My 2-year-old loves to help with muffins. I have two grade school children in addition to my two at home during the day. The older kids love, love breakfast bar at school for lunch. When I asked what was breakfast bar, they simply listed many breakfast items, such as, eggs, pancakes, sausage, fruit. Sometimes, they have waffles or biscuits, and the fruit changes too. I took this phrase and implemented it into my weekly meal plan. We have breakfast bar at least every other week. So when they ask what’s for dinner and I say breakfast bar they get excited no matter what we are having.
I rotate the carbohydrates to include, biscuits, waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls. This keeps the bar exciting. Whatever I make I always double and freeze the second round for another breakfast. I thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and warm briefly in the microwave. Waffles are best reheated in the toaster.
We have turkey bacon, turkey sausage patties or links. If I find a good sale on sausage, I stock up because it’s a treat for them.
We always have scrambled or fried eggs. They actually enjoy fried eggs because they don’t eat the Spongebob eggs at school. They say it looks like a sponge and tastes like one too. So a fried egg is definitely better.
I also include some type of fruit I have on hand. In the winter, my children love clementines, but we call them cuties. I also like to cut up a banana, apple, clementine and/or strawberries or blueberries for a fruit salad. I serve this plain or a shot of whipped cream is fun. Any fresh fruit on top of the waffles or pancakes with the whipped cream is fun also.
Remember the IHOP funny face pancake? You can make this too using fruit and whipped topping creatively.
Other ideas I have not tried yet include: bacon and egg quesadillas, bacon and egg casserole, breakfast pizza on an English muffin, French toast, egg and sausage wraps, Quiche, omelets and eggs in a nest (toast). Visit incredibleegg.org for more ideas.
Our breakfast bar is not served from a school bar, but the children always get excited about it and this makes me happy because it’s frugal and nutritious. We have breakfast bar every other week. How about you? If your children like breakfast bar, why not add it to your dinner menu more frequently?
