Weekend Breakfasts to Make and Save
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Chances are, you have more time on the weekend to make breakfast than you do during the week. This weekend, when you make breakfast or brunch for your family, make a little extra and save it for breakfast on a busy weekday.
Everyone loves waffles and pancakes. But the diner versions are often made with a boxed mix and topped with a big gob of butter and sugary syrup. By making waffles and pancakes at home, you can use healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats and low-fat buttermilk, and you can top them with fresh fruit and real maple syrup. Pancake and waffle batter doesn't keep well, but the finished products do. Make some extra waffles or pancakes this weekend, and freeze them in individual servings for a busy weekday. You can microwave them or even heat them up in a toaster when you're ready.
Your slow-cooker's not just for soups and stews, use it to make a hot, hearty breakfast. This is a trick you can use on a weeknight, too -- just add the ingredients to your slow-cooker before you go to bed, and wake to a steamy bowl of whole-grain cereal. If you're making breakfast in your slow-cooker this weekend, make extra and portion the leftovers into containers to eat early next week. Reheat the cereal in the microwave at home or work.
Breakfast burritos make a great family breakfast -- everyone loves them and it's easy to pack them with extra vegetables. You can buy them pre-made in the freezer aisle or at the drive-through window, but why would you? They're easy-to-make at home, and healthier that way too. If you make them this weekend, make a few extra but leave out toppings like avocado/guacamole and low-fat sour cream. Freeze the burritos on in a single layer on a cookie sheet. When fully frozen, wrap burritos individually in foil and return to the freezer. When you're ready to serve them, bake in the foil for 20 minutes, or remove foil, wrap the burrito in paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Make extra and refrigerate the leftovers. Voila -- you have breakfast for Monday morning!