Back-to-School Breakfast Tips

It’s that bittersweet time of the year; now that we’re firmly in August, it’s time to start getting the kids ready to head back to school. For parents, back-to-school means a whole lot of changes, both good and bad. Getting kids up, out of bed, teeth brushed, backpack on, and out the door is hard enough without trying to make a well-balance breakfast, too. Beat the early morning rush with these great pre-made meals.

Meal 1: Breakfast Burritos

These are super easy to make in bulk and even easier to freeze and reheat. Just grab some tortillas (bigger tortillas = bigger burritos), stuff to go inside, a cookie sheet, freezer bags, a marker, parchment paper, and toppings. Start out by cooking your fillings. You can go as basic or as crazy as you want, but here are some good tips to jumpstart your brain:

• Always use scrambled egg…that’s why they’re breakfast tacos!
• Add some heavy stuff; this could be meat (sausage, ground beef, bacon, ham, etc.) or roasted potatoes or even both.
• Throw some veggies in the pan and sauté! Bell peppers and onions always work well.
• Beans can be used, as well. Black and refried are good go-to picks.
• Cheese is key! Use Monterrey Jack, cheddar, the premixed shredded cheese from the grocery store, whatever  your kids like!

Once you've prepared everything, spread out your tortillas and get filling! Keep in mind, once you’ve frozen the burritos, all you’ll be doing is reheating. That means everything that needs to be cooked should be cooked before filling the burritos; in other words, no raw meat, eggs, etc.!

With everything inside, fold the left and right sides of the tortilla inward and roll the burritos tightly. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and flash freeze the burritos for an hour. After the hour is up, remove the burritos and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in a Ziploc bag in the right serving size and label with date, type, etc.

When you’re ready to get the kids on-the-go in the morning, just take the burritos out, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave on 50% power for 3 minutes. Add small sides of salsa or sour cream, and you’re done!

Meal 2: Egg Muffins

High in protein and great for eating at the table, walking out the door, or in the car, these egg muffins make great school morning meals. Grab a muffin tin, eggs, cheese, and any meat, veggies, or seasoning you like and get started!

Preheat the oven to 375° F and line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Remember to spray the liners with nonstick spray before adding any ingredients. Next, line the cups with whatever meat, veggies, and cheese you want. We suggest green onions and sharp cheddar, at a minimum! Fill the cups about 2/3 of the way.

In a large bowl, beat 12 eggs together with whatever seasoning you prefer. You can also add a little milk, if you want. Pour the egg mixture into each cup until they’re about ¾ full and put them in the oven. Bake 25-35 minutes, until muffins are fluffy and lightly brown on top.

Once they’re cooked, just pop them out and either refrigerate or freeze them; they’ll keep for a little over a week just refrigerated! When you’re ready to eat them, thaw if they’ve been frozen, microwave on high for about 2 minutes, and enjoy!