Easy, Energizing Recipes for Better Mornings

Fueling up in the AM can be the difference between a ho-hum day and a productivity bonanza. And when you choose clean, nutrient-packed meals like these, the sky’s the limit. Check out these easy recipes and watch your energy soar all morning long.

Healthy Breakfast Bowl from Vital Proteins

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients 

For the bowls:

* 4 slices bacon (Merryfield loves Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon) 

* 2 cups cubed butternut squash

* 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced

* 3 cups dark leafy greens of choice

* 2 fried eggs (Merryfield loves Pete and Gerry’s or Nellie’s Free Range)

* 1 ripe avocado, sliced

* Optional for topping: cilantro or microgreens

For the sauce:

* 2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

* 1 to 2 Tablespoons Whole30 Approved hot sauce

* 1 lime, juiced

Directions

1. Mix together Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, mashed avocado, hot sauce (adjust to taste) and the lime juice until smooth.

2. To prepare the bowls:  crisp the bacon in a large skillet.  Set it aside on paper towels to catch the grease.  Once cooled, crumble into small pieces.

3. Add the cubed butternut squash to the remaining bacon grease and cook until softened over medium heat, about 10 minutes.  Add the sliced zucchini and continue to cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about another 10 minutes. Add the greens and sauté until just wilted, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the crumbled bacon. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.  Portion into two bowls.

4. Fry the eggs in the same skillet and add to the bowls, along with the sliced avocado.   

5. Blend all sauce ingredients together.

6. Drizzle the sauce over and top with cilantro or microgreens, as desired.

Fluffy Keto Crustless Quiche from Pete and Gerry’s

Ingredients

• Butter or baking spray
• 10 large Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs
• 1 cup whole milk (Merryfield loves Stonyfield Organic)
• 1 cup heavy cream (Merryfield loves Stonyfield Organic)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup white cheddar, shredded
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and roughly chopped (Merryfield loves Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon)
• 1/4 cup fresh chives or scallions, minced
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9" x 13″ high-sided sheet pan with butter or baking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and cream, then add 2-3 pinches of salt and a few churns of pepper.
3. Pour egg mixture into prepared sheet pan, then sprinkle with cheese, chopped bacon, fresh chives or scallions, and spinach.
4. Add another pinch or two of salt and pepper over top if desired, then bake for 35-40 minutes, or until quiche is light golden and set. Serve hot from the oven or chill.

Avocado Toast from Good Culture

Ingredients

• Sliced Organic Avocado 
• Sliced Sourdough Bread
• Herbs
• Olive oil
• Red pepper chili flakes

Directions

1. Slice bread (we like a classic sourdough loaf) and lightly toast
2. Add Good Culture classic cottage cheese
3. Top with sliced avocado
4. Garnish with fresh herbs, olive oil, and red pepper chili flakes.

Sheet Pan Breakfast with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon from Applegate

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package Applegate Naturals No Sugar Bacon
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 6 large eggs (Merryfield loves Pete and Gerry’s or Nellie’s)
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Halve the bacon slices crosswise and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the sweet potatoes and onion over the bacon and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. 
3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently stir the bacon and vegetables together so that the rendered bacon fat coats the vegetables.
4. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables are tender and golden brown in spots.
5. Remove from the oven and crack the eggs evenly on the baking sheet (push the vegetables aside to make room, if necessary). Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the eggs are set, 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.

Classic French Omelet from Nellie’s Free Range

Ingredients

• 3 large Nellie's Free Range Eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Nellie's Free Range Unsalted Butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat an 8” nonstick pan over medium-low heat (a good non-stick pan is vital to getting a clean finish and good release). Add butter to the pan, and allow it to melt slowly (the butter shouldn’t sizzle, so if it does, turn heat down slightly). When small bubbles form in the melted butter, the pan is ready for eggs.
2. While the pan is heating, crack eggs into a small bowl and beat vigorously with a fork until completely homogenized. The mixture should run off the fork in a smooth (not clumpy) stream, and be a single color with all the whites fully broken up. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
3. When the pan is ready, pour in the eggs and begin stirring constantly (using a fork, moving in circular motions, and making sure to regularly move the mixture all the way to the edges works best). It may take 3-5 minutes of stirring at this stage to start to set the eggs depending on the heat level and pan. Once most of the liquid has turned into small, semi-set curds, stop stirring and allow the bottom of the omelette to set fully (again, keep the heat low enough that there is no sizzling to prevent browning). Make sure pan edges are clean, and tilt pan to distribute any small amounts of liquid egg remaining.
4. Once mixture is fully cooked on the bottom, gently loosen the edges with a rubber spatula. Fold omelette by either flipping the two flaps into the middle, or rolling gently in 2-3 sections towards one edge of the pan. Invert serving plate over pan and flip pan over while holding plate against it to transfer the omelette to the plate. Finish with fresh chives sprinkled on top and serve immediately.

Nellie’s Notes: To make multiple omelets, you can beat and season all the eggs in one bowl, and then use a generous 1/2 cup of the eggs for each omelet. If desired, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of grated cheese to the centerline of the omelette when you begin to let the bottom set to allow it to melt before folding.