If You're In A Cooking Rut, Try Dinner For Breakfast

Dinner for breakfast may sound odd, but it could be just what you need to get out of the dreaded cooking rut. Hear us out: We have some ideas to get you started. Far better than eating a leftover slice cold and directly from the delivery box, a cheesy bacon breakfast pizza is a deliciously savory way to start the day. To make it, top store-bought or homemade pizza dough with your favorite breakfast sandwich ingredients like crispy bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, and cheddar cheese. Customize the pizza with shredded potatoes — great for hashbrown fans — or drizzle some hot honey if you're missing something sweet.

Breakfast lasagna substitutes traditional pasta noodles with refrigerated biscuit dough to make a dish that lives somewhere between Sunday's lasagna and an egg casserole or strata. Layer your favorite buttermilk biscuits with scrambled eggs, cooked meat (pancetta, crumbled sausage, or bacon), sautéed veggies, and dollops of ricotta to create a dish impressive enough to feed guests.  

If your mouth salivates at the mention of pasta, making spaghetti carbonara for breakfast is a natural fit. This Roman dish combines cooked noodles with eggs, cured pork (guanciale, pancetta, or bacon), pecorino, and Parmesan cheese for a creamy breakfast sammie in a bowl. The key to this recipe is using starchy pasta water in the sauce, so remember to save 1 cup. If that sounds good, but you prefer to skip the pasta, try the Pasta Queen's carbonara baked potato recipe instead.

For those who like something sweet and savory in the morning, buttermilk fried chicken and waffles may be an obvious choice. But, while the dish sounds labor intensive, the recipe comes together in 30 minutes — and it's even faster if you use frozen waffles or chicken strips. For a handheld version that's baked, not fried, try coating chicken cutlets in your favorite breakfast cereal for a crunchy breading that can be sweet or savory. Place the crispy chicken between a buttermilk biscuit and drizzle with maple syrup or hot honey for a delicious, portable sandwich you can enjoy at any time of day.

Breakfast fried rice is an excellent way to use leftovers and quickly prepare a meal packed with healthy fats, carbs, and protein. Fried rice is best made with day-old rice, so this recipe requires a little forethought. To make it, sauté cold rice with sesame oil and soy sauce, then top with scrambled eggs, breakfast meat, and diced avocado. This recipe also works well with cold noodles. Or, skip cooking altogether and try breakfast instant ramen.

Burritos and quesadillas naturally lend themselves to breakfast ingredients. In addition to scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and meat, high-protein black beans, pico de gallo, and diced avocado are healthy additions to round out the meal. For a sweeter variation, replace the tortillas with pancakes or waffles. If you're still in a rut, don't rule out the old-school diner favorite, steak and eggs.