Good Morning!

Big Weekend Breakfasts Your Kids Will Love

Utterly delight your kids with minimal effort.

by Yolanda Wikiel
Rise & Shine

During the week, mornings are a rushed symphony of chaos, usually involving grabbing some sort of bar and jetting out the door. But once the weekend rolls around, you can finally take a breath and have time to make the sort of leisurely breakfasts where, you know, everyone sits down at the table at the same time.

Still, that certainly doesn’t make the task exactly simple. As we all know, kids are a notoriously picky bunch. That’s why we pulled together recipes full of the flavors that most kids love, but executed them with a little extra novelty to keep things interesting.

All these recipes are easy enough to double based on how much you need to feed your family. Best of all, these delicious breakfast ideas are easy enough to pull off even if you haven’t had a cup of coffee yet, and your kids can help you make them, too. That’s more than a little victory in our book.

Upside-Down Sausage Dogs

Here’s a kid-friendly, breakfast-y twist on the viral upside-down dessert tarts that have been all over TikTok. And since the cooking pretty much just consists of assembling before adding to the oven, this recipe is great for enlisting the help of any budding chefs.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 package of pre-made frozen puff pastry dough (thawed, according to package instructions)
  • Sliced or shredded cheese (whatever your kid’s into — American, cheddar, Colby Jack — or even a combo)
  • Fully cooked frozen breakfast sausage links
  • 1 egg

Make it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Unroll thawed puff pastry and cut into six even rectangles.
  3. On the baking sheet, place a layer of cheese a bit smaller than the size of the puff pastry rectangle. Add a sausage link or two on top of the cheese. Layer with more cheese, then top with a puff pastry rectangle. Use a fork to crimp down the edges against the parchment. Repeat with the other rectangles.
  4. Beat 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of water in a bowl. Brush the tops of the puff pastry with the egg wash.
  5. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly and flip them over with a spatula. Makes 6 sausage dogs.

Pancake Pizza Bar

More interactive fun: This breakfast is all about letting kids embrace their creativity and come up with wild (and, let’s hope, edible) combos. And since kid creativity = mess, lay parchment paper or a wipeable tablecloth on the table for easier clean-up.

What you’ll need:

  • Pancake mix (or your favorite pancake recipe)
  • A variety of spreads and toppings (see ideas below)

Make it:

  1. Prepare pancakes as usual. You can make one large pancake and then slice it into four or six triangles that can each be topped differently, or make several silver dollar pancakes to serve as individual pizzas.
  2. Set out a variety of spreads and toppings in little bowls (suggestions below). Then give your kid a pizza pancake and let them have at it.

First, layer on a spread:

  • Honey
  • Jam
  • Nut butter
  • Nutella
  • Whipped cream cheese
  • Yogurt (flavored or plain)

Then, add toppings:

  • Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
  • Fruit slices (banana, kiwi, peaches, tangerine segments)
  • Chocolate chips
  • Granola
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Nuts
  • Shredded coconut
  • Sprinkles

Bagel Boats

A scooped-out bagel is the perfect vehicle for bacon, egg, and cheese. Feel free to get creative with mix-ins. Instead of bacon, try pieces of ham, tomatoes, broccoli, green onion, or bell peppers. Or for a Mexican spin, add a spoonful of salsa to the egg mixture. A triangle of cheese on a toothpick makes a tasty sail for their boat.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 large bagel
  • Shredded cheese (whatever kind your kid likes)
  • Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • Block of cheese and toothpicks (optional, to make sails for the boats)

Make it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  2. Split a bagel in half and hollow out some of the interior of each bagel half, being careful not to make a hole in the exterior of the bagel.
  3. Place scooped out bagel halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add shredded cheese and crumbled bacon — or whichever mix-ins you prefer — to the inside of the bagel halves. Make sure to leave room for the egg mixture.
  4. In a large measuring cup with a spout, beat eggs with milk, salt, and pepper.
  5. Carefully pour an equal amount of the egg mixture into each bagel half. Top each half with a little more shredded cheese.
  6. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked.
  7. To make sails for the boats (optional): Cut a slice of cheese from a block (thick enough to fit a toothpick), then cut in half diagonally into two triangles. Poke a toothpick into the bottom of each triangle (near the corner), then stick into each bagel half. Makes 2 boats.

Strawberries & Cream French Toast

It’s like grilled cheese meets French toast, loaded with strawberry goodness. Because it’s handheld, it’s much easier for kids to eat than the standard French toast. Unless, of course, they drizzle it with maple syrup, then all bets are off.

What you’ll need:

  • 6 slices bread (white, Challah, brioche)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced strawberries, plus more for topping
  • 4 oz. whipped cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbsp strawberry jam
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • Butter, for the skillet
  • Powdered sugar, honey, or maple syrup (optional)

Make it:

  1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and jam.
  2. Spread cream cheese mixture on all six slices of bread. Layer three of the bread slices with strawberries, then top with the other slices of bread to create three sandwiches.
  3. In a shallow bowl or dish, beat together eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, milk, and salt.
  4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  5. Melt a pat of butter on the skillet. Then, dip a sandwich in the egg mixture, dredging it on each side.
  6. Immediately transfer the dredged sandwich to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Then carefully flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the remaining two sandwiches.
  8. Serve warm, sliced in half and topped with powdered sugar, honey, maple syrup or extra sliced strawberries, if desired. Makes 3 French toast sandwiches.