Using your little pantry for big things.

Now that you have stocked your small kitchen pantry with the essentials, put them to use by making easy breakfasts using simple ingredients.

Here’s a refresher:

Dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, spices, chocolate chips, lentils, beans, rice, oil.

Fridge- Eggs, milk, butter or margarine

In this guide, I’ll go through a few breakfast ideas that you can make in larger quantities and freeze to make mornings easier, healthier, and of course on budget. At the end of the post you’ll find this month’s “Incredible Ingredient”.

1. Pancakes- the easiest breakfast with the simplest ingredients.” Easy Pancakes

We’ll start with the simplest of all our pantry recipes: Pancakes. Its hard to go wrong with pancakes and you can customize them with items in your fridge or pantry.

Basic Pancakes

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tablespoons of oil ( vegetable oil not olive oil)

1 Egg

3/4 cup of milk ( add more if necessary the mixture should be thick but still a little runny. Mix dry ingredients then add wet ingredients, mix)

After this the sky is the limit you can add:

Blueberries

Chocolate chips

Chopped up apple and a 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Etc

TIP: MAKE SURE WHAT YOU ADD IS SMALL OR CHOPPED UP OTHERWISE THE PANCAKES WILL COOK UNEVENLY.

If you want to make some for the freezer double the recipe. When they are done ley them cool then freeze . To reheat: microwave for 30-45 seconds or put a pan on low and heat them up. Keep for up to a month.

2. Waffles

These waffles are perfect when topped with fresh berries!

Waffles are another easy breakfast option to make with the simple ingredients in your pantry. I use a mini waffle maker( this makes it very time consuming but the end product easier to eat on the run), so I can have a healthier version of a toaster waffle: but in the long run I can have a quick breakfast or snack option. [You can also try the 4 square waffle maker: same result, different shape] take one or two out of the freezer and just pop them in the toaster. You can top them with fruit and yogurt or just use syrup, if you are looking for something more like dessert you can add chocolate hazelnut spread with some chopped strawberries and whipped cream. If you are using a mini waffle iron this recipe will make a large batch if not then your batch will be smaller in which case you may want to double the recipe for extras.

Waffles

2Cups Flour

3Tbsp sugar

1Tsp salt

4 Tsp Baking Powder

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups milk

1/2 Cup butter or margarine

1 tsp Vanilla

3. Breakfast Sandwiches.

You can make breakfast sandwiches ahead of time but there is one stipulation. Do not put mayo on your freezer sandwiches; the reheat will cause some moisture and then you’ll have watery mayo on your sandwich. Butter is fine but I prefer to put nothing on them and then put a spread on them after I reheat.

Breakfast Sandwiches

Eggs ( 4-6 eggs beaten)

Breakfast meat of choice

Cheese

English muffins.

Whisk your eggs together and you can either bake them in the oven in a 9×13 pan at 350 for 15 minutes or until set in the middle, or you can fry them in a pan and cut them to the size you like. It’s really a matter of preference. Cook your breakfast meat and let cool. Once ingredients cool assemble them. First wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil to help maintain freshness. Eat within a month. To reheat heat oven to 350 and bake for 5-10 minutes.

INCREDIBLE INGREDIENT

The INCREDIBLE INGREDIENT is an ingredient that is versatile in the kitchen and can be used to create 2 or more meals. Whipping cream has a wide variety of uses and is a great addition to any kitchen. Whipping cream has a variety to uses making it worth picking up. It can be a little pricy so I recommend buying a smaller size when you know it’s going to feature in your meal plan or when there is a special meal.

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Whipped cream

1 Cup of whipping cream

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tsp of Vanilla

Combine ingredients and use electric handheld mixer to mix until it thickens to desired consistency. Be Patient! It will happen but it takes a little bit in the beginning. Once done, you have whipped cream for breakfast or dessert.

Alfredo Sauce

You can use whipping cream to make alfredo sauce. Chopped garlic, onion (optional) and add whipping cream ( for a small portion I would use 1-1 1/2 cups.) and let it reduce over medium-high heat pour over pasta or you can toss the pasta in the cream sauce. The cream will naturally thicken and reduce down—keep this in mind when deciding how much cream to use as the amount you start with will not be the amount of alfredo sauce you will end up with.

Pasta with an alfredo sauce is the ultimate comfort dish.

Sour Cream

I am going to be cautious with one. I love sour cream so trust me when I say this is a matter of preference. I don’t find this one tastes exactly like sour cream that you buy in the store, maybe I need to experiment some more. I can tell you I have absolutely bought cream during scarce times because it can do so much and homemade sour cream is a fantastic substitute. Use 1 cup of whipping cream and 1-2 tbsp of Lemon if you don’t have real lemon you can use vinegar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, to let it set. Using an electric mixer or whisk, mix it until it reaches desired thickness.

Soup

A lot of soups use cream as a base. There are typically two types of cream soups, one is a puree soup and the other uses a roux ( a combination of flour and butter or oil).

In the puree soup add the ingredients, simmer and then using an immersion blender, food processor or a regular blender blend the ingredients until smooth. Then add them back to the pot and add cream to finish, here the soup thickens with the puree and cream.

With a roux , typically start by adding your oil or butter and then add flour. Once you combined the two you would add your broth, and other ingredients and let them cook. At the end add cream to the soup and let it simmer till it reaches desired consistency. The thickening agent is the roux and cream.

The cream creates a smooth consistency and added flavor. The biggest drawback is that is doesn’t freeze well once the cream is added. If it was something you wanted to freeze and have later make the soup omitting the dairy and add it when you reheat.

Whipping Cream is magic! There are a ton of other ways to use it as well many of which are found in baking ( making a ganache, or thickening a cream cheese icing.) It’s a dairy product and as such does expire so I would suggest you buy it strategically; when you know you are going to use it all.

There you have it, some easy breakfast recipes made with simple ingredients. Keep an eye out in future recipes for including Whipping Cream, it will show up in later blogs.