Oats

At L.A.’s Destroyer, F&W Best New Chef 2017 Jordan Kahn takes breakfast to new heights. Here, for instance, he makes overnight oats in homemade almond milk, then serves that with roasted almond butter, muesli and a sheet of frozen skyr. It’s a crazy but wonderful combination of many breakfast classics in one.

This granola recipe from Jessamyn Waldman's mother is more nutty than sweet. Says Waldman, "I love it because I'm not a sweet breakfast person myself."

Many people miss out on the nutty flavor and nubby texture of oatmeal made with steel-cut oats because they assume it's too time-consuming to prepare. But if you soak the oats overnight, they cook in just 10 minutes.

Karen DeMasco's crumbly soft, jammy-sweet bars travel well, so they're ideal for school bake sales. She says, "They are quick to put together with pantry staples, and everyone seems to love them." They're delicious made with any flavor of jam, as well as the raspberry preserves called for here.

Cooks are discovering that agave nectar, Indian jaggery and other natural sweeteners have nuanced flavors that white sugar doesn't; plus, unprocessed sweeteners may be richer in minerals and less likely to cause spikes in blood-sugar levels.

To vary the filling here, use 4 pounds of berries (strawberries, blackberries and raspberries); or 4 pounds of plums, cut into 1-inch cubes; or 6 pints of blueberries plus 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

These oat bars, packed with fruit and nuts, are like delicious granola made to go.