How to Meal Prep Breakfast for a Week in One Hour
Inside: Learn how to meal prep breakfast for a week in one hour. Simple, healthy, and make-ahead breakfast ideas for busy families.
It’s important to me to feed my family a warm and nourishing breakfast, but I didn’t want to spend every morning in the kitchen cooking from scratch.
One weekend I decided to try something new. What if I made a few breakfast items, doubled an egg casserole and we just ate leftovers all week?
So I did just that. I spent one hour Saturday afternoon prepping breakfast items for the week ahead and I had breakfast for a whole week. No more guessing what to eat. No more last minute prep. Just simple, nourishing breakfasts ready at my fingertips.
This simple make ahead breakfast routine has helped me serve nourishing food, save time, and create calmer mornings in my home without overcomplicating things. And I’m going to walk you through exactly what I do.
Why this breakfast system works
Before I walk you through what I make, here’s why this has become such a steady rhythm in our home:
Saves time during the week
This saves so much time on busy mornings to already know what’s for breakfast and have it prepared. Less time in the kitchen means more time for other things.
Reduces decision fatigue
No more standing in the kitchen wondering what to make, scrambling to have a warm breakfast on the table.
Helps you serve nourishing food consistently
When things are prepped ahead, we’re far less likely to reach for quick, less satisfying options.
Keeps mornings calm
My mornings are slower and more calm because I already know exactly what’s for breakfast and it’s already ready.
How to Master Mornings for more peace
There’s no getting around it: mornings set the tone for your day, so before we dive into the specifics of the breakfast plan I want to talk about mornings and a few things you can do to help your mornings flow smoothly, even if you’re not a morning person.
START THE NIGHT BEFORE
- As much as you can do the night before, do it. Lay out clothes; pack lunch; prepare the coffee.
- Take 10 minutes to tidy the house, especially the kitchen, so you wake up to a fresh space.
- Prioritize rest by sticking to a consistent bedtime and limiting screens at night. This will support your energy, mood, hormones, and immune system.
WAKE UP 15 MINUTES EARLY
- A few minutes of quiet before the house wakes up is life-changing.
- Use the time for prayer, quiet meditation, a light workout, or just sipping your coffee in peace.
- Avoid reaching for your phone right away.
START YOUR DAY WITH GRATITUDE
- Intentionally choosing gratitude has a tremendous impact on perspective.
- Name (and write down) at least one thing you’re thankful for each morning.
- Pray for your day.
SEEK PEACE, NOT PERFECTION
- Establish rhythms that will provide structure to your mornings without feeling rigid.
- Keep breakfast simple – that’s what this guide will help with!
- Focus on consistency, not perfection. Some mornings will still be loud, rushed, or messy, and that’s okay.
How I plan breakfast
Pick a protein
The first thing I do when planning breakfast, or any meal, is to decide on a protein. Usually this means eggs or some type of meat like sausage, bacon, or ham. Things like greek yogurt or cottage cheese are also great sources of protein. Starting the day with protein is a game-changer, for mama AND kiddos, it helps to balance blood sugar, provides sustained energy, and keeps bellies full longer.
Plan a carb
This is where it’s fun, I think. Decide what carbs you will serve with your proteins. This could be muffins, granola, toast, or even potatoes. There are so many good options and it’s fun to get creative and switch things up.
Round it out
Breakfast could be complete with just a protein and a carb, but you may choose to round it out with something like fruit. I like to add something fresh to our plates whenever I can and this is always a good option.
My One-Hour Breakfast Prep Plan
This doesn’t have to be complicated. I keep the process very simple and repeatable.
CHOOSE YOUR RECIPES
The first thing you need to do is choose your recipes. Depending on how big your family is this might look like a batch of muffins and a batch of egg bites. Or maybe you want to have some egg sandwiches prepped too. Start by choosing 2-4 recipes and grab your groceries.
Work smarter
The secret to making the most use of your time is to batch prep and work strategically. For instance: if I am making two recipes that both call for chopped onion, I will chop all of the onion at one time and then divide it. Same if a recipe calls for shredded cheese.
Longest first
Always start with items that need the longest baking time first. So for example if I am making egg bites and muffins, I would first cook any meat that I need for the egg bites (sausage, bacon, etc.) While the meat is cooking, I will mix up the muffins and then get them in the oven. Lastly, I’ll prep the egg bites and bake them.
Double up
If you have the time, make a double batch of muffins. Freeze extra burritos. Whenever you can, make a double batch of something and freeze the second batch for a week you don’t have time to meal prep.
Sample Timeline
The following example is exactly what I would do if I was going to make the bacon and red pepper egg bites and blueberry muffins.
- Preheat the oven and cook the bacon. I love to do mine in the oven, layered on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, cooked for 15-20 minutes. So easy, cooks evenly, and a breeze to clean up.
- While the bacon is cooking, mix up the muffins.
- Once the bacon is done, pop the muffins in the oven (should take about 20-25 minutes).
- Let the bacon cool slightly and chop up the red pepper for the egg bites.
- Finish mixing ingredients for egg bites and pour into greased muffin tin or silicone muffin cups.
- Once the muffins are baked, the egg bites should be ready for the oven.
- Once those are baked, wha-la! You have breakfast for a few days in less than an hour.
easy make ahead breakfast ideas
I usually rotate through a handful of simple, nourishing recipes. Here’s a few easy breakfast meal prep ideas for the week.
This is one of our staples. It’s hearty, easy to reheat, full of protein, and can be changed up with whatever fruit we have on hand. I bake a large dish and cut it into squares, and store it in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Egg bites and egg casseroles
Egg bites and egg casseroles are so easy for adding protein. I whip up eggs, some veggies (spinach, red pepper, onion), sausage and pour into these silicone muffin cup liners. Top with cheese and bake. They freezer super well too!
Homemade yogurt and granola
This is my go-to quick breakfast. I always have yogurt and granola on hand and it’s perfect for busy mornings or even packing on the go. I just portion out into individual jars and add fruit for a delicious, nourishing breakfast.
Muffins
Blueberry, applesauce, zucchini, we love muffins around here and they are a perfect accompaniment to any breakfast or even snack. I love to make extra and freeze for quick breakfasts later.
Oatmeal bakes
My family doesn’t love oatmeal so I don’t do this often, but this is another quick and easy make ahead breakfast idea.
Waffles and pancakes
It’s a little less traditional, but I always freeze extra pancakes and waffles when I make a batch and they make the best quick breakfasts.
Other easy make ahead ideas:
- Breakfast burritos
- Egg sandwiches
- Sausage biscuit balls
- French toast casserole
Check out this blog post for more easy make ahead and freezer friendly breakfast recipes.
How i store everything
Keeping things simple is key, so don’t let storage overwhelm you.
- For baked items like oatmeal and egg casseroles, I like to store them in the refrigerator in glass baking dishes. Individually portioned out is nice, if you’re packing meals to go, otherwise I just store it all in one large class container.
- For yogurt or smoothies, I will store it in portion size jars in the fridge. This makes it super simple to pull out and go.
- Muffins and quick breads are stable at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container or zip loc bag.
For the freezer
I store almost all of my freezer items in freezer safe ziploc bags. Muffins, egg bites, egg casseroles – I have frozen just about everything and it works so well. To reheat, simply allow items to thaw in the fridge overnight of place them frozen in a cold oven and begin preheat. By the time the oven reaches temp, your items should be just about the right temperature.
How to make the Make ahead breakfast system work in your home
If you’re just getting started, keep it simple.
- Start with 1-2 items your family loves to eat and make those recipes. Start small and gradually add to what you prep each week.
- Repeat the same plan each week. Repeatable meals means less thinking and more consistency.
- Use what you already have on hand, recipes your family already likes to eat.
Most importantly, let it be imperfect. Some weeks will go smoother than others and that’s ok. Just pick back up the next week and start over, making improvements and adjustments where necessary.
Making this one-hour breakfast rhythm your own
This rhythm is meant to serve your home, not stress you out. That means you an easily adjust it to make it work for you and your home.
- Use gluten free or dairy free options
- Choose budget friendly ingredients
- Simplify it even further during busy seasons
- Let your kids help you choose what to prep
The goal of this isn’t perfection, but rather, a gentle, sustainable rhythm that will help you create more peace and calm in your mornings.
Download the make ahead breakfast system guide
If this resonates with you, download the free Make Ahead Breakfast System ebook. A simple, straight forward approach to making breakfast for calmer mornings, better nourishment, and less daily stress. Download it here.
Conclusion
If your mornings feel rushed or chaotic, try setting aside one hour this weekend to prep a few breakfast items for the week ahead. You just might find, like I did, that a little preparation creates more margin and a lot more peace.
If you’re looking for more simple ways to create more peace, joy, and margin in your days, check out this blog post.
