Breakfast stuffed bell peppers and 2 more easy on-the-go recipes

Lisa Bryan shares her storage and reheating tips.

November 29, 2022, 8:03 AM

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for many people, it's equally important to be able to enjoy it on-the-go.

Lisa Bryan, cookbook author and culinary creator of Downshiftology, which features wholesome recipes, kitchen advice and cooking tutorials, shared some easy to make and easier to eat breakfast recipes with "GMA."

Check them out below.

Breakfast Stuffed Bell Peppers

PHOTO: Breakfast stuffed bell peppers.
Breakfast stuffed bell peppers.
Ren Fuller

"Stuffed bell peppers are regularly used in dinner meal prep, but they're equally great for breakfast," Bryan said. "Think of them as egg 'muffins' but with an added veggie boost. What I really love is how each stuffed pepper half is perfectly portioned with your breakfast favorites: eggs, bacon, goat cheese, and a sprinkle of green onions. Just place one on your plate with a few slices of avocado and breakfast is ready."

Serves 4

Ingredients
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 large eggs
3 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1/2 cup (56 grams) crumbled herbed goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium bell peppers, halved and seeded

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, then use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a medium bowl (preferably with a pour spout), whisk together the eggs, green onions, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir in the crispy bacon.
In a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, place the bell peppers cut side up. Fill the cavities with the egg mixture and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the egg filling is cooked through.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (if you stack them, place parchment paper in between them).
To reheat: If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350 F (180 C) for 15 minutes, or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through.
Helpful tip: If the bell peppers are a bit wobbly in the pan, you can slice a little bit off the bottom to help stabilize them. Just be careful not to slice all the way through. Stabilizing the bell pepper also prevents the egg mixture from leaking out.

Orange Pistachio Overnight Oats

PHOTO: Overnight oats with orange and pistachio.
Overnight oats with orange and pistachio.
Ren Fuller

"If you want a healthy breakfast but don't have much time in the morning, overnight oats were made for you," Bryan said. "It's as easy as stirring together a couple of ingredients in a jar, placing it in the fridge overnight, and enjoying the next morning."

Serves 1

Base overnight oats
1/2 cup (54 grams) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) milk (dairy or dairy-free)
1/4 cup (57 grams) plain Greek yogurt (dairy or dairy-free)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

For orange pistachio topping
1/4 cup (40 grams) diced orange
1 tablespoon roughly chopped pistachios
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon

Directions
To make the base: Place the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup in a pint-size mason jar or other storage container. Stir well to combine.
Let the oat mixture soak in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but it's best to soak overnight for 8 hours. This will yield a creamier consistency.
To top the base: Top with the orange, pistachios, maple syrup, and spice before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw a frozen serving, just place it in the fridge the day before.
Helpful tip: You can use quickcooking oats rather than rolled oats in this recipe, but the texture will be more mushy and porridge-like.

Cherry Almond Chia Pudding

PHOTO: A bowl of cherry almond chia pudding.
A bowl of cherry almond chia pudding.
Ren Fuller

"Chia pudding might just be the easiest healthy breakfast you can make. All you have to do is stir chia seeds and milk together along with any sweetener of your choice, and a couple of hours later you've got the most delicious pudding. I've got a single serving for you below, but you can also make a large batch (just double, triple, or quadruple the base), then freeze individual portions for several weeks or months. Topping combinations are virtually endless, but this cherry almond chia pudding is divine and tastes like cherry clafouti."

Serves 1

Ingredients
Base chia pudding
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) dairy or dairy-free milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For cherry almond topping
10 cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Sprinkle of sliced almonds

Directions
To make the pudding: In a small bowl, stir together the milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, and vanilla. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then stir again once the seeds have started to gel.
To make the topping: In a separate small bowl, stir together the cherries, maple syrup, and almond extract. Pour on top of the chia pudding, then cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Top with sliced almonds before serving. Chia pudding can also be made overnight for breakfast the next morning (my preferred method).
Store in an airtight container the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw a frozen serving, just place it in the fridge the day before.
Other toppings for chia pudding include fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, mango, and pineapple are great additions), fruit purees, nut butters, dried fruit, and spices.

"Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep” Copyright © 2022 by Lisa Bryan, LLC. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Ren Fuller. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.