We know: It can be pretty hard to drag yourself out of bed on a work day to make a good breakfast. But to combat laziness and keep your days on track, try making a recipe that makes several servings early in the week, then popping each serving in the microwave before heading out to face the day. This quinoa breakfast bake is a perfect example of how to do it right. Mix the flavors up by adding whatever fruit and nuts you like best.

Recipe courtesy of Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 2eggs
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen berries
  • 1apple or pear, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan, and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together quinoa, cinnamon, and allspice to coat quinoa with spices. Pour quinoa over bottom of prepared pan.
  3. In the same bowl used for quinoa, beat eggs until fully mixed. Whisk in the maple syrup and skim milk, and beat to combine.
  4. Scatter berries, apple or pear, and nuts (if desired) evenly on top of quinoa.
  5. Pour egg and milk mixture over top of fruit and quinoa. Lightly stir to partially submerge fruit. (Milk mixture will cook quinoa to create a very soft texture on the inside while creating a lightly crunchy crust on the outside.)
  6. Bake for 1 hour, or until casserole is mostly set with only a small amount of liquid left. Serve warm, and refrigerate leftovers.