Thanksgiving Day....Breakfast ideas.

For many of us, the main focus of the Thanksgiving Day holiday is on the main meal that will be served that day. Our minds are on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, side dishes, rolls, desserts and appetizers that will be served to our guests that day. We have a plan for what time the turkey has to be put in the oven in order to be ready for our family and friends. The last thing we want to think about is breakfast for that day!

A bit of planning and preparing the days leading up to Thanksgiving Day will, of course, make this day run smoother. Planning for a no fuss breakfast on that busy day is a must! Your family, after all, does still want to eat something other than turkey and green bean casserole, right?

Yes, I know, your oven will be otherwise occupied, you do not have time to stand over the stove making pancakes and besides, you will be in your kitchen for hours that day preparing the main meal for your Thanksgiving celebration. Besides, the last thing you need is another mess to clean up in your kitchen. Why does everyone HAVE to eat breakfast that day anyway?

Knowing that you need to serve breakfast that day, I have a few ideas for you that are sure to relieve a bit of the stress you are now feeling. All it is going to take is a bit of planning ahead. There are many breakfast options that can be made the day before.

Cold cereal is always an option, but for me, I always want to make my family meals that are "special" for special occasions. Maybe for your family, cold cereal would be a real treat, if so then go for it. My kids would enjoy a breakfast of cold cereal, as they do not often get that treat. Knowing my kids, however, they would be hungry again in an hour and I would be faced once again with hungry kids in my kitchen. Not a good plan for a busy day of cooking, at least not for this mom.

Muffins are an easy breakfast! Quick and easy to prepare a day or two in advance and so many wonderful flavor options to satisfy any taste. Pumpkin muffins are a wonderful option, given the holiday. Another great idea are zucchini, there are many options here on Gling for great muffins.

Another great idea is a quick bread. Anything from banana, zucchini, pumpkin and even a cranberry bread, or blueberry bread. Any of these would be easy to make up days ahead of time, frozen or stored in the refrigerator and sliced up for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.

Looking for something a bit more filling? Waffles are so easy to make up ahead of time and stored for later. Pumpkin waffles are the perfect treat for a busy morning. Make them up ahead of time, freeze them and heat them up in the toaster or microwave. So quick and easy for a busy morning. If plain waffles are more your family's style, then try these waffles. Top your favorite waffles with buttermilk syrup, such a yummy treat on any morning!

A yummy cranberry orange scone is another festive option for your family's breakfast choices. Easy to make ahead and so many options. If you would rather have a different flavor option, try adding chocolate chips, raisins or even making pumpkin scones for an option. They are so easy to make, you could make them both and have a bit of holiday variety.

Bread pudding is another wonderful option! This is so easy to make the night before and heat it up for a filling, warm breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. Any gluten free bread should work well for this. My favorite is pumpkin bread pudding, it tastes like pumpkin pie. The pumpkin pastry sticks that are used to make it are super easy and a wonderful breakfast treat on their own. Make a double batch of them and use one batch for the pudding and save one for a breakfast treat.

Biscotti is a favorite of mine and something that I have really missed. This year, I decided to try to make my own gluten-free version of my old favorite. The beauty about biscotti is that it is something that can easily be made days in advance and stored in an air tight container for later enjoyment. Pumpkin biscotti with a cup of coffee is a real treat on a busy morning, or even a lazy one for that matter.

There are so many ideas, donuts, pumpkin donuts, caramel rolls, and rhubarb cinnamon rolls are all easy to make up a day or two in advance!

Another thought is what to have to drink with your Thanksgiving Day breakfast. There are many options out there, from every day to festive. Try some pumpkin coffee creamer or peppermint mocha coffee creamer. A nice cup of hot cider or even a festive hot cocoa would be a wonderful treat.

Serving any of these ideas with some fresh fruit, juice, a glass of milk or whatever your family enjoys will help to make a wonderful Thanksgiving morning breakfast. For many of these ideas, there will be little you will have to do to prepare for breakfast that busy morning. Your family can fix their own plate and enjoy, leaving you to finish getting ready for the big dinner!

Now that is something to be thankful for!