5 Breakfast Ideas the Whole Family Will Love

We have a saying in our home: I am not a short-order cook. That means if I make pad Thai for dinner, we all eat pad Thai for dinner -- no get out of jail free card, no special requests for mac & cheese. But breakfast is different. You want your eggs scrambled, over-easy, sunny-side up? You got it. Well, up to a point.

Even on the weekends, you probably don't want to whip up pancakes for one kid and eggs for another kid. That's why I love the kinds of breakfasts that are flexible enough to please a wide range of palates -- but without making the chef crazy. Here are my favorite customized-breakfast ideas.

1. Pancake party. Is everyone on board for pancakes? Great! Some like theirs plain, others with blueberries, others with chocolate chips. Mix up a batch of batter and then divide into smaller bowls. Have each person add in whatever ingredients they want in their pancakes and then cook each customized batch. (Hint: kids usually want more mix-ins than will actually work for a pancake, so go easy on those ingredients. Less is more.)

2. Customized crepes. Just like pancakes, only thinner -- and instead of mixing in your ingredients, you fold them in after the crepe is finished cooking. This is another breakfast dish everyone can have their own way: with chopped fruit, Nutella, peanut butter, whatever sounds tasty. Cook a whole batch of crepes and then bring them to the table for everyone to fill. And check out this kid's crepe-flipping technique. Nice!

3. Omelette bar. Set out all the options: chopped veggies, sliced ham, and shredded cheese. Have each family member put the fillings they want on their plate. Then you know what to put in their omelette. I learned how to cook an omelette watching this classic video of Jaques Pepin. Also, as with the pancakes, when it comes to fillings less is more.

4. Frittata free-for-all. Still working on your omelet technique? Make frittatas instead. Here's the E-Z method: whisk together 2 eggs in a small bowl. Mix in your veggies. Pour into pan on low heat. When cooked on the bottom, flip over as best as you can, but don't worry if you break it in the process. Top with cheese and finish cooking. Next!

5. Oatmeal your way. Everyone in my family likes their oatmeal a different way. I like to cook a batch and then let everyone mix in their toppings: fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, maple syrup, and milk. Hmm, all this talk about breakfast is making me hungry for second breakfast!