What’s in the Pantry?
Most of us have things in the pantry, fridge or freezer that can keep awhile, so think through your staples. You probably have baking ingredients (flours, sugars, chocolate chips, fats, starches). You likely have grains, seeds or oats — maybe dried fruit, canned goods, peanut butter or cereals. No doubt there’s a wide assortment of seasonings, herbs, spices and oils in your cabinets, too! Do you have a few potatoes and onions left over from dinner? These long-shelf-life items can be paired with the meats, dairies, fruits and veggies in your weekly grocery rotation for tasty and filling breakfast every day of the week! We’ll show you how.
Day 1: The Mighty Oat
Oats are delicious and filling. Plan one day of the week where you put together an easy-to-make superfood breakfast enhanced with flavorful walnuts.
To get those recipe gears turning, try out Blueberry-Walnut Overnight Oats. Bursting with blueberries, this colorful oatmeal includes banana and walnuts embellished with a floral, fruity honey warmed with vanilla. Hearty chia seeds will plump up overnight to add a playful texture that’s soft like tapioca pearls.
Maple Walnut Energy Balls are a fun, no-bake oat treat to make with kids, too. These sweet and salty little walnut and oat poppers are flavored with nature’s candy, dates, and lifted a bit more with maple syrup and aromatic vanilla.
Day 2: Egg-ceptional Eggs
Everyone has eggs on hand, but sometimes preparing meals ahead of time can seem difficult with this egg-ceptional ingredient. That’s not the case with these Walnut & Oat Crusted Veggie Egg Cups, which are perfect to keep in the fridge and grab on your way out the door. The walnuts add an extra layer of sustenance to keep you fueled for a long day ahead, and they’re so simple to prepare with just a few easy steps.
You may also want to try this traditional North African dish made new with walnuts. Muhammara Walnut Shakshuka is warm, intense with flavor and color, and simply beautiful. The ease of using pantry-stable jarred or canned produce cannot be overlooked either! The eggs are cooked in a sweet and spicy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce, and the crushed walnuts give it the perfect bite.
Day 3: Fabulous Fruit
Bursting with color and flavor, fruit is wonderful frozen, raw or cooked. Make one day of the week fruit day, and complement the meal with wholesome California walnuts. You might think this Walnut, Berry & Beetroot Smoothie Bowl is more art than a meal, but the taste will blow you away, and it only takes five minutes to make! The intense color blend of beetroot and mixed berries is also a sweet sensation. Keeping frozen fruit on hand is a great way to ensure you always have refreshing smoothie options for breakfast.
Day 4: Bountiful Bread
Soft and scrumptious, fresh-baked bread is the perfect breakfast staple to put a smile on your face for the day ahead. Bread and walnuts are the ultimate versatility pair — there are so many possibilities!
Whether you’re trying your hand at banana, pumpkin or zucchini bread, California walnuts add a nice texture to any loaf. Not only are the flavors delectable and the aromas of fresh-baked bread enticing, but baking is a great activity for the whole family. Prepare one (or two or three) of these loaves over the weekend, and grab a slice for a quick breakfast in the morning!
Day 5: Mouthwatering Bacon
Need a surefire way to get your family up and at ’em in the morning? All you have to do is start cooking bacon, and they’ll run down for breakfast faster than it finishes sizzling on the skillet.
This creative idea will become an instant hit: instead of your usual bacon cooked on the stove, try these California Walnut Crusted Candied Bacon Strips alongside your eggs in the morning. Baked to perfection in the oven, this recipe has only three ingredients: bacon is lightly dusted with brown sugar and crusted with chopped walnuts for added flavor and crunch. The perfect balance of sweet and savory, this is sure to become a family favorite for when you feel like treating yourself to something special.
Day 6: Perfect Potatoes
The hero of the pantry, potatoes are wonderful because they are varied, inexpensive and filling — and complementing them with walnuts takes the taste over the top! Have fun on potato day.
This Walnut-Crusted ‘Toad in a Hole’ with Sweet Potato and Kale Hash is a checkerboard of fun and flavor. You’ll use up some whole-grain bread and make use of eggs, and then lay it on a bed of Mediterranean hash with cubed soft sweet potatoes and deep green Tuscan kale. Substitute frozen vegetables for convenience and spice it up with the chili powder in your pantry, and you’re ready to go! Walnuts add crunch and dimension for a new spin on a classic breakfast.
Day 7: Sunday Favorite — Pancakes
It’s the day to make meals even more entertaining and fun. Pancakes draw your family together to stay a little longer at the table for a lazy Sunday breakfast, resplendent with a walnut crumble. The best part is that this classic breakfast dish involves so many ingredients you probably have on hand.
These Apple Walnut Pancakes are fluffy, fruity, wholesome and crispy on the edges. Freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg are the perfect complements to bits of cooked apple. Greek yogurt adds depth and a hint of sharpness, and it keeps these cakes moist and delicious. Yum!
Prepped and ready with your kitchen staples and a little creativity, you can make breakfast not just the most important meal of the day but also the most enjoyable! Try your hand at this weekly roundup, or make your own breakfast schedule from California walnuts recipes for weeks of fun flavor.
