Photo: © Meredith Corporation

A Smarter Way to Eat Bacon
While salty, smoky bacon gets front billing in this delicious bake, spaghetti squash is the secret star, serving as a low-carb crust. The recipe, from Diabetic Living Eat Smart Lose Weight, has you roast a three-pound squash until it's tender; then, you use a fork to scrape out the flesh and mix it with eggs, shredded Parmesan and fresh sage leaves. Spread it into a baking dish and bake and you've got a golden-brown base for the filling: sautéed Swiss chard, kale or spinach; crispy bacon; and, crumbled feta cheese. The finished dish is a bit like a savory tart, and is even better served alongside a fried egg.

Get the recipe: Squash, Bacon and Feta Breakfast Bake

Photo: © Andrew Purcell

A Comforting, Slow-Cooked Meal Where You'll Still Get Your Greens
This satisfying slow-cooker strata—a sort of a.m.-appropriate bread pudding—walks the line between wholesome (kale! whole grain bread!) and indulgent (cheese!). The recipe, from Adventures in Slow Cooking, calls for a big bunch of kale; crusty, rustic multigrain bread; and, gruyère, which melts nicely and has a nutty, complex flavor (though you can substitute more-affordable fontina, or use a mix of the two). And there are many ways to cook this dish: overnight, so it's ready when you wake up in the morning; or, in about two hours, so it's perfect for later risers.

Get the recipe: Grainy Bread Strata with Kale and Gruyère

Photo: Linda Xiao

Eggs with a Superseed Addition
A frittata is like a baked omelet in that you can add any manner of ingredients, but it's easier to make and results in many servings. This simple version pairs fresh vegetables—spinach and asparagus—with tangy goat cheese and eggs, while fluffy cooked quinoa gives the dish extra heartiness and protein. (Bonus: It's even great cold, so you can cut the frittata into wedges and have some for lunch or dinner the next day.)

Get the recipe: Asparagus, Quinoa and Goat Cheese Frittata

Photo: Leann Mueller

A Reason to Introduce an Unexpected Cuisine to Your Mornings
We don't often see traditional Asian ingredients in casseroles or in Western breakfasts, yet this recipe proves how well they work in both places. The flavorful dish starts with a layer of cooked, fiber-rich brown rice. Next comes a tasty combination of sautéed Swiss chard, onion and ginger mixed with coconut milk, soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil. On top of that, you crack eggs and bake just until the whites are set; when they come out of the oven, the bright yellow yolks look stunning against the leafy greens.

Get the recipe: Sesame Baked Eggs

Photo: Aliya LeeKong

The Gorgeous Egg Dish with Surprising Depth
Here's a beautiful meal that delivers protein and vegetables: shakshouka, the popular Israeli and Tunisian dish where eggs are poached in tomato sauce. The recipe includes an herby tomato sauce that comes together in 15 minutes (which you can make ahead of time) and just one link of chorizo, which adds tons of flavor without a lot of extra calories. You crack the eggs over the sauce and slide the pan under the heat and broil it for five minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Get the recipe: Shakshouka with Chorizo and Bread Crumbs
Published 11/01/2017