The ultimate back to school breakfast trick

There's no way I haven't complained about this before. I am incredulous when I see the way weekday breakfasts are portrayed in movies and on TV. Both working parents look incredible in tailored suits, and the table is laden with fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs and toast. The father has time to read the paper and the mother managed a professional-level blowout. In what world?

We are not morning people

Even families with one working parent sees the mom in yoga pants, dad shouting for the kids to hurry, and the family grabbing a granola bar on the way out the door.

I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but we are not morning people. We linger in bed and play Wordle to warm our brains up. Just look at the below photo - who would want to be slumped over a stove, when they can linger here?

 

My son's school offers a free dessert they like to call breakfast: a sugary muffin wrapped in plastic. If you ever want to see how little our government invests in the future, public school "nutrition" is up there with teachers' salaries!

Because of this, I have some back-to-school goals, and one of them is to nourish these people before they are thrust into public places. I know a breakfast hack that you can prepare ahead of time, is portable for people to eat on the go, and is healthy. It's the loaded pancake! You can serve them taco-style with the fillings tucked into the middle, or fold the filling right into the batter, for an even more portable roll-and-go snack. 

Rather than plain pancakes and syrup, which is more of a dessert than a balanced meal, loaded pancakes borrow from multiple food groups, so you and your family get a nutrient-rich meal that will sustain you until lunch. 

In order to keep this breakfast less messy, note that for any loaded pancakes that include maple syrup, mix the syrup directly into the pancake batter. This helps people avoid sticky fingers, which are likely if the syrup is squeezed on afterward. 

Loaded pancake recipe ideas

...and yes, I've given them names. And for some reason they all start with a "B." 

The Betsy

Scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage

This can be served taco style, but you can also fold in crumbled bacon or ground sausage directly into the batter. Be sure that if you add breakfast meat into the batter, cook the meat in advance. Eggs cook quickly, and if they are tossed in with raw pork or turkey products, the eggs would be burnt by the time the meat cooks through. 

If you'd like to add scrambled eggs into a roll-and-go pancake, don't add the cooked eggs into the batter either. Add them to the pancake while it's cooking, onto the raw side that is about to be flipped into the buttered pan. 

The Blue Suede Shoes

Peanut butter, banana slices, and crispy bacon

Hey, if it was good enough for The King, it's good enough for us. 

The Benito

Refried beans, melted cheese, and chopped cilantro

For this recipe, you can smooth a layer of refried beans onto the pancake, then toss into the microwave to melt the cheese on top. There are so many cheeses that work with this pancake, but my favorite with Mexican food is either cojita (which isn't very melty) or Monterrey Jack, which turns gooey and sumptuous!  And while it's not necessary, a shmear of sour cream or a dash of hot sauce would be on-point. 

The Barnaby

Chopped sweet apples sauteed in butter, cinnamon, yogurt

This recipe is easy for a roll-and-go bite. It's worth the extra step of sauteeing chopped sweet apples in butter ahead of time. If the apples are more tart, a dash of brown sugar never hurt anyone. Don't fold the yogurt into the batter. Smear it atop the pancake before rolling it up.

The Babette

Chocolate hazelnut spread, mixed berries, powdered sugar

It's best to smear on the chocolate hazelnut spread afterward, but it will be a cinch to eat if the berries are folded into the batter. It makes the meal much more fragrant, too! Dust with powdered sugar afterward - et voila!

Loaded pancake topping ideas

Other ingredients you can use for loaded pancake recipes include:

• Sliced avocado
• Fried tofu
• Salsa
• Lemon curd
• Olive tapenade
• Blueberries
• Guacamole
• Walnuts
• Crumbled feta
• Shredded coconut
• Sliced tomatoes
• Flax seeds
• Cream cheese

Have fun mixing and matching whatever ingredients you have in the pantry. Carve out a little time on Sunday nights to line up a flavor of the week. We may never be morning people, but a healthy start will pull us out of the funk faster. For everyone with a looming back to school season...you got this!