Breakfast
1324 recipes found
Greens and Garlic Frittata to Go
Chop the greens super-fine to achieve the prettiest color. Use whatever looks best in the market (spinach and chard are brightest when it comes to color), or you can use bagged baby spinach. You only need 1/2 cup of chopped greens, but you could use twice that amount.
Ferran Adrià’s Potato Chip Omelet
This recipe, adapted from the cookbook “The Family Meal: Home Cooking With Ferran Adrià” (Phaidon, 2011), is a study in simplicity. The chef of El Bulli, the famous Spanish restaurant, Mr. Adrià created an omelet reminiscent of a Spanish tortilla that comes together in minutes using only eggs, salted potato chips and olive oil. As with any recipe calling for just a few ingredients, quality truly matters here, so opt for the best potato chips, the finest olive oil and the freshest eggs. There’s no need to season the dish with salt, Mr. Adrià advises, since the chips are already salted, but serving the omelet with salt and pepper adds nuance. If you like, add finely sliced chives, a handful of grated Manchego or perhaps a pinch of piment d’Espelette or paprika like a true tortilla Española.
Apricot Snack Cake
This simple and tender cake is prepared entirely in the food processor, with juicy apricots, fragrant vanilla and nutty almond flour, which accentuates the fruity flavor. The apricots add natural tartness to balance the rich, buttery cake, but the cake also works well with other stone fruits, like peaches, plums and nectarines. It’s an ideal recipe for using overripe fruits, if you’ve bought too many and can’t eat them fast enough. Perfect for breakfast with coffee or tea, this snacking cake is a great pick-me-up treat any time of day. For dessert, toast the slices and serve warm topped with whipped cream, ice cream or macerated fruit.
Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Muffins
These chocolate-and-pumpkin muffins make a perfect breakfast on the go, the two flavors united by a hint of cinnamon. If you’d like to dress them up for a party, start by adding 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chocolate to the chocolate batter before scooping it into the cups and skip the sugar topping. Bake and cool the muffins, then top them with a simple cream cheese frosting: Beat together 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 4 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter and 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar. Spread the frosting liberally on the muffins and top with chocolate sprinkles.
Cranberry-Orange Scones
Cranberries and orange are a classic sweet-tart pairing in these scones, which are quick-to-make but super satisfying. Folding the dough a few times, and using a combination of buttermilk and cream creates a flaky and tender texture that is irresistible. The glaze adds another punch of orange flavor, but it is totally optional, if you prefer a simpler scone. The scones freeze well after baking, but for the best texture, make sure to defrost them at room temperature and warm gently before serving. Feel free to swap in another citrus fruit for the orange, and just about any other dried fruit for the cranberries. Tart cherries and lime also make a great combination.
Brown-Butter Maple Muffins
These one-bowl muffins are humble in appearance, but packed with toasty brown butter, rich maple syrup, and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg for warmth. The sour cream gives them a bit of tang and tenderness. Make sure to gently fold in the flour to ensure that the finished muffins are light and fluffy instead of dense and stodgy. The nuts on top are optional, but highly recommended for a bit of crunch and toasty flavor. If you have the time, don’t skip the maple butter glaze; it adds a sweet and savory note that makes these muffins extra special. They are best served warm, with a little pat of butter.
Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread
This recipe uses four bananas, which is more than is typical for a single loaf. The natural sugars from the ripe, brown bananas keep the bread incredibly moist for up to one week, even sliced. The high moisture of the batter can make it tricky to determine doneness, so take care not to underbake the the loaf. It should have a dry, shiny, cracked surface, and a tester inserted into the thickest portion should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Serve this banana bread for breakfast or brunch, or even as a simple dessert, topped with a scoop of coffee ice cream.
Giant Almond Croissant
Crisp and buttery puff pastry is filled and smothered with fragrant frangipane, just like an almond croissant, but in an extra-crunchy, sharable format. This fun treat is easy to pull off for a festive breakfast or brunch. Bake the puff pastry and make the almond filling in advance, then assemble and bake once more just before serving. All-butter frozen puff pastry will have the best texture and flavor, but takes longer to crisp through, so be sure to bake it until deeply browned.
Pantry Crumb Cake
More of a snack or breakfast than a showy dessert, a homey crumb cake doesn’t need the oohs-and-aahs of any guests. It’s the kind of thing a small family can devour in a few days, and a single person can freeze in slices, at the ready whenever the urge for brown sugar and butter hits. (Just wrap each slice up separately and store them in a container in the freezer; a slice will thaw in under an hour on the counter.) This cake is also extremely adaptable: Use whatever spices you like. If you don’t have oats, use more flour or chopped nuts. And feel free to use whatever fruit, fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned, you have on hand.
Creamy Homemade Yogurt
Homemade yogurt is a snap to make. All you really need is good quality milk, a few spoonfuls of your favorite plain yogurt to use as a starter culture, and some time to let it sit. You can substitute low-fat milk here if you’d rather; 2 percent works a lot better than 1 percent. Skim milk will give you a thinner yogurt, though if you add some dry milk powder to the milk as it heats (about 1/2 cup), that will help thicken it. Creamline (non-homogenized milk) will give you a cream top on your yogurt. Homogenized milk is smooth throughout.
Vegan Zucchini Bread
This dairy- and egg-free spin on a cozy classic loaf cake comes together quickly in one bowl without much effort. Be sure to give the grated zucchini a good squeeze to release any excess liquid before you add it into the batter to avoid an overly dense, soggy cake. For a slightly more wholesome loaf, feel free to substitute 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour for 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. You can also add a handful of chopped chocolate or nuts, or both. Don’t skip the sugar on top; it gives the finished loaf a wonderful crunchy crust. A note on sugar: Some sugar is processed using animal products and is not considered vegan. If you want to use vegan sugar, look for a brand that is U.S.D.A-certified organic, which ensures animal products are not used.
Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
The bran and germ of whole-wheat flour add nuttiness to pancakes, but 100 percent whole-wheat pancakes have a reputation for being dense and fibrous. These aren’t. Letting the batter rest for five minutes while the pan heats ensures that the pancakes will be tender and delicate. The flour will hydrate and soften, doing away with any heaviness but keeping its deep, delicious flavor.
Savory Steel-Cut Oats With Fried Egg and Za’atar
Oat porridge for breakfast is often topped with brown sugar and cream. Though sweetened porridge is delicious, a savory approach with oats makes a nice change. Think of oats as a fine substitute for rice — you don’t always want rice pudding, do you? Steel-cut oats have a nutty whole-grain flavor and retain a nubbly texture, far superior to rolled oats; they pair nicely with savory toppings, for a risotto-like effect. This easy, hearty dish is actually suitable for any time of day, not just morning. If you can’t find za’atar (a splendid spice mix of wild thyme, sumac and sesame used throughout the Middle East), try a sprinkling of toasted ground cumin or a pinch of oregano, or a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. It’s hard to cook a single portion of oats, so make the full batch. Leftovers can be reheated for another day’s breakfast. (And if rolled oats is all you have, it’s no crime.)
Extra-Creamy Scrambled Eggs
Adding a small amount of a starchy slurry to scrambled eggs — a technique learned from Mandy Lee of the food blog Lady & Pups — prevents them from setting up too firmly, resulting in eggs that stay tender and moist, whether you like them soft-, medium- or hard-scrambled. Potato or tapioca starch is active at slightly lower temperatures than cornstarch and will produce a slightly more tender scramble, but cornstarch works just fine if it’s what you’ve got on hand. Make sure your skillet is at just the right temperature by heating a tablespoon of water in the skillet and waiting for it to evaporate. For creamier eggs, you can replace the water with milk or half-and-half.
Sheet-Pan Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Here’s a clever trick for making a big batch of pancakes that will save you from spending all morning at the stove: Bake them all at once on a sheet pan. In this recipe, the batter comes together like biscuit dough by cutting the cold butter into the flour before adding the liquid. This cuts down on gluten production, which means fluffier pancakes. For wonderfully crisp edges, heat the sheet pan in advance, so the batter starts cooking as soon as it’s poured into the pan. If you like, you can stir a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the batter, sprinkle it with finely chopped fruit, or mix and match toppings to please the crowd.
Gingerbread Pancakes
These warmly spiced pancakes have all of the classic flavors of gingerbread cookies. Finely grated fresh ginger and lemon zest brighten the deep molasses and spice flavors. Serve these pancakes with warm maple syrup and butter.
The Best Scrambled Eggs
For silky, outrageously good scrambled eggs, cook them low and slow. This method, which Mark Bittman learned from James Beard, is very low and very slow: you place the eggs over very low heat, stirring frequently, breaking up the curds as they form. The results are without compare. Make them for breakfast on the weekend, while the coffee brews and the bacon fries.
Buttery Breakfast Casserole
The word “buttery” in the title refers to croissants, which make an especially rich foundation for this golden-topped baked breakfast classic. Toasting the croissants before building the casserole adds caramelized notes that can stand up to the bits of browned sausage, sage and melted Gruyère strewn throughout. Make this the night before a special breakfast or brunch, then pop it in the oven an hour before you plan to serve it.
Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
Japanese soufflé pancakes start with the same ingredients as American varieties — namely, eggs, flour and milk — but they tower above traditional diner versions thanks to the addition of extra egg whites. A meringue mixture is beaten to stiff peaks, then folded into the batter, which cooks directly in metal pastry rings to help the pancakes attain their distinctive height. The key is to cook the batter at a very low temperature. If your stove has a small burner, or an especially low heat setting, use it here to create these custardy pancakes, worthy of breakfast, an afternoon snack or even dessert.
Banana Pancakes
For the fluffiest results, be sure to mix this banana-and-buttermilk pancake batter as minimally as possible. Fold it just until streaks of flour have disappeared but not enough to smooth out the lumps. As they sizzle in plenty of melted butter, they will puff up and develop crisp edges and fluffy, tender interiors. Keep the cooked pancakes warm on a rack in a 200-degree oven while cooking off the rest of the batter and they will all stay hot and ready for serving.
Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs With Tomato)
Menemen, made from eggs, tomatoes, peppers and sometimes onions, is a distinctly Turkish breakfast comfort food. Although a year-round dish, it is especially pleasing in the summer, with really ripe tomatoes from the garden or farmer’s market. Be creative with this dish: Add shallots, chiles, fresh herbs or Aleppo pepper, or treat it as purists do, with only tomatoes and eggs. Cook slowly, stirring infrequently, until the eggs form billowy puffs. You can serve topped with feta cheese or lamb sausage, with any warm flatbread on the side.
Breakfast Burritos
A delightful breakfast, these burritos filled with soft scrambled eggs, scallion-flecked refried beans and buttery avocado slices are also great any time of the day. Cilantro adds freshness, and a few drops of your favorite hot sauce will deliver a nice zing. The nontraditional open-ended rolling technique used here will tightly encase the filling in the smaller-size tortillas while ensuring the optimal tortilla-to-stuffing ratio. To seal completely, wrap each tortilla in a strip of foil and twist both ends. For convenience, the little wraps can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or freezer and reheated in an oven.
Sausage and Egg Tater Tot Casserole
There are few things better for breakfast than fried potatoes swimming in a velvety pool of eggy custard, Cheddar cheese, seared bits of sage sausage and scallions. This recipe is inspired by hot dish, the Midwestern classic that gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Traditionally a mixture of protein, vegetables, creamed soup and a starch, it still often dwells in church halls, or is covered in foil and brought to potluck suppers. This version is perfect for a hearty breakfast or brunch, something you can throw together when you want to feed a gang of loved ones or just two very hungry people. A simple green salad tossed in a vinaigrette would be a perfect pairing.
Baked French Toast With Oat Crumble Topping
The beauty of a baked French toast casserole is that you can prepare it entirely in advance, usually the night before you want to serve it, then pop it into the oven about 45 minutes before you’re ready to eat. This version combines toasted challah with a nutmeg-flavored custard, which is then topped with a crunchy oat crumble. Pears add a ripe and juicy note to the dish, but if you’d rather go fruitless, you can leave them out. The finished dish is sublime served with vanilla-honey syrup drizzled on top, but it is also excellent with maple syrup.