Our Best Brunch Recipes
Honey French Toast with Macerated Berries [1]
Egg bread, extra egg yolks and half-and-half take a trusty diner classic to new levels of splurge. (Trust us, you won’t regret going along for the ride.) Both the French toast and berries need to rest overnight, so this is an ideal make-ahead brunch dish. The recipe comes from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook [2] (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95).
Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata [6]
This brunch recipe comes from Carol Mortensen of Flossmoor, Illinois. "My husband and I began hosting brunches in 1986. This goat cheese, artichoke and smoked ham strata became our favorite brunch dish," she says. "The best part is preparing it the night before to bake in the morning."
Spinach-Asparagus Quiche [10]
This hearty quiche recipe comes from Fire Lake Camp farm in Paola, Kansas, where a U-pick asparagus patch draws visitors every spring.
Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake [14]
Plump blueberries create a juicy filling in this old-fashioned sour cream coffee cake from The White Gull Inn in Fish Creek on Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula.
Cookie Butter and Banana French Toast [18]
Take Elvis' iconic PB and banana sandwich, but swap in cookie butter (a suddenly everywhere spread made of ground Belgian spice cookies). Nestle the sandwiches vertically in a pan to maximize crispy golden ridges, and soak overnight in custard. Result: A hunka-hunka mornin' love.
Eggs Benedict with Maltaise Sauce [22]
What's Maltaise Sauce, you ask? It's just hollandaise sauce with a bit of orange zest and juice added. But you wouldn't believe how that bit of zing transforms this brunch standard.
Spring Egg Scramble [26]
Scrambles are a blank slate that you can adapt to every season, varying the veggies to use whatever you have on hand. More lunch-like than breakfasty, this version begs for a salad and buttered toast. The recipe comes from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook [2] (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95).
Also from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook, [2] a perfect accompaniment to the scramble: Green Tea Vinaigrette on mixed greens. Minneapolis chef Marshall Paulsen created the unusual dressing when matcha was the surprise ingredient in a chef’s challenge.
Spring Egg Scramble [27]
Czech Kolaches [31]
Kolaches (koh-LAH-chees) are a staple in the bakeries and farm kitchens of the Midwest's old Czech communities. Warm from the oven, our version is petite, pillowy and just begging for coffee.
Czech Kolaches [32]
Ham and Mushroom Lasagna [35]
This creamy, crazy-delicious lasagna is simple, too, thanks to jarred Alfredo sauce and no-boil noodles. If you're lucky enough to have a specialty grocery store or Italian deli that sells all-natural refrigerated Alfredo sauce without preservatives, this is a great way to use it.
Hint-of-Orange Pancakes with Grapefruit Syrup [39]
This recipe couldn't be simpler! Just simmer grapefruit slices in maple syrup for a delicious, rosy compote to serve over waffles, French toast, crepes—or these subtly orange-flavored pancakes.
Stuffed Croissant Breakfast Strata [43]
The combination of croissants, bacon and cheese create an indulgent make-ahead treat for breakfast or brunch. Croissant pieces fit into the baking dish like a puzzle.
Blueberry Surprise French Toast Casserole [47]
The breakfast spread at Turkey Run Inn at Turkey Run State Park in east-central Indiana often includes this warm-from-the-oven casserole. Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this recipe, which gets a generous topping of blueberry or maple syrup.
Any-Flavor Mini Quiche [51]
Talk about easy! You can prep these delicious little quiches the night before, or make them in the morning while the oven preheats. They're perfect for brunch parties, and you can use whatever meat, cheese and veggies you have on hand.
Crunchy Yogurt-Granola Upside-Down Cake [55]
Pineapple who? No fruit here in this upside-down cake, just a brown sugary streusel-like layer of walnuts, coconut and granola baked under (then flipped over) a vanilla coffee cake.
Spring Breakfast Pizza with Spiced Hollandaise [59]
Fresh asparagus, sliced hard-cooked eggs, cheese, cherry tomatoes and diced ham top an easy homemade crust.
Asparagus Scramble Biscuits [63]
Asparagus Scramble Biscuits start with square bacon-flecked cornmeal biscuits you can make ahead. The morning of your brunch, scramble the egg-veggie mixture, fill the biscuits and bake to heat and melt the cheese.
A Hole-in-One Breakfast [67]
Our egg cooked in toast is a classic American breakfast recipe that's also been known as egg in a basket and knothole egg.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Compote [71]
Rise and shine with these special-occasion pancakes from chef Mindy Segal of Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar in Chicago. Ricotta makes them moist and rich; lemon curd gives sweet-tart punch.
Eggs Goldenrod [75]
This dish is terrific for brunch or a light supper. Hard-cooked eggs are simmered in a delicate white sauce that's ladled over warm biscuits.
Eggs Goldenrod [76]
Lazy Morning Sausage Pie [79]
Lyndy Ireland cooks up breakfast favorites such as this classic biscuit mix recipe for her guests at Triangle Ranch in western South Dakota. She tops the Sausage Pie with refreshing salsa.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars [83]
This healthier version of granola bars includes chia seeds, rolled oats, toasted wheat germ and pretzel sticks.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars [84]
Zucchini and Tomato Frittata [87]
Zucchini gets a flavor boost from mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and chopped walnuts in a colorful frittata.
Zucchini and Tomato Frittata [88]
Banana Bread [91]
Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger flavor this moist banana bread. Make banana bread when your bananas get brown polka dots on them.
Banana Bread [92]
Devilishly Good Deviled Eggs [95]
A hint of curry and some chutney elevate these deviled eggs to spectacular. Spoon the filling into a sandwich-size clear plastic bag and snip a corner for easy piping.
Very Cherry Hazelnut Coffee Cake [99]
David Dahlman of Chatsworth, California, says this yeasty coffee cake reminds him of the old-fashioned, down-to-earth treats on his grandmother's farm table. It takes time because it's a yeast-leavened dough, but there's no kneading required.
Peach Breakfast Parfaits [103]
"This very simple fruit dish goes over big," says Mary Jo Smith, describing this parfait from Hidden Lake Bed and Breakfast in Jonesboro, Illinois. Mary Jo serves it in sundae glasses with a swirl of yogurt on top. For a variation, add raspberries to the peaches.
Peach Breakfast Parfaits [104]
Ham and Corn Quiche Cups [107]
Made in a muffin pan using ham as a "crust," these playful little quiches are loaded with cheese and veggies.
Ham and Corn Quiche Cups [108]
Sticky Apple Cinnamon Rolls [111]
Bake apple-and-pecan stuffed sticky buns in a sweet caramel syrup for a decadent breakfast or a dessert at brunch.
Lemon-Blueberry Biscuits [115]
Lemon yogurt is the secret ingredient in these pretty biscuits. The recipe comes from Natura Farms in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.
Lemon-Blueberry Biscuits [116]
Savory Egg and Sweet Potato Scramble [119]
Sweet potatoes, spinach and cumin add a fresh twist to scrambled eggs.
Spinach Quiche a la Goldmoor [123]
An easy-to-use frozen spinach souffle makes this quiche's eggy-sausage filling simple to prepare. The recipe is from the Goldmoor Inn near Galena, Illinois.
Crepe-Framed Eggs with Asparagus Hash [127]
The "windows" on this oven-baked brunch dish reveal a filling of chopped asparagus and pancetta, Gruyère and a sunny egg. When you slice the asparagus, think small, like diced onion. It may seem unorthodox to chop up those beautiful stalks, but it guarantees you get morsels of asparagus in every bite.
Breakfast Burritos [131]
Combine hash browns, sausage, bacon, eggs, cheese and chopped veggies for a hearty breakfast tortilla. Top the colorful mixture with cool sour cream and spicy salsa in this recipe inspired by RAGBRAI vendor Farm Boys.
Breakfast Burritos [132]
Berries Romanoff [135]
This easy recipe makes a refreshing dessert--perfect for a brunch. Prepare the sour-cream sauce the day before your party, then just layer the sauce and fruit in parfait glasses before serving.
Berries Romanoff [136]
Chocolate-Orange Yeasted Waffles [139]
It may seem odd to leave waffle batter out overnight, but it's perfectly safe and helps develop a yeasty flavor. The method was made famous in Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book. If you don't fancy chocolate, orange and anise, flavor the waffles differently—or take 'em plain.
Breakfast Monkey-Bread Rolls [143]
Frozen or refrigerated cinnamon roll dough simplifies our recipe for Breakfast Monkey-Bread Rolls. Baking these rolls in muffin cups cleverly corrals their syrupy topping.
Favorite Frozen Fruit Cup [148]
Throw together these fruit cups after dinner to enjoy a frosty side the next day.
Southwestern Black Bean and Andouille Frittata [152]
For a healthier (though less zippy) version of this crowd-pleasing frittata, use smoked turkey sausage links instead of spicy andouille.
Blueberry-Peach Gratin [156]
Fresh fruit stars in this brunch dish, with blueberries and peaches baked in a honeyed Greek yogurt sauce.
Blueberry-Peach Gratin [157]
Orange-Honey Sweet Rolls [160]
The recipe for these hearty rolls comes from Jean Hixson of the Kansas Wheat Commission. They’ll keep in an airtight container for a couple days, or you can freeze them (unfrosted) for up to 2 months. They’re best served warm, so when ready to eat, wrap the frozen cinnamon rolls in foil and bake about 25 minutes in a 300° oven. Frost as directed.
Orange-Honey Sweet Rolls [161]
Grammy's Wild Rice Porridge [164]
Wild rice may seem like an unusual breakfast ingredient, but it adds chewiness to this fruit-nut hot cereal. Dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries also cook into the porridge.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp [168]
Fresh strawberries and rhubarb sweetened with strawberry preserves bubble under a topping of oats and honey.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp [169]
Ham-and-Egg Cups [172]
If you don't have custard cups, 6-ounce ramekins or jumbo muffin pans work for this simple brunch recipe, too.
Ham-and-Egg Cups [173]
Spicy Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce [176]
Crushed red pepper adds heat to homemade tomato sauce; protein-rich eggs cook right on top. Serve with flatbread or multigrain toast for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Swiss Chard, Egg and Potato Wrap [180]
Healthy tip: By mixing egg whites and whole eggs, you can trim some fat and cholesterol without losing all the flavor. And you get that nice yellow color, too.
