Tomorrow morning, when your sleepy, groggy, possibly grumpy kids drag their butts to breakfast and mumble incoherent complaints, try saying this: “Who wants pizza for breakfast?” Their little necks will snap up so fast they may pull something.

Somewhere along the way, certain foods were identified as breakfast foods, and most of us were content to face a plate of eggs, some fruit, or perhaps some oatmeal in the morning. But sometimes, it’s nice to shake it up (and by the way, you will likely get a similar reaction if you offer up pancakes for dinner every once in a while).

The main point of breakfast, the piously anointed “most important meal of the day,” is to give you the energy to go forth and conquer. Or at least go forth and do well on the spelling quiz.

So, pretty much any food that sounds good at 7 a.m. and isn’t riddled with sugar is fair game. Charlie, in particular, is often delighted to encounter things like a bowl of vegetable soup or leftover meatballs or chicken piccata first thing in the morning, as am I, which some people find irresistible, and others just find weird and confusing.

English Muffin Pizzas come together in the same amount of time it takes to make hot cereal or scramble some eggs.”

Quick English Muffin Pizzas in the Oven

These come together in the same amount of time it takes to make hot cereal or scramble some eggs. Follow these up with some fruit, or just serve them with a glass of OJ, and all of the consecrated food groups are present. And any time you can get pizza out of your toaster oven- well, that’s a win to me.

How to Make English Muffin Pizzas

1. Toast the English muffin halves until very lightly brown. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce evenly over each English muffin half.
2. Top each English muffin with a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle over oregano, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt, as desired. Bake or toast the pizzas until the cheese is melted and a bit bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Think of these for an after-school snack, too…not to mention lunch.

English Muffin Pizza Toppings

Once you spoon on the tomato sauce, you can add anything to the pizza that you would use to top a regular pizza: slivered cooked onions or peppers, sliced olives, chopped cooked broccoli, and so on. If you prefer, add them on top of the mozzarella instead of between the tomato sauce and the cheese.

My gang finds plain works just fine first thing in the morning, but yours might appreciate a non-vegetarian addition like bacon crumbled between the sauce and cheese.

More Kid-Pleasing Recipes

• Grilled Pizzas
• One-Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni
• Meatball Subs
• The Best Grilled Cheese
• Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas