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I’ve always been a morning person and, if I had to choose, I would take breakfast over dinner any day. My husband makes elaborate breakfasts for my children—Swedish pancakes and turkey sausage or challah French toast casserole—but I never have time to make something hearty for myself and end up spending $12 on a yogurt parfait that doesn’t really excite me. What are some great, protein-laden breakfast options that I could make in advance or prepare within two to three minutes? —Chloe Malle, head of editorial content of Vogue U.S. and co-host of The Run-Through
Readers: This edition I am honored to answer a question from inside the house, a.k.a. our offices in the World Trade Center. A fun fact about working at Bon Appétit is that my desk is on the same floor as many esteemed fashion editors, a proximity that makes me quietly question every piece of clothing I’ve ever bought. Except for my tomato-red wool coat with cowboy fringe. That one I got right. But I digress!
Chloe, hello! I relate to your query on many levels. Being a morning person, loving breakfast, not having enough time before work for said breakfast. I also appreciate your parameters: make in advance or pull off in the length of a pop song. This is a challenge! But it’s also real life.
We can do it. Here are some recipes that beat the clock.
Make-ahead breakfasts
Matcha-mango chia pudding. A beautiful parfait that is not $12. You can assemble individual servings of these (I like these jars paired with these reusable lids—they never leak) on a Sunday. Then just grab and go throughout the week. Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse: rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, a serving of this pudding is roughly equivalent to the protein in two eggs. In other words, it’ll keep you full until lunch.
Use-it-up frittata. My hot take is that frittata is better cold. This means you can make it in advance and not even bother with the office microwave. Frittata is also an unrivaled way to transform leftovers. As the weekend wraps up, whatever bits and bobs are in your fridge can turn into frittata. Roasted vegetables, nubs of cheese, those scraps left on the roast chicken carcass—all fair game. You can eat a piece as-is, or to make it more filling, sandwich a wedge between sourdough or multi-grain bread, smeared with mayo plus something spicy (my vote is Calabrian chile paste; the one at Trader Joe’s is good).
Morning glory baked oatmeal. Our readers love this one. One person reports, “I have been making this at least twice a month.” At least! Modeled after the best muffin variety (tied for first place with corn—not my opinion, just facts) this breakfast bake is chock-full of nutritious things: apple, carrot, pecans, raisins, and more. You can bake it up to five days in advance, then microwave a scoop and enjoy with milk or half-and-half or, for more protein, a dollop of Greek yogurt (around 15 to 20 grams per serving!).
3-ish-minute breakfasts
Frozen fruit parfait. Speaking of Greek yogurt: If you want to take it on the go, I’ve patented a trick: packing with frozen fruit to keep it cold during the commute. (I travel from the faraway land of New Jersey so I can confirm this really works.) Use the same jars/lids as linked above. Assemble in this order: frozen fruit (cherries are so nice here), then yogurt, then your nut or seed butter of choice, then optional granola. Nice for hot days!
A better protein smoothie. No protein powder here. In her column, Good for You, my colleague Rebecca Firkser shares a genius tip for morning nourishment: cottage cheese in smoothies. (Or, as I reacted when she told me, “Cottage cheese? In smoothies?”) Turns out, it’s spectacular, lending a creamy fluff and subtle savoriness to complement the sweetness from the fruit. You won’t look back.
Cheesy omelet roll-up. I just timed myself cooking this on a workday. It took 3 minutes, 54 seconds. And that was with my one-year-old hooting and hollering in the background, which I’d like to think slowed me down, at least a little. I skipped the chopped jalapeño to save time and swapped pepper Jack instead of American; of course any melty cheese would work. The milk you need not measure (a splash will suffice) and butter can take the place of olive oil. But the hot sauce, in my opinion, is a must. I keep a stash of Cholula packets swiped from the cafeteria in my desk for this exactly.
Hope this leads you to a new favorite or three. Readers, what are your quickest weekday breakfasts? Share wisdom in the comments.
Warmly,
Emma
Questions may be lightly edited for clarity, length, and style.
