Kids will love these breakfast ideas for Passover

Chocolate spread on matzah COOKING ON THE SIDE PHOTO
Chocolate spread on matzah KATHY STRAHS/COOKING ON THE SIDE PHOTO

When my kids were young, the most difficult thing about Passover, food-wise, was what to make for breakfasts. Lunches and dinners were easy to plan, but breakfasts were another whole story. During the run-up to Passover, they looked forward to matzah brei, but after a few days of it their reaction was, “Oh, not that again.”

Waffles, pancakes, toast, bagels, muffins, even most cereals – they’re all off limits during the weeklong holiday. Most of the kosher for Passover cereals are pretty bad. So what’s to eat for breakfast? Here are some ideas that I think your kids will love.

French toast made with slices of sponge cake. Omelette with chopped lox and a healthy dollop of cream cheese added just before the fold.


Geshmirte matzah

o 1/2 cup milk
o 4 matzah squares
o 16 oz. soft cream cheese
o 1/2 cup sour cream
o 1/2 cup sugar
o 1 tbsp. potato starch
o juice of half a lemon
o 3 eggs
o 1 tbsp. cinnamon-sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Pour the milk into a large shallow dish and lay the matzah squares in one at a time, turning to soak both sides. Set each matzah on a greased cookie sheet. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, potato starch, lemon juice and eggs until smooth. Spoon onto matzah, spreading to cover. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven; cut each matzah into 9 squares. Makes 8 servings.


Pizza omelette

o 3 eggs
o salt and pepper, to taste
o marinara, tomato sauce or ketchup
o mozzarella cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded olives, herbs or toppings of choice

Whisk eggs well. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a 7-in. frying pan* with cooking spray or butter. Pour egg mixture into pan and let it cook until it sets around the edges. Flip the omelette, taking care that it does not break. Remove the omelette from the pan and set on a baking sheet. Top with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake at 400 until cheese is browned and bubbly.

*If you use a bigger pan, you may want to add a few more eggs to keep the “crust” substantial. If it’s too thin, the pizza will fall apart.


Four ingredient Passover pancakes  

o 2 large eggs (or 1 extra-large egg)
o 1 ripe banana
o 2 tbsp. almond butter
o 1 tsp. cinnamon

Optional Toppings:
o chocolate chips
o blueberries
o toasted coconut
o pure maple syrup

Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot, around 3-5 minutes.
In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Whisk in the eggs then add the almond butter and cinnamon and stir to combine. You can add chocolate chips, blueberries or anything else you can think of to the batter.

With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, pour the batter on to the skillet and cook on one side until bubbles form around the edges of the pancakes, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 1 minute. Remove the cooked pancakes from the skillet, stack, top with pure maple syrup and other fun toppings and eat! Makes 8-10 pancakes.


Homemade Nutella

Your children will love this spread on matzah.

o 8 oz skinned* and roasted hazelnuts (unsalted), about 1 1/2 cups
o 1 8-oz. bag chocolate chips
o 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
o pinch of sea salt

Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. While they are melting, add the hazelnuts to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla and salt and blend until incorporated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for up to 1 month. Makes about 3 cups.

*If you cannot find skinned hazelnuts, purchase raw nuts and roast them at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, until the skins begin to crack. Remove from the oven and add to a kitchen towel. Rub the nuts vigorously to remove the skins and set aside to cool.

Note: When the Nutella comes out of the food processor, it will be liquidy, like the consistency of melted chocolate. As it sits, it will firm up to the texture of nut butter. If you refrigerate the spread, it will harden, but you can just bring it to room temperature so it’s easier to spread.

Equipment Note: You will need a powerful food processor in order to create the hazelnut butter. If your machine is not that good, the process may take longer, just be patient and let the machine do the work.

Tip: If your Nutella is difficult to spread, place your sealed container in a bowl of very warm tap water to soften.


Photo: Cooking on the Side