32 Breakfast for Dinner Ideas That Will Yank You Straight Out of Your Cooking Rut (original) (raw)

From frittatas to sandwiches

breakfast for dinner ideas: slow cooker mediterranean frittata

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

On most mornings, we’re lucky if we manage to grab a granola bar on our way out the door. That leaves a measly two days a week to actually enjoy our very favorite meal, breakfast. That's why our editors are big on brinner, aka breakfast for dinner. Many breakfast dishes are quick to prepare and healthy-ish (since they’re meant to fuel you for the day ahead), but TBH, we’re up for any plan that involves eating more bacon. Presenting 32 breakfast for dinner ideas that will kick your supper rut to the curb, from a slow cooker Mediterranean frittata to an asparagus and fontina quiche.

breakfast for dinner ideas: slow cooker mediterranean frittata

1. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Frittata

Is there anything your Crockpot can't do?! This breakfast for dinner idea is already packed with plenty of veggies, but a crisp salad on the side wouldn’t hurt either.

breakfast for dinner ideas: easy breakfast tacos

2. Easy Breakfast Tacos

These come together in just 30 minutes. Plus, they're endlessly versatile, meaning all the picky eaters in your family can throw on their own favorite toppings. Basically, they’re a weeknight dinner godsend.

breakfast for dinner ideas: sunday morning french toast

3. Sunday Morning French Toast

Straight carbs and sugar are not our usual dinner M.O., but some days (looking at you, Monday) simply demand it. Add a side of fruit and yogurt to reclaim a little virtue, if you must.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast hash

4. Chicken Ranch Breakfast Hash

This is already kind of a breakfast-dinner hybrid. With all that delicious bacon, chicken, spinach and creamy ranch dressing, we’d happily eat it any time of day. Bonus: It’s both Whole30- and Paleo-friendly.

breakfast for dinner ideas: leek, kale and goat cheese strata

5. Leek, Kale and Goat Cheese Strata

Strata is basically just a fancy word for breakfast casserole. What makes this a great option for dinner is that it can be assembled before work, then popped in the oven once you get home. If you're not into goat cheese, you could swap it out for a mozzarella-Parm blend, or try feta.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast enchiladas

6. Breakfast Enchiladas

Soft-scrambled eggs are key to making the breakfast enchiladas of your dreams (otherwise, the extra baking can make 'em taste rubbery). These guys are also stuffed with ground turkey and roasted potatoes before being topped with tangy poblano sauce, and we’re here for all of it.

breakfast for dinner ideas: joanna gaines's asparagus and fontina quiche

7. Joanna Gaines’s Asparagus and Fontina Quiche

This breakfast for dinner idea is as versatile as it gets. It’s fabulous with fruit salad for brunch or with green salad for dinner. It’s also elegant enough for company but easy enough to throw together on a weeknight (praise the store-bought pie crust).

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast sliders

8. Breakfast Sliders

We’re of the opinion that everything is better in miniature form—including sandwiches. These adorable little bites are piled high with eggs, sausage and cheddar cheese and guaranteed to make dinnertime a bit more fun (or kid-friendly, at least).

breakfast for dinner ideas: spinach artichoke egg casserole

9. Spinach and Artichoke Egg Casserole

We’ve ruined more dinners than we care to admit by overindulging in the spinach and artichoke dip at cocktail hour. Thank goodness for Maria Lichty, who turned all that creamy, cheesy magic into the main event.

breakfast for dinner ideas: apple blinchiki

10. Apple Blinchiki (Russian Pancakes)

Pancakes are delicious in their own right, but with the smart addition of grated apple in the batter, they become a hearty meal that’s too good to serve for breakfast alone. Top them with sour cream and sour cherry spread.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast sandwich with chorizo

11. Waffle Breakfast Sandwich with Chorizo

The McGriddle's got nothing on this breakfast sandwich. It uses uses savory cheese waffles, spicy chorizo and a runny egg. Prepare the waffles in advance for quicker assembly at dinnertime.

breakfast for dinner ideas: red shakshuka

12. Red Shakshuka

Talk about an impressive centerpiece. This Tunisian dish is loaded with produce—like garlic, red bell pepper and crushed tomatoes—as well as fresh herbs. The star, though, is the runny eggs, begging to be dipped into with a hunk of crusty bread.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast pizza

13. Breakfast Pizza

We’d be pretty psyched if every night was pizza night. But topping the dough with bacon, eggs and cherry tomatoes is a great way to mix things up just a little bit. Bye-bye, red sauce.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast burritos

14. Breakfast Burritos

Fun fact: Breakfast burritos are amazing for meal prep. Cook all the ingredients, assemble the handhelds and wrap them in foil, then reheat them whenever you’re ready to eat. It’s a major lifesaver for early mornings, but we recommend it for busy weeknights, too.

breakfast for dinner ideas: skillet eggs with chorizo

15. Skillet Eggs and Chorizo

This breakfast for dinner idea checks all of our boxes, no matter the time of day. It comes together in 30 minutes, uses only one skillet and is chock-full of all our favorite things (runny eggs, chorizo, spicy tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta cheese). Sign us up.

breakfast for dinner ideas: pancake tacos with cheese and bacon

16. Pancake Tacos with Cheese and Bacon

To anyone who can never choose between sweet and savory for breakfast, this one's for you. Feel free to prepare the pancakes ahead of time (or better yet, use a store-bought mix or the frozen, premade kind) to get dinner on the table even faster.

breakfast for dinner ideas: savory slow cooker oatmeal with crispy bacon

17. Savory Slow Cooker Oatmeal with Crispy Bacon

Forget the brown sugar, chocolate chips and fresh fruit—have you tried savory oatmeal? This breakfast for dinner idea is closer to risotto than the sweet stuff you're used to, thanks to garlic, herbs and all the Parmesan. We'll take extra bacon and avocado on top, please.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast caprese

18. Breakfast Caprese with Soft-Boiled Eggs

It doesn't get simpler than this 15-minute, five-ingredient breakfast for dinner idea. If you need help peeling the soft-boiled eggs, add a tablespoon of baking soda to the pot while they cook to make the task easier on yourself.

breakfast for dinner ideas: huevos rancheros

19. Huevos Rancheros

Refried beans may feel like an ingredient reserved for taco night, but they're actually a stellar way to start (or end) the day. Their high protein and fiber content, plus the protein of the egg, are sure to keep you full for hours.

breakfast for dinner ideas: slow cooker breakfast casserole

20. Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Dump the frozen hash browns and cheese into the Crockpot to make a base for the casserole. Then, just add the rest of the ingredients, set it and forget it until dinner time. Voilà.

breakfast for dinner ideas: overnight waffles

21. Overnight Waffles with Whipped Meyer Lemon Cream and Strawberries

Whip up the yeast batter in the morning and let it sit until you get home at night. Then, make the four-ingredient whipped cream while the waffle iron preheats. It's so tasty, you might never look at syrup the same way again.

breakfast for dinner ideas: egg and veggie breakfast bowl

22. Egg and Veggie Breakfast Bowl

Runny eggs make *everything* better, including fresh arugula, roasted Brussels sprouts and tender sweet potatoes. You'll also fall hard for the two-ingredient harissa vinaigrette. (Be warned, you'll want to put it on everything.)

breakfast for dinner ideas: mini spanish tortilla with zucchini

23. Mini Spanish Tortilla with Zucchini

This breakfast for dinner idea is a job for your mini cast iron skillet. Think of this single-serve beauty as a giant omelet loaded with potatoes, zucchini and Manchego cheese. (Prosciutto or Spanish-style chorizo would be great additions, too.)

breakfast for dinner ideas: gluten free sweet potato crust quiche

24. Quiche with Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Crust

No flour, no problem. Ditch the store-bought pie crust for thin-sliced sweet potatoes, which are gluten free and make for a chic, delicious final product.

breakfast for dinner ideas: sheet pan pancakes with peaches and strawberries

25. Sheet Tray Pancakes with Peaches and Strawberries

Aren't they pretty? These baking sheet pancakes will look even better once you realize you won't have to do any flipping to pull them off (and you'll only have one dirty pan to clean after dinner to boot).

breakfast for dinner ideas: english muffin breakfast pizzas

26. English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas

We have a feeling your kids will be more than willing to help assemble this breakfast for dinner idea. The recipe suggests topping the pizzas with bacon and scallions, but the fridge is truly your oyster.

breakfast for dinner ideas: one-pan eggs with roasted asparagus

27. One-Pan Eggs with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Six ingredients + 30 minutes + your trusty baking sheet = the simplest, most nutritious dinner you've ever made. One serving boasts only 158 calories and a whopping 11 grams of protein. Make it heartier with a side of white rice, bread, potatoes or pasta.

breakfast for dinner ideas: green shakshuka

28. Green Shakshuka

If you love the O.G., you need this spicy rendition on your table ASAP. This breakfast for dinner idea swaps the traditional tomato-based sauce for a verdant mix of spinach, jalapeño and plenty of herbs.

breakfast for dinner ideas: make-ahead tofu scramble with sweet potatoes

29. Southwestern Tofu Scramble and Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

Eggs are a no-brainer...unless you're vegan. Substitute this simple tofu scramble that's cooked with red onion, bell peppers, asparagus and lots of seasoning for a plant-based protein boost.

breakfast for dinner ideas: sheet pan eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese

30. Sheet Pan Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Dill

Just assemble, bake and devour—any questions? Serve the eggs with a slice with toast and dressed greens, or go full breakfast mode instead by sandwiching a slab on an everything bagel with an extra dose of cream cheese.

breakfast for dinner ideas: breakfast nachos

31. Breakfast Nachos

Frozen waffles never looked so next-level. (Bacon and avocado have that effect.) Did we mention this Insta-worthy main comes together in just 25 minutes?

breakfast for dinner ideas: giant cinnamon roll

32. Giant Cinnamon Roll

Oh, so it was that kind of day? We have just the fix. Keep this soul-soothing recipe (and a few tubes of Crescent Roll dough) in your back pocket to whip out on evenings when you just can't even.

purewow author

taryn pire

Food Editor