Mealtime Magic: Chef and Food Blogger Leigh Ann Chatagnier Makes Back-to-School Breakfast Easy, Three Ways

With back-to-school activities starting for many this month, quick and easy, yet nutritious breakfasts are essential for getting out of the door on time! Chef and food blogger at My Diary of Us, routinely keeps ready-to-eat breakfasts in the fridge, especially when time is limited in the morning.  She shares her favorite go-to breakfast recipe, Chia pudding, made three ways using only a few simple ingredients.

Some days I get tired of overnight oats and eggs so switching it up to keep things interesting is key for me,” Leigh Ann says. “Chia pudding is an easy and nutritious breakfast meal. And because it’s so easy, I created easy chia pudding (three ways) so that you can set yourself up for success in the mornings!”

If you haven’t tried chia pudding, it’s essentially just milk of some sort and chia seeds! The chia seeds expand and make the milk a pudding like texture that is perfect for topping with fruits, granola, and more for a healthy breakfast or snack.

Leigh Ann suggests using full fat coconut milk “because of the creamy texture and flavor that the coconut milk gives the pudding, but you can also use regular dairy or almond milk here. Chia seeds are full of omega 3’s, fiber, and protein making them ideal for kickstarting your day off right.”

You can literally top chia pudding with whatever ingredients you have on hand, but here Leigh Ann created three different puddings utilizing fruits currently in season: Strawberry Rhubarb compote + granola; Brown Sugar peach; and Blueberry Banana.  Leigh Ann suggests prepping a week’s worth of chia puddings in mason jars and then simply top them in the morning with your desired toppings!  

Recipes/photos reprinted with permission by
Leigh Ann Chatagnier / www.MyDiaryofUs.com

Easy Chia Pudding, Three Ways

Ingredients:
1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Note: This is one serving, double or triple etc. based upon how many days you are prepping!

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote: 
1 Cup Strawberries
1/2 Cup Diced Rhubarb
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Honey or Maple Syrup

Brown Sugar Peaches:
1 Large Peach
1 Tsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Grass Fed Butter
Pinch of Salt

Other Toppings:
Blueberries
Banana
Honey
Granola

Directions:

Make strawberry rhubarb compote by combining all ingredients (minus the honey) into a saucepan and cooking until berries and rhubarb are soft.  Blend until smooth and then stir in honey once cooled. (This is delicious on toast and more!)

Make peaches by sautéing in a pan until sugar has coated the peaches and they are slightly soft.  Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Make chia pudding by combining coconut milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mason jar and stir to combine.

Place into the fridge for at least an hour, but up to overnight until the chia seeds thicken the milk.

Top with desired toppings and serve.

Note: Add more chia seeds for a thicker pudding, and less for a thinner pudding. I find everyone has a preference to how they prefer the texture of their chia pudding!

Leigh Ann Chatagnier loves to share favorite recipes with her social media followers.  As the founder of My Diary of Us, Leigh Ann invites visitors to come into her kitchen and cook with her and her family.  She is a frequent guest on Houston Life, and cooks up family-friendly meals on Home & Family on The Hallmark Channel and NBC Syndicated Daytime.  She has been featured in Louisiana Cookin’ magazine, Red Trycycle and inRegister.  Leigh Ann is the author of two cookbooks, The Unexpected Cajun Kitchen: Classic Cuisine with a Twist of Farm-to-Table Freshness (Skyhorse/2016), and Natural Baby & Toddler Treats: Homemade, Nourishing Recipes for Baby and Beyond (Skyhorse/2019).  

Leigh Ann lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and young son.  Visit her at www.MyDiaryofUs.com.