S amantha Bee may be best known as the hilariously self-assured Most Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but in addition to her considerable comedic and writing chops, she's also a veteran cook with a lifelong love of food, a passion she shares (as Most Senior Kitchen Correspondent) with her three children, aged five months to four years, and her husband, Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones.

Bee's memoir of her eccentric upbringing in Toronto, I Know I Am, But What Are You?, now in paperback, reveals that she didn't exactly grow up in a food-centric household—her aunt's notion of Christmas culinary tradition was microwaving a prime rib roast. "I think that my love of cooking grew out of my love of reading about cooking," says Bee. "When I was a kid, we had a bookcase in the kitchen filled with cookbooks. I would eat all my meals reading about meals I could have been having." The memoir also exposes some of the very funny consequences of her early obsession with food: The prospect of a hot pizza lured her into some interesting situations, while her hatred of hot ham…well, you'll just have to read the book.

Though Bee admits her absolute favorite foods are salted caramels, chocolate tarts, and croissants, what she makes her family is a lot healthier: "These days, I have to cook as quickly as possible before my children start begging for cheese crackers. I make lots of roast chicken, pasta—my kids love rice. I try to make a healthy dinner and bribe my children into eating a fraction of what I have put on the plate for them. At the moment, they are not very interested in variety, but I am choosing not to let it stress me out."

How does she find time to bring home the proverbial Canadian bacon and fry it up in a pan, with three kids and a daily television show? By being organized. "I am always, in some way, thinking about what I need to pick up later in order to make dinner happen," Bee says. "If we were having a conversation now, it would seem normal to you, but in the back of my head, I would be making a mental note to stop by the farmers' market on the way home for apple cider and red onions."

One thing Bee always makes time for is breakfast: "I believe in breakfast. It's the one meal that my kids usually eat without a fuss, so that's huge. As for myself, I can't function without it, and I see it as a great way to get some healthy greens in, some coffee, and on a good day, maybe even some news of the world via the newspaper. I like to start the day with a full tank of gas—I mean, I NEED to!"

Learning Bee is a champion of breakfasts inspired me to invite her over to show her a few of my favorite recipes, all of which can be prepared the night before and popped in the oven or waffle maker the next morning. The Eggs Benedict Bread Pudding is an Egg McMuffin on steroids—a crowd-pleaser with Jarlsberg cheese, broccoli, English muffins, and Canadian bacon. For something a little lighter, the Power Waffles with Yogurt, Bananas, and Almonds are perfect for mornings when you want to fortify your family without filling them up with too many calories. The Frittata with Bacon, Fresh Ricotta, and Greens is a hearty and nutritious way to start the day, featuring the high-vitamin, high-fiber nutritional superstar kale. All three breakfasts are warm and wonderful, just like Bee.

Watch Samantha Bee and Tanya Steel Make Breakfast:

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