On Monday we asked what your current pain points are in the kitchen, and WTCer Gini brought up breakfast — specifically, being in need of “non junk breakfasts that are quick to fix and easy for my kids to eat.”
SAME. I (Molly) am also in need of breakfast inspiration this week. In my house, we’ve been on a big scrambled eggs, peanut butter toast, and fresh fruit kick this summer, but going into the new school year (my big boys started back today!), I would much rather prep a big batch of something at the start of the week than dirty up the skillet every morning. And ideally, that something could be eaten on the go on the days (most days!) when we don’t have time to sit and eat before rushing out the door.
Should you also be in need of breakfast inspiration, we’ve rounded up some delicious prep-ahead and/or grab-and-go breakfast ideas, including Caro’s beloved car meatballs, protein-packed overnight oats from last week’s guest Jenn Lueke, and some tasty muffins from this week’s maternity leave series guest — the lovely Nicole Keshishian Modic!
Keep reading for the breakfast round up, but first, a few fun news items and a chat with Nicole.
To celebrate the one-year anniversary (!!) of What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking (the book)'s pub date, the e-book version will be discounted to $2.99 — it's normally $16.99! — for one week across e-book platforms thanks to BookBub, a daily email that links book lovers to e-book discounts like this one. The sale will run from today, August 13, 2025, through August 18, 2025. Click here to snag it!
In April, Caroline chatted with Kerry Diamond at Cherry Bombe Jubilee in New York, an annual conference celebrating women in food. Click here to listen to their convo! In it they talk about the early days of Substack, how being a former military wife has impacted Caro’s career, and how she has built this WTC community from scratch.
From Caro: I met Nicole — AKA @kalejunkie — in person this past spring, when I visited her in Marin to cook together and develop this spring veggie and herb pasta salad. She is as wonderful in real life as she appears on Instagram (where she has 2.8 million followers) and on TikTok, her blog, and newsletter, Beyond the Kale. Nicole’s super sharp, has such an inspiring backstory — you’ll learn more about that below — and is the queen of putting a nutritious, insanely tasty spin on all types of foods, from snacks and Snickers to pizza and beyond. I’m so excited for you to learn more about Nicole, and to cook the meal she cooks for herself and her sons when she doesn’t feel like cooking (it’ll land in your inbox this Saturday!).
Molly from What To Cook: Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for visiting What To Cook this week. Tell us, what was your first official job in the food world?!
Nicole: My entrance into the food world happened by accident, actually! Prior to starting kalejunkie I was an employment defense attorney, representing huge corporations across America. But behind closed doors, I was suffering from a 15-year eating disorder. I always loved food and had dreamed about a job in the healthy food and wellness space, but it was just a dream. When my ex-husband caught me binging, I decided to get serious about my healing. I started kalejunkie over 11 years ago as a hobby — a safe space on my corner of the internet where I was documenting the foods I was eating as I healed. Slowly I started developing my own recipes and finding love, strength, and empowerment through food, and after a few years, I was able to leave my career practicing law to build kalejunkie and make it my full-time business. I always say, your struggles in life are always your strength. If I hadn’t suffered with an eating disorder, there’s no way I would have my business today.
Molly: What an incredibly strong and inspiring perspective, and I’m so thankful that you are sharing your talents with the world — your recipes are DELICIOUS. How would you describe your current job?
Nicole: I am a full-time recipe developer, content creator, cookbook author, and mama to two boys, Gavyn (10) and Hunter (8). Oh, and I am still a lawyer. Ha.
Molly: What's a career accomplishment you're proud of but not many people know about?
Nicole: I would say my biggest career accomplishment isn’t one that comes with any outward recognition. It’s the fact that I have slowly and steadily built a community — not just followers on Instagram or readers of my blog. I am talking about deep connection with my community and providing a safe space for KJ members to DM me and share their personal struggles, requests, advice, and all the things. No matter how much growth I’ve had over the years, it’s the community aspect that I view as my greatest accomplishment. I am still the one answering all my DMs and creating all my content!
Molly: What's bringing you a lot of joy lately?
Nicole: I got divorced last year and met someone special, so spending time with him has brought a lot of joy into my life. I am also taking my boys to Japan — which has been on my bucket list forever — and spending quality time with them always sparks the greatest joy!
Molly: How fun! I can’t wait to go abroad with my sons one day.
Ed note: Nicole answered these questions a few weeks ago and actually just returned home from Japan yesterday! She shared highlights like this from her trip on IG, and said she plans to share a full recap and itinerary on her Substack sometime in the next few weeks — FYI for anyone with a trip to Japan in their future!
What’s a pantry staple that you can't live without?
Nicole: Always and forever, tahini — have you ever tried my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies? They are my most popular and viral recipe since 2018 and I make them at least every few weeks! If you are new to my recipes, I suggest you start here!
Molly: Not yet, but I just added the ingredients to my Instacart order! How about your favorite specialty kitchen tool?
Nicole: Most definitely my mini Beast blender. I use it all the time to make sauces and dressings, which, in my opinion, are the key to leveling up even the most simple dishes! You can see me use my mini Beast in over 90% of the videos I share on social media!
Molly: Who is your favorite person to cook with and why?
Nicole: I actually prefer cooking alone. As I was recovering from my eating disorder, the kitchen became my form of therapy and quiet time to process the world around me and reflect. To this day, the most peace I feel is when I am in the kitchen alone, developing new recipes for my community or whipping up a meal for my boys.
Thank you so much, Nicole Keshishian Modic, for sharing your story! Stay tuned for Nicole’s recipe this Saturday — it’s a bowl-style meal that stars (no surprise considering her answer above!) an insanely delicious sauce.
For more from Nicole, visit her blog, kalejunkie, check out her cookbook, subscribe to her newsletter Beyond the Kale, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
What To Cook launched in December 2020, which means there are more than 230 recipes in the archives. To help you cook through them, let’s revisit what we cooked this week over the last few years!
one-skillet broccoli cheddar chicken pot pie, 2024
This is a “love your leftovers” favorite of ours! Creamy chicken and broccoli filling under a blanket of golden, flaky puff pastry — the cheddar melts right into the sauce for extra richness, and you only dirty one skillet. Use rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chopped or shredded chicken or turkey) and precut mirepoix to make it even faster.
show off-y greek salad, 2023
Juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber and bell pepper, briny feta, and the punchiest vinaigrette — all topped with juicy grilled chicken. The salad is colorful, crisp, and satisfying enough to stand on its own, but also plays well with anything from the grill. The dressing keeps for days, so double it (it also works as a flavorful meat marinade!) and thank yourself later.
slow-roasted ribs with herby crunch potatoes, 2022
Sometimes life doesn’t make time for a full day of smoking ribs — but you can still get fall-off-the-bone, flavorful ribs in just 3 hours in the oven. While they slow-roast, you’ll make crispy, herby potatoes on a separate sheet pan, so everything finishes around the same time.
chicken panzanella, 2021
Alexandra said this in the comments: “Ummm wow this was STUPID easy and INSANELY good. Made a double-ish batch for my in-laws and served it with the arugula salad from the healthy sloppy Joe’s underneath and wow. I got effusive praise and I could still socialize while cooking, so a huge win. I want to make this every week.”
Here’s a roundup of quick and easy make-ahead breakfasts — whether you need them for back-to-school, or just to mix up and/or simplify your morning routine. We’re going to start with a recipe (including a printer version!) that we get asked for often…
caro’s car meatballs
1 pound Jimmy Dean regular sausage
1 pound Jimmy Dean sage sausage
1 cup shredded white cheddar
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 pound Jimmy Dean regular sausage, 1 pound Jimmy Dean sage sausage, 1 cup shredded white cheddar, 1 cup almond flour, and 1 teaspoon baking powder together. Form 20-ish meatballs and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Let the meatballs cool then freeze them in a Ziploc bag. Reheat the meatballs for 30 seconds in the microwave as you're sprinting out the door late yet again to school!!
link to printer version
strawberry smoothies // From Caro: I buy the "about to go bad" berries for half price at the farmer's market in the summer and they're absolutely perfect but turn to mush within 36 hours. I freeze them and have been making this smoothie for the boys, and they LOVE it. Frozen strawberries, Greek yogurt, big handful of spinach, banana, half an avocado, and enough milk just to get it to blend. Works with any berry! Add chia/flax seeds if you've got ‘em!
blender banana oat pancakes // From Caro: This recipe is an even-easier riff off of the banana-oat pancakes in my first cookbook, Just Married. You throw everything in a blender, blend, and cook! You can make a big batch over the weekend, let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge (or freezer) and reheat in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast.
easy lemon blueberry baked oatmeal by Nicole Keshishian Modic of kalejunkie // For those who love oatmeal, but want to be able to prep a whole week’s worth at one time.
peaches and cream overnight oats by Jenn Lueke // Peaches and cream for breakfast?! YUM. This single-serve breakfast packs in chia seeds, rolled oats, summer-ripe peaches, and Greek yogurt (or milk), and looks perfect for late summer!
make-ahead breakfast sandwiches by Pinch of Yum // These batch-made egg sandwiches are super simple — you bake eggs, bacon (or sausage), and spinach on a sheet pan, cut them into rounds, and layer each between English muffins with cheese. Wrap them up and freeze or stash in the fridge.
spinach & banana blender muffins by The Defined Dish // Fresh spinach, bananas, eggs, maple syrup, almond & tapioca flours, a hint of cinnamon, and a scoop of collagen all get tossed in your blender and baked into muffins. Make a double batch (they freeze nicely), and enjoy a healthy grab-and-go morning bite.
banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins by Nicole Keshishian Modic of kalejunkie // If a sweet bite is more your (or your kids’) style, these muffins — which also contain a hidden summer veg — are a delight.
sheet-pan pancakes by Feel Good Foodie // For when you don't have time to stand over a stovetop flipping pancakes! This is so efficient, and everyone gets hot pancakes at the same time.
mediterranean egg frittata by Jillian from What to Cook // Blend 10 eggs with a splash of milk, salt, and pepper. Pour into a greased baking dish. Top with olives, artichokes, and goat cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes until set. Could also work well as egg bites made in a muffin tin!
applegate breakfast chicken sausage links in the air fryer // From Jillian: This is my favorite set-it-and-forget-it protein when I'm busy getting the kids ready in the morning. Air fry or pan-cook these sausage links for quick mornings!
savory cottage cheese bowls // From Jillian: These are another staple in my house — I mix up the add-ins based on what I have in the fridge.
Cottage cheese + diced cucumber + cherry tomatoes + everything bagel seasoning + a drizzle of olive oil
Cottage cheese + black beans + diced avocado (add that just before eating) + salsa or pico de gallo
Cottage cheese + smoked salmon + capers + red onion + fresh dill + a squeeze of lemon juice
Cottage cheese + halved cherry tomatoes + torn basil + balsamic glaze drizzle
Love Nicole Keshishian Modic as much as we do?! We want to give one WTCer an annual subscription to Beyond the Kale, where she shares behind-the-scenes content on topics like entrepreneurship, motherhood, travel, her grocery lists, etc. To enter to win, comment with your current favorite easy and/or grab-and-go breakfast! A winner will be randomly selected next Wednesday, August 20, and notified by Substack DM.
And congrats to Jennifer Sullivan who won a subscription to the eat goood newsletter!
Fry an egg with a handful of spinach on top. While that’s cooking warm up a tortilla on your gas burner then add a slice of cheese and top with egg and spinach. If you’re feeling frisky add a little chili paste or other spice!
Sometimes a bowl of plain Cheerios loaded with fruit just hits the spot!