Our Best Brunch Recipes
Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata [1]
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 [5]
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 [9]
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.
Eggs Benedict with Maltaise Sauce [13]
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.
Hint-of-Orange Pancakes with Grapefruit Syrup [17]
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 [21]
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 [25]
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 [29]
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.
Asparagus Scramble Biscuits [33]
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 [37]
Our egg cooked in toast is a classic American breakfast recipe that's also been known as egg in a basket and knothole egg.
Custard Parfaits with Granola [41]
This recipe makes an easy, fun layered breakfast. Use fat-free products for rich taste without extra calories. Layer most ingredients ahead, then add the granola and serve.
Easy spring brunch [45]
Your turn to host brunch? Go for simple. Shape Make-Ahead Orange-Caramel Rolls the night before to bake alongside Ham-and-Egg Cups the next morning.
Ham-and-Egg Cups [46]
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Compote [50]
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 [54]
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 [55]
Peach Breakfast Parfaits [58]
"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.
Very Cherry French Toast [62]
Tuck cherry pie filling and cream cheese between cinnamon-flavored bread slices for this breakfast sensation from a Dale, Wisconsin, restaurant.
Scrambled Eggs in Potato Nests [66]
Make this appealing egg dish in just 20 minutes. Packaged hash browns form the nest, and the filling is a simple scramble of eggs and chives topped with cheese.
Lazy Morning Sausage Pie [70]
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.
Spinach Quiche a la Goldmoor [74]
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.
Breakfast Burritos [78]
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 [79]
Champagne and Brandied Fruit [82]
Lace colorful seasonal fruit with a bit of bubbly in wide-mouth champagne glasses for a sparkling brunch dish.
Devonshire Splits [86]
Fill these sweet little yeast buns with strawberry preserves and a cream mixture or purchased lemon curd. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Devonshire Splits [87]
Heavenly Hots [90]
This recipe comes from Ina Pinkney, owner of Ina's Kitchen in Chicago. She makes three kinds of pancakes: whole wheat oatmeal, gingerbread with lemon cream and these sour cream cakes. "I believe in pancakes so good, you don't need syrup," she says. Serve them with a warm fruit compote on the side.
Heavenly Hots [91]
Eggs Flo [94]
Eggs Benedict gets a makeover with this turkey-spinach version from Flo restaurant in Chicago. A smooth lemon-basil hollandaise tops the dish.
Eggs Flo [95]
Berries Romanoff [98]
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 [99]
Breakfast Monkey-Bread Rolls [102]
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 [107]
Throw together these fruit cups after dinner to enjoy a frosty side the next day.
Brie and Fresh Mushroom Omelets [111]
The recipe for these lavish, easy-to-make cheese omelets comes from award-winning Cafe Patachou in Indianapolis.
Pasta Frittata [115]
Diners at Ina's Kitchen in Chicago get a giant Parmesan-sprinkled wedge of this baked frittata served with sauteed tomatoes. We like it with a marinara sauce, too.
Pasta Frittata [116]
Easy Banana Nut Bread [119]
Serve this easy quick bread with flavored cream cheeses for a pretty brunch presentation. If you bake an extra loaf, it will keep up to a month in your freezer.
Easy Banana Nut Bread [120]
Lemon-Blueberry Biscuits [123]
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 [124]
Asian-Style Chicken Salad [127]
Curly noodles, almonds, sesame seeds and rice vinegar blend in this crunchy, tangy brunch or luncheon salad from a West Des Moines, Iowa, reader.
Devilishly Good Deviled Eggs [131]
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 [135]
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.
One-More-Bite Bread Pudding [139]
This rich dessert from Hubbell House in Mantorville, Minnesota, makes a sweet addition to any brunch. Creamy pudding surrounds a layer of raspberry jam or preserves, all topped with Whiskey River Sauce.
Lemon Thyme Tea Bread [143]
The intense flavor of this tiny-leafed herb teams up with lemon peel for the lemony scent in this sweet quick bread.
Lemon Thyme Tea Bread [144]
Farmhouse Cheese Torte [147]
Although this recipe has a lot of steps, it's worth the effort. Bread a poached egg with a crisp coating, then place it on top of a baked ricotta-Fontina torte and drizzle with a cheesy mushroom sauce.
Farmhouse Cheese Torte [148]
Garden-Special Primavera [151]
Fresh veggies and herbs blend into a light and creamy sauce for a delicate yet substantial main dish.
Garden-Special Primavera [152]
Savory Cheese Scones [155]
Sage, dry mustard and a pinch of red pepper add zip to these scones. Serve warm with butter, if you like.
Savory Cheese Scones [156]
Bacon, Ham and Egg Hash [159]
Family-pleasing favorites—bacon, ham, cheese, potatoes and eggs—combine in this simple, hearty brunch or breakfast dish. Pork producers Monica and Randy Duffe of Wilton, Iowa, contributed the recipe.
Bacon, Ham and Egg Hash [160]
Mushroom-and-Egg Casserole [163]
Prosciutto and shiitake mushrooms give this cheesy egg casserole added flavor and texture. Try serving with warm-from-the-oven corn bread and roasted red potatoes.
Orange Sticky Rolls [167]
These moist, citrus-flavored rolls come from the Deutschheim State Historic Site in Hermann, Missouri. Our make-ahead directions let you prepare and shape the rolls the day before your brunch, then just heat and serve.
Orange Sticky Rolls [168]
Grammy's Wild Rice Porridge [171]
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.
