12 Highly Adaptable Breakfast Recipes to Make With Ingredients You Already Have

When you think your fridge is empty, think again. When you feel like you've been staring at the same pantry for weeks, take another look: because even the wilting stowaways in your vegetable drawer, cheeses cut down to the rind, and leftover protein from last night's dinner can be transformed into a nutritious, filling breakfast that's a little more interesting than scrambled eggs and bacon. Each of these recipes calls for basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Below, you'll also find our recommended substitutions and adaptations, so just in case you don't have kale or bacon, you can make a swap with spinach or ground beef and still end up with a winning dish that minimizes food waste and maximizes creativity.

1. Leftovers Breakfast Hash

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Stuffing → stale or day-old bread of your choice
• Spinach → frozen peas or corn, roasted root vegetables, leftover steamed vegetables
• Gruyère and Parmesan → cheddar, mozzarella (the possibilities are endless!)
• Fresh chives → dried chives, oregano, parsley, basil

2. Breakfast Oats with Poached Eggs

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Walnuts → chopped almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios
• Oats → steel cut or quick oats, barley flakes, quinoa flakes, leftover grains
• White vinegar (for poaching) → apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar
• Banana → chopped apple, fresh/frozen/dried berries
• Peanut butter → almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter

3. Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Hash Browns

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Chorizo → bacon, ham, ground beef, sausage
• Hash browns → chopped roasted potatoes or root vegetables

4. Norwegian Pancakes

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Whipped yogurt topping → Greek yogurt, whipped cream
• Milk → non-dairy milk, water
• Spelt flour → all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour
• Almond extract → vanilla extract
• Cane sugar → white, brown, or powdered sugar

5. Breakfast Quesadillas

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Bacon → sausage, diced steak, shredded chicken
• Red onion → white onion, shallot, scallion
• Mexican-blend cheese → any cheese that melts well, such as mozzarella, pepper jack, and Monterey jack
• Spinach → your favorite leafy greens or sautéed peppers
• Tortilla → pita pocket, lavash, naan

6. Apple Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Bake

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Cinnamon raisin bread → white or wheat sandwich bread, rolls, baguette, or even plain burger buns (Tip: add a handful of dried fruit and a teaspoon of cinnamon if using plain bread!)
• Apples → pears, fresh or frozen and drained berries
• Milk → non-dairy milk, water
• Pecans → your favorite chopped nuts or shredded coconut

7. Fluffy Crustless Quiche

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Cream → milk, half-and-half
• Cheddar cheese → mozzarella, Parmesan, Swiss, Gruyère
• Bacon → sausage, diced steak, cooked ground beef, pork, diced chicken
• Scallions → diced onion or shallot
• Spinach → your favorite leafy greens or sautéed vegetables

8. Kale Egg in a Hole

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Kale → spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens
• Cheese → cheddar, Parmesan, Gruyère, Taleggio
• Shallot → red or white onion, scallions

9. Sweet Potato and Kale Frittata

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Onion → sliced shallots or chives
• Garlic → 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or replace salt in recipe with garlic salt)
• Kale → spinach, Swiss chard, bell peppers
• Goat cheese → feta cheese, cheddar cheese, dollops of plain Greek yogurt
• Sweet potatoes → white potatoes, root vegetables

10. Texas-Style Egg and Potato Skillet

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Turkey bacon → pork bacon, sausage, corned beef, sautéed ground beef, pork, shredded chicken
• Potatoes → sweet potatoes, hash browns, root vegetables
• Salsa → sautéed onions and peppers, chopped tomatoes
• Smoked cheddar → any cheese that melts well, such as cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack
• Tortillas → toasted bread, or simply enjoy right out of the skillet!
• Cilantro → fresh parsley or chives; dried cilantro, parsley, or chives

11. Twice Baked Steak and Egg Sweet Potatoes

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Sweet potatoes → leftover baked potatoes
• Steak → leftover meatballs, cooked bacon, prosciutto, ham
• Asparagus → leftover sautéed or steamed vegetables
• Comté or Gruyère → Parmesan, cheddar, or any cheese that melts well
• Chives or green onions → sautéed onions, dried chives, pinch of oregano

12. Swiss Onion Quiche

Base ingredients → swaps and substitutions:

• Homemade pie crust → premade store-bought pie crust or crust from a boxed mix
• Onion → shallot, chives, scallions
• Fresh thyme → dry thyme, chives, parsley, basil
• Bacon → sausage, steak, sautéed ground beef or pork, cooked chicken
• Swiss cheese → mozzarella, Parmesan, Gruyère
• Milk → non-dairy milk, water

Have questions about a particular recipe or substitution? Send us an email at [email protected] and we'll gladly help!