Grab-and-go breakfasts for game days

You know what they say — breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So make it count, especially when you’ve got a big game ahead of you!

Apple-fritter muffins

Makes 9 muffins

Make these yummy muffins the night before so they’ll be ready to grab during your morning hustle.

Ingredients:

Apples

• 1 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper wrappers.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and water. Cook for about 5 minutes until the apples are softened a bit. Add the flour to the skillet, toss to combine and set it aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix together to create the muffin batter.
4. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add the egg and milk to the large bowl and whisk again until fully combined.
6. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until the flour is fully incorporated.
7. Fold in the apple mixture from the skillet.
8. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until it is even with the top of the cups.
9. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
10. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
11. While the muffins cool on the rack, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl.
12. Once the muffins have cooled for about 10 minutes, dip the top of each muffin into the glaze and let it harden and set. You can redip the muffin tops for a thicker glaze once the first dip has hardened (after about 5 minutes).

Chocolate love muffins >>

Breakfast burritos with sage sausage

Serves 2

These portable breakfast burritos are packed with delicious ingredients. Make them in advance and simply heat them up before you head out the door.

Ingredients:

For the fried potatoes:

• 2 medium-size potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 dashes salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil

For the scrambled eggs:

• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3 dashes ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons butter

To complete the breakfast burritos:

• 2 extra-large flour tortillas
• 1 cup cooked sage breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup salsa

Directions:

For the fried potatoes:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 1-1/2 inch pieces. In a medium-size bowl, add the potatoes, onions, pepper and salt, then stir them together until the potatoes and onions are coated with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a medium-size skillet on medium heat and add the canola oil.
3. Add the potatoes and onions to the pan.
4. Stir the potatoes as they cook until they turn a golden color (in about 8 to 10 minutes).
5. Remove the potatoes and onions from the pan, place them on a plate with a paper towel and set them aside.

For the scrambled eggs:

1. In a medium-size bowl, add the eggs, milk and pepper. Whisk them together.
2. Place a medium-size pan on medium heat and add the butter. As soon as the butter melts, add the egg mixture.
3. Stir the eggs as they cook until they are completely scrambled (about 6 minutes).
4. As soon as the eggs are scrambled, remove the pan from the burner and set it aside for just a moment.

To complete the breakfast burritos:

1. On a large plate, warm the tortillas (one at a time) in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
2. Remove each tortilla from the microwave and turn it over on the plate so that the bottom side of the tortilla is now facing up (so that the tortilla doesn’t stick to the plate due to the moisture from warming it in the microwave).
3. In the middle of the tortilla, add the sage sausage in about a 3-inch-wide “line” or “rectangle” from one end of the tortilla to the other (leave about 2 inches of empty space on each end of the tortilla for rolling).
4. Top the sausage with the eggs and top the eggs with the potatoes.
5. Add the shredded cheese and salsa.
6. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla inward and roll up the burrito as tightly as possible without tearing it.
7. Serve with individual small bowls of salsa.

Meatless Monday: Tofu-and-black-bean breakfast burritos >>

Pineapple-banana smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

Get your fill of fruits and veggies in this yummy and oh-so-pretty smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup almond milk (we like to use the sweetened vanilla kind)
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 of a small banana

Directions:

1. Place your spinach in the blender.
2. Add the almond milk and frappé it until smooth.
3. Add the frozen pineapple chunks and banana. Blend again until smooth.

Healthy smoothies kids will actually enjoy >>

Everyday breakfast cookie

Makes 10 cookies

What?! A cookie for breakfast? When it’s made of these wholesome ingredients, you can proudly give your family a cookie for breakfast every day!

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup large bananas, chopped
• 1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup amber honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 teaspoons ground Vietnamese cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup dried raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with a Silpat mat.
3. In a large bowl, whip the bananas, peanut butter, honey and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients except the dried raspberries. Stir the dry mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in the dried raspberries.
4. Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of the measuring cup until it’s about 1/2 inch thick.
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the cookies are browned around the edges.
6. Allow the cookies to cool for 1 minute on the pan. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

More breakfast and on-the-go recipes

3 Tropical-smoothie recipes
6 Quick and easy ideas for a healthy breakfast
Good, better, best: Healthy breakfast recipes