The oven is booked. The smoker has been spoken for since Tuesday. The fryer has its own person, and that person would appreciate it if we all quit asking when the turkey will be done.
And then somebody wanders in at 8:07 and asks, “What’s for breakfast?”
Pick one easy Thanksgiving breakfast: overnight oats if you want it ready when you wake up, bagels and fruit if the kitchen is full, or scrambled eggs and toast if you’ve got one burner to spare. Thanksgiving dinner can have the good china. Breakfast just needs a spoon.
1. Make breakfast the night before: Apple-cinnamon overnight oats
For each serving, stir together ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup milk or your usual milk alternative, and a pinch of cinnamon in a covered jar or bowl. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add chopped apple and a splash of milk if you’d like it thinner. Maple syrup and pecans can go on top if you have them; keep the nuts separate if you’re serving a group.
If oats aren’t your people’s thing, portion yogurt and berries into covered cups and refrigerate them overnight. Put the granola out in the morning so it stays crunchy. And stick a note on the fridge that says “BREAKFAST.” Otherwise, someone will stand directly in front of it and ask you what there is to eat.
2. Set up bagels, fruit, and coffee away from the stove
Put sliced bagels, clementines or bananas, a jar of jam, and a stack of napkins on a counter away from the main cooking area. Add a coffee carafe and mugs if you’ve got room. Put out a small dish of cream cheese when people are ready to eat and return the rest to the fridge. Now the early risers can help themselves, and nobody has to pass through the Gravy Department to get a second cup of coffee.
3. Claim one burner for fluffy scrambled eggs and toast
For two people, whisk four eggs with a pinch of salt until they’re evenly yellow and foamy. Melt a pat of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs and let the edges just begin to set. Then sweep a spatula slowly from the edge toward the center, tilting the pan so the uncooked egg fills the space you cleared. A few broad folds give you those big, soft curds instead of tiny bits. Cook until the eggs are fully set with no runny egg, then slide them onto plates right away.
Give them the diner treatment: Finish with snipped chives and cracked pepper, or put sharp cheddar and a bottle of hot sauce on the table. If you’re adding spinach, wilt it first so it doesn’t water down the eggs. And if anyone asks, yes, the fancy eggs came from the same refrigerator as the emergency string cheese.
The whisk-and-fold technique comes from cooks like Alton Brown. The FDA’s egg-safety guide recommends cooking scrambled eggs until they’re no longer runny. If the house is waking up in shifts, go with bagels. You do not need to become a short-order cook in the middle of your own holiday.
Keep it small and let people help themselves
Pick one option, set out what people need to serve it, and sit down with your own coffee before it turns into iced coffee by neglect. If you’re also the one figuring out which outdoor appliance is booked and why, our Thanksgiving turkey cooking guide compares roasting, smoking, and frying.
A Thanksgiving morning note from Michelle and the women at Envy
I’m Michelle Engelhardt, the owner of Envy Stylz Boutique, and the women here and I love Thanksgiving for the little bits that happen before anybody sits down to dinner. Somebody pulls up a chair in the kitchen. Somebody pours you a fresh cup without asking. You get to visit before the day gets so busy that the only thing you’ve said to each other is, “Can you scoot over just a hair?”
If you’re getting dressed for that kind of day, I’d start with a soft crewneck or sweatshirt you can peel off once the kitchen warms up. Add a pair of easy earrings when it’s time for pictures, or claim a corner of the couch under one of our cozy throws when the dishes are done. And if you’re going straight from the first cup to company, our Thanksgiving outfit guide has ideas for hosts, guests, and travelers.
Happy Thanksgiving, friend. I hope somebody saves you a seat and brings you a warm cup of coffee while you’re still sitting in it.
— Michelle Engelhardt, Envy Stylz Boutique
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