The Budgetary Benefits of Breakfast for Dinner (and 50 Thrifty Ideas)

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Author of The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living

and Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas

Looking for a way to save money on your grocery bill? Looking for a quick supper to feed your family when you’re in a rush? Looking for something cozy and comforting to eat? Look no further than breakfast for dinner.

How breakfast for dinner saves money

Breakfast is often the most frugal meal of the day for many of us. Think about common breakfast foods – yogurt and fruit, scrambled eggs and toast, oatmeal, pancakes….you see what I mean? None of these things cost a ton of money, but they’re quick to put together (which means you won’t be tempted to go out and grab a pizza), and they’re satisfying.

Breakfasts are often heavy on grains and eggs, which, even in these days of inflation, are some of the thriftiest eats around. Really, the price of breakfast for dinner depends on you – your choices, your protein options, and the ratio of ingredients. It can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. That’s why the suggestions below, for the most part, are not recipes but ideas. You can make them fit your supplies and your budget.

Breakfast for dinner is cozy and satisfying.

A lot of folks, myself included, find breakfast to be the ultimate comfort food. I love sitting down to a big stack of pancakes with butter and maple syrup or a savory plate of eggs and potatoes. In a world where we’re often in a rush, sometimes we only have breakfast food on the weekend, so that in itself makes breakfast for dinner feel like a decadent treat, even with humble ingredients.

If you spin it right, you can easily get your kids on board with this. I used to let my girls get into their PJs early and eat breakfast for dinner in front of the television. This gives breakfast for dinner a celebratory air while costing very little. As with any thrifty thing, it’s all about the presentation.

Sometimes it’s not about the presentation – it’s just about quickly and inexpensively getting yourself fed after a long day. These are the moments you grab a bowl of cereal or you butter some toast and call it a day.

Whatever the reason, whatever the presentation method, breakfast for dinner offers a simple and inexpensive option for your menu.

50 Thrifty Breakfast for Dinner Ideas

Here are some tasty foods you can serve when you’re having breakfast for dinner. Choose one or more of the following.

  1. Scrambled eggs
  2. Toast with butter
  3. Biscuits and gravy
  4. Fried potatoes
  5. Cereal with milk
  6. Oatmeal
  7. Yogurt with fruit
  8. Huevos rancheros (basically eggs with salsa and beans)
  9. Pancakes
  10. Omelets
  11. Breakfast pizza
  12. Waffles
  13. Breakfast burritos
  14. Grits
  15. Rice porridge with brown sugar and cinnamon
  16. Cornbread with butter and syrup
  17. Breakfast sandwiches
  18. Toast with peanut butter and jelly
  19. Smoothies
  20. Breakfast skillets with eggs, potatoes, and veggies
  21. Chilaquiles and eggs
  22. Frittatas
  23. Breakfast bowls with fruit, a thick smoothie, and granola
  24. English muffin with hummus
  25. Egg in a hole
  26. Bagel with cream cheese
  27. Toast with banana and peanut butter
  28. Cottage cheese and fruit
  29. Homemade granola
  30. Cream of wheat
  31. Banana bread
  32. Homemade hash skillet
  33. Pancake and sausage roll-ups
  34. Kolaches made with crescent roll dough 
  35. Savory crepes
  36. French toast
  37. Beans on toast
  38. Breakfast cookies
  39. Muffins and fruit
  40. Apple sauce and graham crackers
  41. Homemade granola bars and canned fruit
  42. Zucchini bread
  43. Potato pancakes
  44. Breakfast stir fry (small amount of sausage, ham, or bacon, cooked with veggies and eggs, and served over rice)
  45. Sheet pan eggs
  46. Cinnamon rolls topped with crumbled bacon
  47. Breakfast quesadillas
  48. Greek yogurt with honey
  49. Loaded breakfast potatoes
  50. Shakshuka

What are your favorite breakfast-for-dinner ideas?

Are you with us on #TeamBreakfastforDinner, or is it not your thing? Do you have other thrifty breakfast ideas to add to the list? Let’s talk about breakfast for dinner in the comments.

About Daisy

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.

Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on FacebookPinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

Picture of Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is an author and blogger. She's the single mom of two daughters and credits extreme frugality and a good sense of humor for her debt-free lifestyle. She is the author of numerous books, the editor of TheOrganicPrepper.com, and is the founder of a small digital publishing company in the emergency preparedness niche.

7 thoughts on “The Budgetary Benefits of Breakfast for Dinner (and 50 Thrifty Ideas)”

  1. I love breakfast foods.
    I m with you on the comfort factor with any meal.
    Two if my favorites are left over warmed up rice with warm milk n cinnamon or maple brown sugar.
    My absolute favorite breakfast sammy is a BLT with a fried egg.
    Great suggestions n options in this article. I never think to do breakfast burritos. Thanks so much!!

  2. This brings back such good memories. When the kid was young, we did this once a week, put on our p.j.’s, turned off the phone and t.v. and had family game night. I’d forgotten about this. Going to start up again. Thanks.

  3. lol.. older kiddo told us the other day that when the kiddos were younger, they thought breakfast for supper was a big deal. Now they realize it is a quick, easy, filling, and budget friendly dinner.
    Even farmers’ wives make breakfast for supper.

  4. always Organic oatmeal with banana, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, spoon of virgin olive oil, cinnamon, spoon of organic brown sugar

  5. We had some leftover grits in the refrigerator, and my husband fried them with chopped jalapenos and cheese. They were so good (and a really cheap main course) that I’ve been trying to get him to cook extra grits every time so we can have some ready to go.

  6. Breakfast Strata made with ham, green pepper, onion, dried bread cubes, and topped with cheese. I make a 9×9 (greased) with 2 C bread cubes, add your meat and vegetables, then pour over a mixture of 4 eggs, and 1 1/3 cups milk, or half & half, evaporated milk or whatever mixture you like. Add 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt when beating the eggs. Sprinkle cheese on top. Leave in fridge for 6-8 hours. To cook bake covered 45 min at 350* then remove cover for another 15 minutes. Strata is done when you shake a bit and it appears firm. Use whatever meat and vegetables you like. It’s a great dish to make however you choose.

    We get breakfast the next morning with the leftovers.

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