10 Do-Ahead Breakfasts Slideshow

Few of us have time to bake fresh muffins on a weekday morning, but any muffin can be frozen and then thawed for an instant breakfast on the go. Bake your favorite muffins — we love this recipe for Strawberry Morning Muffins — then let cool completely on a rack. Remove muffins from pan and wrap each muffin well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Keep individually wrapped muffins in a container in the freezer and take out what you need the night before. Let thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm up for a few minutes in the oven or toaster oven.

Here's another case where the freezer can be your best friend in the morning. Bake these savory Cheddar and Ham Scones on a Sunday and follow directions as per freezing and thawing muffins. You can also freeze them unbaked and stick an individually portioned frozen scone in the oven first thing in the morning. By the time you're showered and dressed, you'll have a warm scone ready to eat.

Steel-cut oats are a wonderful yet time-consuming breakfast. For those who don't have the time to stand over a steaming pot in the morning, try this recipe for baked steel-cut oatmeal. The oatmeal is cooked then baked in a pan with frozen fruit. It can be sliced into bars and stored for instant breakfasts throughout the week.

A breakfast burrito is the perfect portable morning meal, but few of us can afford to spend the time cooking eggs and bacon, chopping vegetables, and grating cheese before a workday. Instead, think about using ingredients in your breakfast burritos that will keep well overnight, like in these quinoa breakfast burritos. Cook the quinoa and beans the night before, then assemble the burritos together with avocado and salsa, wrap, and store in the fridge for the next day. Cooked mushrooms, potatoes, chorizo, or cheese could also be used and enjoyed after a quick minute in the microwave.

The beauty of a breakfast casserole is that it can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning, and the ingredients only get better when they have time to marinate together. It's the perfect solution when feeding a family, and the leftovers are great the next day. Out of these breakfast casserole options, we especially love the Sweet Potato Oatmeal Casserole because it can be baked and reheated throughout the week.

Sweet breads like banana bread, carrot nut bread, or zucchini bread stay moist enough when stored properly to sustain you for a week full of breakfasts, plus they contain healthy fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Make this recipe even more nutritious by using whole-grain flour and subbing in coconut or olive oil for the vegetable oil. Slice and pack individual portions for a quick on-the-go meal.

As long as you have sliced bread on hand, toast is an instant meal in the morning, and toast doesn't have to be boring. Try this recipe for Raisin Pecan Toasts with Honey and Cinnamon, making sure to have the raisins and nuts pre-portioned and ready to go for a quick prep. Or, spread toast with avocado and drizzle with honey or olive oil for a filling and nutritious alternative to toast with butter.

A banana or apple grabbed on the go is a fast breakfast fix, but a fresh fruit salad assembled one day and stored for the week is a tastier solution. When summer fruit is at hand, go for this raspberry mint salad with roasted almonds. It's wonderful solo, over yogurt, or alongside toasted bread.

There's no reason to spend money on a pricey, tiny bag of granola when homemade granola is so easy to make. You'll save even more money if you can find a store that sells nuts and oats in bulk, so you can have supplies on hand for a new batch of granola each week. It's an instant breakfast when served with yogurt or milk, and varying up the combination of nuts, oils, or dried fruits keeps things interesting from week to week.

Trail mix contains all the heart-healthy proteins and fats to allow it to move from snack to breakfast territory. This Pumpkin and Dried Cherry Trail Mix can be made with or without dark chocolate. Use trail mix as a yogurt topping, or eat a scoop alongside fresh fruit or toast for a well-balanced, fast meal in the morning.