Q: I signed up to be responsible for making an informal breakfast bar for my large family the morning after Thanksgiving again this year, so I'm hoping for some fresh ideas! The issues:
1. Refrigeration is limited due to Thanksgiving foods. I'll have a cooler with ice and a freezer.
2. As morning-work-free as possible since people will just be snacking and hanging out. Lots of prep work a couple of days in advance is fine; I would rather not need to do much that morning.
3. Most people are trying to be healthy, so at least a couple of low-carb, whole-wheat, or low-fat options would be ideal.
Last year I made mini quiches in muffin tins, pre-made coffee cake, fresh fruit and scones, but would like to change it up and be a bit healthier. A variety of breakfast foods and not just the bready/sweet kinds would be ideal.
Sent by Courtney
Editor: Courtney, even if you're trying to lighten it up a bit, breakfast casseroles are still a good bet. This one has potatoes and bacon, but you can use low-fat milk and throw in more veggies if you like.
• Bacon, Potato & Egg Breakfast Casserole
Or try a basic oven omelet and load it up with vegetables and herbs:
• Quick Breakfast Recipe: Basic Oven Omelet
If you still want something indulgent, though, do try the one pictured above:
• Pancetta & Cinnamon Ricotta Casserole
Seriously yum. Readers, what else would you suggest?
Related: Fresh and Light: 12 Modern Breakfast Casseroles
(Image: Rebekah Peppler)

Comments (21)
Why not do yogurt with lots of toppings, at least as part of it? You could get fresh fruit, nuts, honey, and jam and maybe make some homemade granola in advance, and then serve whole wheat muffins or something of that nature alongside. Savory options for toppings might be olives and tomatoes, too, which would be good if you started with plain yogurt.
How about making breakfast pizzas with ready made pizza dough, veggies and eggs. Another idea is breakfast tacos. you could have readymade wheat tortillas, scrambled eggs, meat and salsa laid out and everyone can make their own breakfast tacos..
Have a great Thanksgiving..
Priya
I second yogurt: Greek yogurt, agave nectar, fresh fruit (with some vanilla bean if you want to take it a step up--it's heavenly). If you make it ahead of time the vanilla bean infuses the yogurt with so much flavor. A veggie frittata or quiche would be healthy-ish if you did it with goat cheese, mushroom and spinach and some redi-egg. I made that in a whole wheat tortilla for a breakfast wrap and it was really delicious.
I would suggest making a quinoa breakfast bowl - I have even made it in the crockpot the night before and breakfast was ready in the morning! I like to use almond milk as a substitute.
http://www.turntablekitchen.com/2009/07/quinoa-breakfast-bowl-a-fresh-start/
I second breakfast tacos or pre-made quiche full of veggies.
My family also does those sausage-cheese ball things with Bisquick. You can make them a couple of weeks before (I made them last night) and then freeze them. I serve those with scrambled eggs, a fruit salad, and whatever breads are leftover from thanksgiving.
Honestly, I think I would play up the leftovers. Potato cakes, turkey and veg frittata, and cranberry sauce on English muffins are all pretty easy.
What about breakfast burritos? Tortillas, black beans, potatoes (or tater tots!), scrambled eggs, fresh veggies, salsa and sour cream, etc. You could do all the prep in advance and then morning of just cook your potatoes and make a huge pan of eggs and you're done. Let people build their own, make it as healthy (or not) as they want. Serve with fresh fruit, maybe muffins or something made in advance.
If you live in a cooler climate, your refrigeration space has already been extended to your backyard or porch, if it's hanging around 40 degrees outside, putting things out there is no less food-hazardly than being in the fridge. That said, if you aren't looking for things using post-thanksgiving leftovers, I would suggest a fritatta (it can be sliced into smallish segments easily), some fresh fruit (whatever's in season) and some sort of starch...maybe little tiny pancakes from a mix. If you are looking to use thanksgiving leftovers, well, I'll still suggest a fritatta...but leftover mashed potatoes can be turned into something similar to latkes, carrots aren't an enemy of traditional breakfast flavors such as maple syrup, heck, leftover stuffing could be rolled and fried into something a bit like hush-puppies.
tahoe brunch casseroles are always a hit and flexible in terms of what you put into it. here's a basic recipe. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/casserole/tahoe-brunch-cass.html i've switched out the onions for leeks before, used sharp cheddar, a really good sourdough or any kind of bread you prefer...i've even substituted morningstar's fake sausage for the real deal for a healthier alternative. no one knew the difference but me. try it. you can make it a day or two ahead and pop it in the oven the morning you need it.
Similar to the quinoa suggestion: steel cut oatmeal overnight in the crock pot, then all kinds of toppings (nuts, cinnamon, leftover pumpkin, leftover cranberries, apples, candied ginger, sugars, syrups, etc.)
smoothies?
Similar to the yogurt 'bar', how about crockpot oats done the night before with various toppings to choose from? Also, I love egg casseroles as I think those taste better after one or two days anyway fill them with veggies and cheese and they are a healthy, high protein option for those who might want to limit their carbs after the prior days carb-fest.
Pumpkin bran muffins. They could even be baked ahead of time, frozen, and then warmed in the oven the morning of your breakfast. They're seasonal, moist (thanks to the pumpkin) and there are all sorts of healthy permutations you can try (all whole wheat pastry flour; sub in flax meal for some or all of the butter in a recipe(3:1 ratio); use half the sugar, but make it brown sugar for a richer sweetness, and replace the other half with more pumpkin). I'm still playing with my recipe to get it where I want it (mostly tweaking the spices and adding a bit more pumpkin), but it's a good way to go.
Baked oatmeal - I think I got the recipe from Faith Durand's cookbook and the kitchn has additional things to do with it - it is really good.
You could jazz it up with molasses and ginger - it tastes like gingerbread oatmeal.
You could make some veggie stratas, I've stacked them in a cooler with a couple of layers of cardboard in between the casseroles. (I've done this when I'm making both Christmas breakfast and dinner)
i second the smoothies idea!!
I second the leftovers idea! Sweet potato pancakes or baked french toast, turkey and stuffing hash, fried mashed potato cakes, scrambled eggs...
If you've got a crockpot, you could also make a big batch of overnight steel-cut oats (or any kind of whole grain). Easy, low-fat (if you use only water and spices), can be low-sugar, and people can top it with whatever they want. mix in some mashed sweet potatoes, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, what have you.
I second (third?) the oatmeal/quinoa suggestion. You could also do a variation on eggs in purgatory -- pour an inch or so of chunky tomato sauce in a baking dish and crack a bunch of eggs in it, then bake. The sauce can be made ahead, and you can prep a bunch of add-ins, like parmesan or goat cheese, crispy bacon, fresh parsley.
Baked oatmeal is amazing if you live in a colder climate. Stickybuns, quiche, and yogurt with all the toppings is deelicious. Many recipes you can prepare the night before and just throw it in the oven the next day.
We make a great Turkey Hash that uses a number of things from a usual Thanksgiving dinner allowing a 'day after' indulgence of the meal in a new form with a twist. It sounds like it could be somewhat 'pedestrian' but it's really great. I'll share a link for it:
http://www.boulderlocavore.com/2010/11/turkey-hash-recipe-delicious-simple-way.html
Frittatas are great since they can be made the day before and served at room temperature. I"d have that, a yogurt/granola fruit bar kind of thing and fresh bread and cheese/butter/jam. Kind of like breakfast in Scandinavia (there it would be hard-boiled eggs and a couple of "salads" with fish and such).
I recently made a recipie seen on this site - the apple pancake - I substituted soy milk for milk and used only part of the suggested butter. These heat up very nicely.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-weekend-apple-pancake-013112
Also - if you're going towards more small bites - these mini quiches also heat up great as well. You can easily change up the flavors!
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/makeahead-recipe-crustless-miniquiches-125509