Outside the Lunch Box: Breakfast Burritos

Packing lunches takes a bit of preparation and when crowd-sourcing some ideas a while back, I was awe-inspired by breakfast foods! Duh! Yes, please! I whipped up a few breakfast burritos to see how I’d like them come lunch time. Spoiler:: they’re just what noontime wants. I should keep a few in the freezer for bfasts too. I often make burritos to freeze with leftover taco elements but I’ve been sleeping on the breakfast burrito game! These are perfect to customize. I used my fav Gardein meatless sausages {not sponsored} but the filling opportunities are endless – see the end for ideas!
The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Burritos for Lunch

Breakfast Burritos w/ Sausage, Egg & Cheese

Ingredients: (for 2)

3 sausage patties (I used meatless)
4 eggs
2 burrito sized tortillas (flour are most durable for folding/freezing/microwaving but use what you like)
~1 cup shredded white cheddar
1 tablespoon everything Bagel seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Pan fry the sausage until cooked through, or as the package indicates.
While sausage is cooking, whisk together the eggs and cook gently in a pan over medium-low heat until set, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Note: I normally cook eggs with a splash of milk and really soft scramble them. For burritos, I didn’t want the eggs to be at all watery so I skipped the milk and cooked until a bit firmer than I normally do.) Let the eggs cool for a few minutes off the heat.
Lay out the tortillas and shred the cheese on top.
Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and let cool a bit.
Add the eggs and sausage on top of the cheese. Then sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning, if using.
The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Burritos for Lunch
Fold the sides of the burritos inward about 1-2 inches, then roll from the bottom towards the top tucking the sides in as you roll. (Here’s a video of the same way I do it)
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until serving. Microwave about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on that work microwave power! Then pop into a toaster oven if possible!
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Burritos for Lunch

Variations:
bacon, eggs, cheese
eggs, cheese, spinach & mushrooms
eggs, cheese, salsa, beans
eggs, cheese, homefries

These freeze well so make a bunch and spread them out to add more variety to your week! They are prob the easiest “batch” cooking ever and they don’t take up much freezer space. I love breakfast food and I never cook eggs on weekdays so these are a great idea for me! I appreciated a warm option come lunchtime. I’d lighten them up a bit for breakfast- 1 egg and 1 sausage patty is prob enough for the morning.

These are insanely cheap to make and have wayyyy fewer ingredients than the frozen ones sold. Wheat tortillas don’t seem to hold up as well but that’s a great substitution if you have some you like. Try include plant-based proteins. They’ve come a long way since 2008 when they were more available. I swear by Gardein {pulls out her soapbox}. Our whole fam love the meatless crumbles in tacos, the Szechuan beefless strips, the meatless meatballs, the turkey cutlets, and we have others to try. A fam of 4 skipping red meat one meal is as good for the planet as taking a car off the road for 3 months. That’s insane! Don’t get me started on how little recycling actually gets recycled so this is a really tangible way to have an impact on the environment, and these are truly flavorful replacements for meals you’re already familiar with.

I’d love love love to hear what you think!

Waffle-ized Hash Browns with Everything Bagel Egg

Everything can be waffle-ized! I’ll admit, these could be pan fried like a potato pancake, but 1) I hate the splatter and patience of frying things and b) these get so delightfully crispy on the waffle iron. Waffle nooks & crannies to be filled with egg yolk? Sign. Me. Up.

I didn’t win the big burger competition but I’ll put together a post about that soon! For now, here’s an anytime meal I whipped up before we left for the competition.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
I made these for a weekend dinner- mostly for time sake, but they’re screaming: BRUNCHHH! I also made enough for another time and dropped some in the freezer for a rainy day. I used leftover cheese sauce I had in the freezer from homemade mac & cheese but have leftover queso (does anyone have leftovers?) use that! Have a can of Cambell’s canned cheddar cheese sauce (use half a can with a 1/4 cup of milk)? Use that!

Waffle-ized Hash Browns Topped with a Fried Egg & Everything Bagel Seasoning

Ingredients: (for ~4 full waffles, ~8 servings)

6 cups of frozen shredded hash browns (~2/3 of a 30oz bag)
2 cups shredded cheddar
2 eggs
1 cup cheese sauce
salt & pepper
3 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
eggs (1-2 per serving)
bacon

Directions:

Mix together the hash browns, shredded cheese, cheese sauce, eggs, salt & pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Preheat the waffle iron (or a skillet with oil) and preheat the oven to keep the “waffles” warm.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Heavily spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray- more than for a waffle.
Scoop about 3/4 of a cup onto the waffle iron and spread the hash browns out (spread more than for a waffle).
Cook on the waffle iron for ~5-7 minutes as the waffle iron instructs (mine gets filled, then tilted in the opposite direction to cook for 4 minutes, but these need longer than the waffle).
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Keep the waffles warm and re-spray and reload the iron, repeating to use all the mixture.
In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up or over easy, as you like.
Top half a waffle with an egg, per serving, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and everything bagel seasoning.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Enjoy!

Not into eggs? Slice an avocado! Cut them into quarters, melt a slice of cheese onto the egg and add the top waffle piece for a sandwich!
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg

Brioche Breakfast Sandwich with Roasted Tomatoes

I liiiive for breakfast sandwiches because I love the perfect bite that has some of everything. This one is not-your-average breakfast sandwich. It was almost an open-faced but the brioche loaf cost twice as much as the rolls so ta-da! The loaded toast became a sandwich! The roasted tomatoes are amazing and a perfect juicy pop to give this a little something special for breakfast.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Brioche Sandwich

Roasted Tomato and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich on Brioche

Ingredients: (for 2)

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
1 small white onion
4 slices of bacon
2 brioche rolls (or 2 slices brioche bread or challah)
2 eggs

Directions:

Roast the tomatoes and onions in a drizzle of olive oil for about 15 minutes at 400-degrees until they pop and get some color. Give them a little shake every few minutes for even cooking.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Brioche Sandwich
Chop the bacon and pan fry until crisp and then remove and let drain on a paper towel.
Slice the rolls and gently toast a little in the oven- just 5 minutes to keep them from getting soggy.
Pan fry the eggs sunny side up or over-easy, as you like.
Assemble the sandwiches with the rolls, tomatoes on each bottom roll, the eggs and top with bacon.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Brioche Sandwich
Enjoy!

The brioche rolls are soft, puffy, and bordering on sweet- the French version of challah. The roasted tomato might be my new favorite breakfast element! I normally would head to a bacon, egg, and cheese, but this I loved as a stretch for myself.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Brioche Sandwich

Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast

This one had to cut the line because Trader Joe’s goodies aren’t always there forever! I used croissant bread for this nutella croissant baked french toast but a few large croissants chopped up would work the same too! The real trick is in the nutella…
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
I froze little blobbies of nutella (technical term) to easily insert that flavor without becoming a sticky mess! It was delicious and only took 10 minutes to be frozen!

Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons nutella
1/2 loaf croissant bread (or 3-4 croissants)
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup (more for serving)

Directions:

Spoon ~1/2 teaspoon blobs of nutella onto a sheet of wax paper and freeze for about 10 minutes – 1 day.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Chop the bread (or croissants)
Whisk together the eggs, cream, extract, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Pour the croissant pieces into the liquid mix and stir to coat well- being careful to saturate it well but not break the bread up.
Spoon about half of the mix into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Pop about half of the nutella chunks in, then repeat: add the remaining croissant mix and last nutella chunks.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Cover and refrigerate overnight (or bake and enjoy immediately).
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees covered, and another 10 minutes uncovered.
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

This was great! What’s not to love?? The big pockets of nutella were great and baked french toast aka, bread pudding is so much easier than whole pieces of french toast. The little guy liked it. He usually just sees nutella if he requests “fancy toast”.

Salted Caramel Cider French Toast

I’m fully embracing all the fall flavors despite already having a bit of snow! I added apple cider to a salted caramel sauce and it was a hit! The apples were lightly cooked for extra flavor while maintaining a good crunch. This will be a great breakfast if you have family around for Thanksgiving- make the sauce in advance and cook the french toast “to order” as folks make their way out of bed!
The Three Bite Rule - Salted Caramel Cider French Toast
We make tons of waffles at our house, the occasional pancakes, but rarely french toast. Challah bread turned that ratio around! It is quite sweet but the salted caramel sauce has great flavor. I was wishing I had thought about a side of bacon.

Salted Caramel Cider French Toast (for 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
1-2 apples
1/2 loaf Challah bread (or 4 thick slices of bread)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Slice the bread and chop the apple.
The Three Bite Rule - Salted Caramel Cider French Toast
Add cider and 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce to a small pan over medium heat. Bring it to a low boil for ~15 minutes to reduce slightly. Then reduce the heat to low and add in the remaining caramel sauce and chopped apple. Cook for about 5 minutes more.
The Three Bite Rule - Salted Caramel Cider French Toast
Heat a pan or griddle to middle heat.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and nutmeg.
Dredge each slice of bread into the egg mixture on each side. Pan fry them ~3 minutes on each side. Reserve in the oven to keep warm if cooking in batches.
The Three Bite Rule - Salted Caramel Cider French Toast
Serve with sauce. Enjoy!

We all liked this one. I tested it out as bfast for myself and then immediately made more sauce so we could all have it over the weekend! The sauce was great made ahead of time! It would be a great topping on baked french toast as a whole pan if taking it somewhere!
The Three Bite Rule - Salted Caramel Cider French Toast
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have lots to eat as you think about what makes you thankful.