We all know breakfast is an important meal, and preparing it doesn't have to be especially time-consuming. To prove our point, we've rounded up 18 delicious a.m. dishes that are ready to eat in just 30 minutes or less. Take your pick from quick breakfast recipes like classic French toast, Indian-spiced scrambled eggs, a fragrant five-herb frittata, and more to give your body a boost any day of the week.
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French Toast
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Whether you're looking for a special-occasion breakfast dish or just feel like treating yourself, this easy French toast recipe, which uses sturdy Italian bread, is a keeper.
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Croque Madame
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The French croque madame sandwich is a lesson in extravagance, made with white bread, butter, cheese, ham, Mornay sauce, and a fried egg. It's a luxurious, deeply comforting dish. If you like, turn it into a croque monsieur by simply skipping the fried egg.
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Egg Bhurji (Spiced Indian Scrambled Eggs)
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Plain scrambled eggs are transformed into this vibrant eggs bhurji breakfast flavored with onions, chiles, ginger, tomatoes, and spices. A squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of cilantro add a final dose of brightness. It's delicious enjoyed with roti or paratha, or served with toast.
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Eggs Benedict Toast
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This super-simple variation on eggs Benedict features prosciutto instead of Canadian bacon and steamed eggs, not poached. Easier than poaching, gently steaming eggs results in delicately tender whites and smooth, creamy yolks.
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French Rolled Omelet
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Make a perfect French rolled omelet with fresh herbs and nutty Gruyère cheese in just 10 minutes.
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Banana Almond Butter Smoothie
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Medjool dates and frozen banana are the sweetening secret to these nutty, thick smoothies that taste almost like having ice cream for breakfast, no scooping required.
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Monte Cristo
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A hybrid of a ham and cheese sandwich and French toast, this breakfast and brunch sandwich is both sweet and savory, with raspberry jam and spicy mustard.
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Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes
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Using cornmeal in addition to white flour in these pancakes makes them especially satisfying. They're wonderful served warm with fresh berry compote.
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Za'atar Baked Eggs
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In her teens,Top Chefjudge Gail Simmons spent a summer on a kibbutz in Israel, working in her first professional kitchen. She was assigned to breakfast duty and fell in love with scrambling, poaching, and frying eggs by the dozens. "Today, one of my go-to brunches is baked eggs in a cherry tomato–pepper mix seasoned with the Mediterranean spice blend za'atar," she says. "It never fails to conjure happy memories of that magical time."
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Almond Milk Rice Pudding
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Sushi rice makes this dairy-free rice pudding — made with unsweetened almond milk — pleasantly chewy and creamy.
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Sweet Breakfast Quinoa
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"This breakfast will make your day so productive," says hospitality expert Jill Donenfeld about her maple syrup–sweetened quinoa. It's studded with dried apricots and slivered almonds, spiced with cinnamon, and topped with a dollop of creamy ricotta.
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Five-Herb Frittata with Prosciutto and Parmesan
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Star chef Nancy Silverton has strong opinions about frittatas. She likes them to be creamy like scrambled eggs, with various toppings such as prosciutto, cheese, and a generous amount of herbs.
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Bacon and Butter Sandwiches
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Pastry genius Dominique Ansel gives the beloved English “bacon butty” a French accent by subbing slender baguette for the standard white toast. Flavor upgrade: Ansel replaces the traditional ketchup with a touch of sherry.
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Mexican-Style Eggs in Purgatory
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For the Italian breakfast dish Eggs in Purgatory, eggs are baked in a spicy tomato sauce. In this Mexican-inspired take, we substitute a vibrant, fresh green sauce made with tomatillos, cilantro, and scallions.
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Moroccan Date Bonbons
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Chef Elizabeth Falkner loves eating two of these energy-boosting, cardamom-spiced date bites made with almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, as a snack or for breakfast.
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Spiced Chickpeas with Yogurt and Pine Nuts
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More people should eat chickpeas at breakfast! The chefs at Marisa May’s now-shuttered restaurant SD26 used to make these stewy, savory chickpeas for her when she hadn’t gotten to eat something filling at home.
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Parmesan Asparagus with Poached Eggs
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This simple, elegant recipe combines three foods that actress Gwyneth Paltrow adores: fresh spring asparagus, tons of Parmesan, and poached eggs.
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Overnight Oatmeal with Almonds and Dried Cranberries
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Many people miss out on the nutty flavor and nubby texture of oatmeal made with steel-cut oats because they assume it's too time-consuming to prepare. But if you soak the oats overnight, they cook in just 10 minutes.
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