Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It can be 9 a.m., 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., it doesn’t matter. I will always be ready to devour some pancakes, eggs and potatoes. I also am a huge fan of fall-themed foods. So what could be better than a fall-inspired breakfast? Below are some easy twists on classic breakfast recipes perfect for cooking on November mornings. 

Pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes

This makes for one of the simplest pancake additions. Simply take your favorite pancake recipe or mix and add about ¼ cup of pumpkin puree for every 2 cups of dry mix. Stir in chocolate chips to taste and add a dash of vanilla and cinnamon and voila!

Roasted squash

Making crispy, salty and sweet roasted squash is much easier than it seems. Simply heat your oven to 425, cut your squash of choice into one-inch cubes (scooping out the seeds on the way), and place on an oiled baking sheet. Top with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. I also like adding a drizzle of honey and some finely chopped garlic. Toss in order to evenly coat and place the sheet in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is tender all throughout. My personal favorite squashes to roast are butternut squash and acorn squash. 

Apple pecan French toast

To begin, make French toast as you normally would. The key to this recipe is in the topping. To make it, toss pecans into a buttered pan and cook for about five minutes, stirring often. Add in chopped apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, some lemon juice and raisins and cook until the apple is soft. Place on top of the French toast and top with whipped cream.

Sauteed sweet potato and kale toast 

This simple, fresh recipe is surprisingly delicious. To begin, chop up a sweet potato into quarter to half-inch cubes and sautee on an olive-oil coated pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let saute until the sweet potato is beginning to get soft. Place very roughly-chopped kale in the pan and cook until it wilts. The key here is a lot of lemon. Either pour lemon juice or squeeze a lemon half over the veggies and allow to cook for a little longer. In the meantime, fry an egg (seasoned to taste) and toast a piece of bread. When everything is done, layer the toast, sweet potato/kale mix and fried egg. Bon appetit. 

The aforementioned breakfast recipes and substitutions can turn any plain old morning into a cozy autumn meal. There’s nothing better than a hearty, fulfilling meal to start your day. Most of these recipes are very open to interpretation, so it can be fun to play around and find your favorite proportions and additions. Enjoy!