Sparkle Kitchen: Breakfast Burrito Bar
In the Martin & Sylvia story this week, “Moving”, Martin finds out that his good friend Peter is going to move away to a new house in a new town far away. The night before Peter leaves, the whole family has a sleep-over at Martin and Sylvia’s house. Though they have lots of fun sledding and playing games, Martin still finds it difficult to say goodbye.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a sleep-over, but from what I remember—even if I was going to see my friend again the very next day at school—the morning after was often a little emotional. The combination of late night fun and perhaps a few too many sugar-y snacks could be rough.
Of course, seeing it from a mom’s perspective, I now understand that it was probably rough on my mother, too. A gaggle of giggling girls had kept her awake all night, and then she had to prop her eyes open enough to make us breakfast in the morning. I need coffee just thinking about it!
The next time you’re faced with a sleep-over’s worth of hungry, tired kiddos, why not try a breakfast burrito bar?
With lots of protein options to choose from, breakfast burritos are a terrific antidote to any not-so-healthy late night snacking that may have occurred in the dark of night. They’re also great for picky eaters—by making them “build-your-own” everyone can leave out the parts they don’t like. And, with very little actual cooking involved, the responsible grown-ups can easily prep these the night before and while the coffee is still brewing.
Breakfast Burrito Bar
Ingredients
(Pick several, but no need to have them all—these are just ideas.)
- Tortillas
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sausage
- Black beans
- Bacon
- Roasted potato or squash chunks
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Cheese
- Yogurt or sour cream
- Salsa or chopped tomatoes
- Avocado
- Olives
Directions
Prep as much as you can the night before. Dice the onions and peppers. Roast the potato or squash. You could even pre-cook the meat and pre-grate the cheese if you want. Just pop it all in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, set out any ready to serve ingredients (e.g. yogurt, salsa)—there you’re already halfway done!
Next cook or re-heat any meat you’re using, and grate the cheese if you haven’t done so already. Cut up the avocado, too, if you’re using one, and heat your black beans. (Pro tip: If you rinse the black beans in hot water for a minute, they’ll be rinsed and warmed in one step.) Warm the tortillas as well, and wrap them in a clean dishtowel to keep them that way.
Last, you’ll need to attend to your eggs. With all the other toppings, you’ll only need about 1 egg per person. I scramble mine by whisking them together with one tablespoon of milk per egg. Cook them for 3-4 minutes on a hot griddle, swishing them with a spatula as they cook.
Set everything out with bowls, plates, and serving spoons, and let your sleepy kids dig in!
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
