Brunch
939 recipes found
Egg-in-a-Nest Sandwich
An egg cooked in an egg-size hole cut out of butter-sizzled bread feels like a treat. But it’s not quite enough to make a meal. Here, the classic egg-in-a-nest merges with a grilled cheese and a breakfast sandwich into a meal for one that’s meant to be savored leisurely. It’s as delightful with coffee at the beginning of the day as it is in the middle for lunch, or ending it, whether at supper or at midnight. The bread slices — one cradling the egg, the other holding cheese — cook at the same time over relatively low heat so that they end up perfectly golden brown while the egg sets and the cheese melts. If you’d like a little heat, add hot sauce or any chile powder or flakes.
Wild Rice Porridge
Wild rice, known as manoomin in the Anishinaabemowin language, has been central to the identity and history of Indigenous people in the Upper Midwest and Central Canada for thousands of years. Directly translated as the “good berry,” the sacred manoomin is found in tall green grasses of low-lying lakes and streams, where ricers of all ages use sticks to knock kernels from the grass stalks into the bed of a canoe. This recipe is adapted from Dwayne Jarman, a traditional ricer in Michigan and enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. For his son’s birthday every year, he makes a delightful breakfast porridge of hand-harvested manoomin simmered in cream and topped with dried fruit and nuts. A touch of maple syrup and plumped berries balance the nutty flavor of the rice with explosions of warm sweetness. You’re urged to seek out manoomin for this recipe (see Tip), but you could substitute store-bought, commercially cultivated wild rice if preferred.
Lemon Soufflé French Toast
Like a cross between bread pudding and a fancy soufflé, this golden, puffed French toast casserole makes for the most elegant of brunch dishes. Baking the challah slices before soaking gives a rich, toasty flavor and helps dry them out, allowing them to absorb maximum custard. Lemon zest and orange liqueur give this a deep citrus flavor that’s punctuated with nutmeg and a burnt sugar topping. Serve it on its own or with fruit on the side. And while this nicely sweetened breakfast doesn’t need any syrup or extra sugar, a squeeze of lemon adds just the right tang.
Brown Sugar Sheet-Pan French Toast
With a cracking, caramelized brown sugar crust topping and soft, custardy slices of challah, this sheet-pan French toast is sweet perfection all by itself, without the need for maple syrup or powdered sugar. Baking it on a sheet pan eliminates the need to stand at the stove, pan-frying slices in batches. And while the oven is on, it’s easy to throw in a pan of bacon as well. If you can plan ahead, it’s best to start this the night before; the longer the challah soaks in the cinnamon-scented egg mixture, the better and more cakelike the result.
Spiraled Spanakopita With Feta
The first thing you’ll notice about this savory Greek pie — called striftí spanakotyrópita in its homeland — is its alluring spiraled form. But the shape serves a purpose beyond aesthetics: It amplifies the irresistible contrast between the crunch of the crust and the tenderness of the filling by increasing the surface area of the flaky, golden, olive-oil-varnished phyllo that encases the herbaceous greens. A handful of dried currants balances the salty cheese, and fresh parsley helps bring it all to life. If you’re lucky enough to have a Greek grocery nearby, look for frozen “country-style” phyllo, which is thicker and more tender than the paper-thin variety found in most supermarkets, making it closer to the handmade dough preferred by Greek cooks.
Spanakorizo With Jammy Eggs
Bright and soulful, spanakorizo is a beloved Greek dish, with a name that reflects its combination of two key ingredients: spinach and rice. This version is fairly traditional in its essence, relying upon rice, spinach, lemon and herbs, but includes some flourishes. Though the addition of the jammy egg is not traditional, it injects a sunny burst of color, as well as added protein. For ease, this recipe calls for baby spinach (or chopped mature spinach), but frozen spinach can also be used (simply thaw it and squeeze out the water), or try a hardy green like chard or kale. A whole bunch of scallions delivers a richly aromatic base for the rice. Basmati is used here for its quick cooking time and light finish, but if you would like to use more traditional medium-grain rice, simply add an extra ½ cup of stock (2 cups total). As with any recipe, the timing is a guideline, but you should use your senses: Check your rice at the 15-minute mark, as some brands of rice will cook quicker than others.
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Perfect Microwave Poached Eggs
We found a faster, better way to make restaurant-worthy poached eggs—and it takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Quick Smoked Salmon Tart
Reminiscent of a classic bagel with lox, this quick and convenient tart is made with buttery, flaky store-bought puff pastry for a no-rolling-necessary appetizer or light yet satisfying meal. A schmear of sour cream is added after the pastry is baked, followed by smoked salmon and toppings boasting of nothing but freshness: crisp cucumbers, pickled onion, briny capers and fragrant dill. Altogether, this smoky, creamy tart is a surefire hit for any gathering.
Whitefish Salad
Whitefish salads are most often drenched in mayonnaise, masking the distinctive smoky, salty flavor of the fish and covering up the crispy celery and onion. In this lighter, fresher salad, included in my new cookbook, “My Life in Recipes” (Alfred A. Knopf, 2024), the celery adds a tiny bit of texture while the herbs complement without overpowering. A minimal amount of mayonnaise adds silkiness as freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens, letting the fish dominate. The only tricky part is to make sure you remove all the bones. Serve this whitefish salad as a dip; a spread for matzo, bread or bagels; or as a topping on leafy greens, cucumber rounds or endive spears.
French Onion Sliders
Fill store-bought brioche buns with jammy, caramelized onions and melted Gruyère, for satisfying little sandwiches that make a perfect soup companion or a cozy, comforting meal. Caramelizing the onions takes some time but very little effort, and coaxing out the ingredient’s sweet side is well worth it. The butter used to caramelize the onions adds flavor, and the extra-virgin olive oil allows the onions to tolerate higher heat without burning. (However, if you find the onions are browning unevenly, turn the heat down to low.) Prepare a big batch of these balsamic caramelized onions ahead of time and lunch can be on your plate in 10 minutes.
Lemon Bars With Pecan Crust
Lemon bars, with their buttery shortbread crust and their tart-as-you-like curd, have become one of the great American desserts ubiquitous to the 20th century cookery canon. These have a little twist with a rich pecan short crust, making them just a bit more well-rounded, the toasty nuttiness serving as a counterbalance to the tart lemon zing. While there are some official notations of its origins in print — most notably in the Chicago Tribune in 1962 — it remains one of those desserts that has seemingly lived in the hearts of modern Americans for as long as we can remember. As a friendly harbinger of spring and a favorite for every summertime cookout or picnic or backyard hang, these bright bites are a great option to make ahead; chilling them overnight makes them easy to cut and sugar right before you plan to serve or carry them to your festivities. For all these reasons and more, lemon bars will likely keep their rightful place as a great American standard for many years to come.
Taverna Salad
This colorful, meal-of-a-salad from Lidey Heuck’s cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life” (S&S/Simon Element, 2024), is inspired by two dishes: classic Greek salad (also known as horiatiki) and fattoush, the Lebanese salad of vegetables and pieces of fried pita. The ingredient list may look long at first, but each ingredient contributes to the harmony of the salad: bell pepper and cucumbers for crunch; shallot, olives and capers for a bit of tang; chopped tomatoes for sweetness. Pan-fried halloumi adds richness and heft, but you can skip the searing process and instead opt for a 6-ounce block of feta, if desired. To save even more time, you can add a large handful of crumbled pita chips instead of making your own.
Pea and Ricotta Frittata
This frittata is a celebration of spring: Its color, flavor and tenderness capture the spirit of beginnings. A purée of mint and peas, as well as a sprinkling of both, give it its pastel green freshness. Heavy cream and a long cook time in a low oven give it a quivering, custardy texture that may remind you more of steamed eggs than most frittatas. To get this gentle wobble, undercook the frittata ever so slightly, and let the residual heat finish the job. Be brave and take it out of the oven right after you feel the middle go from swampy to jiggly, and allow it to cool slightly before slicing. As is always the case with frittatas, they are best at or right above room temperature, so do not refrigerate before serving.
Greens and Peas Salad With Bacon
This salad has all the snappy sweetness of spring, offset by the smoky saltiness of bacon and a bacon fat vinaigrette. Black pepper is a key ingredient, not an accent, so grind on. Bacon fat sets as it cools, so make the dressing when the bacon pan is still warm, and if you’re making it in advance, make sure it's just warmer than room temperature. If you store it in a jar, sit the jar in a hot water bath to melt the fat before dressing the salad. Also make sure that your salad ingredients are room temperature, rather than cold, when you dress. To make this salad vegetarian, leave out the bacon and replace the bacon fat in the dressing with olive oil.
Chocolate Doughnut Muffins
These supersoft, pillowy chocolate muffins are reminiscent of your favorite chocolate doughnut, but with no fussy frying necessary. Packed with sour cream and just a drop of oil, they stay moist and delicious for days. They come together quickly in one bowl, so you can mix them up for a morning treat or afternoon snack without much effort. The cinnamon-sugar coating gives them a crunchy and lightly spiced exterior, which is a pleasing contrast to their soft centers, but they are just as tasty with a heavy dusting of confectioners’ sugar instead.
Fruit Crumble
The buttery blend of oats and nuts in this easy, warm dessert stays nubby and crunchy while baking over the juicy fruit. (It also happens to be gluten-free.) A chai spice blend is especially nice in the mix, but other sweet-leaning spices like cinnamon and cardamom taste just as good. Any blend of fruit works, and keeping the peel on apples, pears and stone fruit not only streamlines the preparation but also adds a pleasant chewiness. If you want to go all berry, stick with fresh options; frozen fruit ends up too wet. (Thawed frozen berries work just fine with a mix of sturdy fresh apples and pears, though.) You don’t have to serve a warm bowl of this crumble with ice cream, but you probably want that creaminess swirling into the jammy fruit.
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5-Ingredient Pork Roll (AKA Taylor Ham)
All New Jerseyans agree it is made up of the same four ingredients: a bready vessel, fried egg, American cheese, and slices of fried pork roll made by one of two companies—Taylor Provisions or Case Pork Roll. Our version ensures buttery layers throughout.
Irish Cream Coffee Cake
This playful twist on a classic crumb cake adds a generous pour of Irish cream liqueur to the batter. While it’s often served with coffee, Irish cream is not coffee-flavored, but made with whiskey and cream, along with hints of chocolate and vanilla. It lends a rich vanilla flavor to this simple cake, and its boozy edge cuts the sweetness. Use an Irish cream liqueur that tastes good on its own, because its flavors will shine through. A simple crumb mixture, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans, forms both the streusel topping and a spiced ribbon running through the cake. The cake isn’t complete without the Irish cream glaze. Cut this coffee cake into big squares and serve with coffee; extra Irish cream is optional.
Miso Leeks With White Beans
In this reinterpretation of the classic French dish leeks vinaigrette, tender braised leeks are bathed in a punchy miso vinaigrette, tossed with creamy white beans then served with an oozy soft egg for an easy, comforting midweek meal. Steady, gentle heat is the key to achieving the rich, jamlike leeks, coaxing out their sweetness while ensuring that they stay silky. The miso leeks can also be eaten in other ways — on a slice of toast, stirred through warm potatoes or pasta, or tossed with French lentils and peppery arugula for a simple salad. Make sure you use the whole leek. Many recipes recommend the white part only, but the green parts, while slightly tougher with a stronger flavor, can also be cooked and tenderized, especially in recipes where they are braised. The miso leeks improve over time and can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Skillet Pasta With Bacon and Eggs
Emulsifying creamy carbonara sauce can feel trickier than treading a tightrope, but this skillet pasta recipe fulfills those cravings with ease, and all in one pan. Start by searing some sliced bacon until crisp, toasting orzo in the rendered bacon fat, then simmering with stock until pasta is al dente. Next, you’ll stir in a few handfuls of Parmesan, then crack eggs right into the nearly cooked pasta. The whites will cook until creamy, but the yolks should remain runny, so that as you eat, the yolk mingles with the pasta for silky spoonfuls.
Monte Cristo
This American diner classic — a battered and grilled ham, turkey and cheese sandwich dusted with confectioners’ sugar — may, in fact, be a descendant of the French croque-monsieur. The two are quite similar, the main difference being that the croque-monsieur has a layer of béchamel on top, while the Monte Cristo is dipped in beaten egg before it’s griddled. The Monte Cristo became popular when a restaurant at Disneyland began serving it in the 1960s, and now, it lives on as a fixture on menus around the country. It's a delicious way to use leftover baked ham, but regular deli meat works well, too. (Feel free to omit the turkey and use twice as much ham, if you prefer.) As with most grilled sandwiches, thinner slices of cheese will melt more easily.
Hoecakes
Justin Cherry, a foodways historian, chef and resident baker at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, developed this recipe for hoecakes (cornmeal pancakes) using archival sources that describe the first president’s fondness for the dish. Corn was a cash crop at Mount Vernon, and the estate had a successful mill that could process up to 8,000 pounds of flour and cornmeal in one day. Hoecakes were so esteemed by Washington that Hercules Posey and the other enslaved chefs likely made them daily. Given the president’s dental issues and wealth, the cornmeal used for his hoecakes was probably a finer, higher-quality grind than the coarser meal given to his enslaved community as weekly rations. This recipe, created by Mr. Cherry, uses stone-ground cornmeal, and produces a pronounced corn flavor. It’s important to make sure your butter is hot so the hoecakes crisp nicely while their interiors remain moist, retaining an almost creamy texture. George Washington ate these cornmeal cakes “swimming” in butter and honey, but maple syrup works well, too.
Crumpets
Recognizable by its distinctive holes, a crumpet is a spongy bread that is cooked on a griddle or in a skillet, rather than baked in the oven. Crumpets differ from English muffins in that their texture is pleasantly spongy and chewy, a result of two leaveners (active dry yeast and baking powder). Typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack, crumpets are traditionally slathered with butter and sweet or savory condiments like jam or Marmite. They’re arguably as simple to make as pancakes, but you’ll need 3½-inch crumpet or English muffin rings to contain the runny batter when you add it to a hot skillet. The crumpets will cook until browned underneath and perforated with tiny holes all over the top; adjust the heat as necessary so the crumpets don’t brown too much on the bottom before they are cooked through.
Citrus, Beet and Avocado Salad
This is winter’s caprese: shingled slices of the season’s peak produce dressed simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. The sweet citrus, creamy avocado and earthy beets are really all you need, but trio can serve as a base for salads all year long. Add protein (fresh or tinned seafood, grains, legumes), dairy (burrata, stracciatella, yogurt, feta), more vegetables or fruits (baby greens, chicories, radishes, cucumbers), and flavor boosters like toasted whole spices or nuts, crushed red pepper, herbs, shallots or olives. The beets can be steamed or roasted, or you can purchase them precooked. Any way you make it, this easy-to-assemble salad is a bright, beautiful spot in winter’s shorter, darker days.