 6 ounce(s) Gruyère cheese, shredded
Directions
- Grease shallow 1 1/2-quart ceramic baking dish. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, Dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until well blended. Stir in chives.
- Arrange half of bread in bottom of prepared baking dish, overlapping slices to fit. Pour half of egg mixture over bread and sprinkle with two-thirds of Gruyère. Cover with remaining bread, overlapping slices. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread; gently press down to help bread absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining one-third of Gruyère. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed and golden and tip of knife inserted in center comes out clean, covering top during last 15 minutes if browning too quickly. Let stand 10 minutes to set custard before serving. Sprinkle with snipped chives.
Tips & Techniques
Shopping Tip: Look for discounted day-old French bread in your market or bakery.
Pimiento Cheese Make-Ahead Quiche
With a made-in-advance quiche, you won’t have to worry about overcooking the eggs in the morning.
Pimiento cheese is a classic Southern snack. Here, it’s reinvented, by being used as the creamy, spicy, savory filling for a quick and easy quiche.
Yields: 6 main-dish servings
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Prep Time: 25 min
Oven Temp: 375
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
- 6 tablespoon(s) cold vegetable shortening, cut up
- 3 tablespoon(s) (or up to 5 tablespoons) water
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup(s) whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
- 2 cup(s) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 jar(s) (4-ounce) chopped pimientos, drained
- 2 cup(s) green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon(s) hot pepper sauce
- 1 teaspoon(s) Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Make the crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In food processor, pulse flour, and 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and salt until combined. Add vegetable shortening; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle in 3 to 5 tablespoons water, pulsing between additions until dough is just moist. Pat into disk. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 days.
- On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch pie plate. Trim off excess dough. Tuck edge of dough under and pinch to create rim. Crimp to decorate edge. Line dough with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove liner and weights. Bake another 10 to 13 minutes, or until edge is golden and bottom is no longer raw. Cool slightly on wire rack.
- Make the custard: Whisk together eggs, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Stir Cheddar cheese, chopped pimientos, green onions, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into custard.
- Bake in 375 degrees F oven 35 to 45 minutes or until center is just set. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Techniques
Make Ahead: Bake one (or more) the night before, cover, and refrigerate until morning. Reheat at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until warm. Time tip: To save 10 minutes, use a store-bought crust.
Kate is the founder of Learn and Grow Books, which is a website for parents and teachers of pre-K children.