I never eat breakfast, but man, I love breakfast foods. I'll stick with a cup of black coffee in the morning, but I'll serve these recipes at any other time of day.
1. Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs
Corned beef hash had a mid-century reputation as low-quality institutional food, and if you use the stuff in the can, it is. But with good cooked corned beef, it can be a satisfying, hearty meal.
Ingredients
Method
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter on a large cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the potatoes, corned beef, salt and pepper, mix once and press the hash into an even layer.
- Cook undisturbed for 6 minutes until the underside forms a deep brown crust, turn the hash in broad sections and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Melt the remaining butter in a separate skillet and fry the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft, or to your preferred doneness.
- Divide the crisp hash among 4 plates and set one fried egg on each serving.
Don't lose these recipes! Drop your email and we'll send them to you, so you've got them handy the next time you're planning dinner.
2. Tall-Stack Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk does double duty in sandwiches. On the one hand, it provides tang and richness, and on the other hand, it helps with the leavening, making for an ultra-fluffy pancake.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter separately, pour them into the dry ingredients and stir just until streaks of flour disappear.
- Rest the lumpy batter for 10 minutes while heating a griddle to 375°F and brushing it lightly with oil.
- Pour scant 1/3-cup portions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles stay open and the edges look dry.
- Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the second side is brown and the centers spring back lightly.
3. Monte Cristo Sandwich
The Monte Cristo hasn't been a standard breakfast order since my Grandpa's day, but it's worth bringing back. The sandwich gets a quick dip in an egg custard, a bit like French toast, and emphasis on "quick" — you want the sandwich to stay together.
Ingredients
Method
- Spread the mustard over 4 bread slices and top each with 2 turkey slices, 2 ham slices, 1 Swiss slice and the remaining bread.
- Press the sandwiches firmly and trim only loose overhanging meat so the edges sit flat.
- Beat the eggs, milk and salt in a shallow dish and dip each sandwich quickly on both sides without soaking the center.
- Melt the butter on a griddle over medium-low heat and cook the sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and hot in the center.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar, rest for 2 minutes and cut each sandwich diagonally.
4. Peppery Sawmill Sausage Gravy
I always liked getting biscuits and gravy for a hike, and it definitely packs the necessary energy. This recipe is gravy only — so put it on the breakfast carb of your choice.
Ingredients
Method
- Crumble sausage into a large skillet over medium heat; cook 8–10 minutes until browned and 160°F.
- Sprinkle flour over sausage; stir constantly 1 minute until absorbed into fat and lightly toasted-smelling.
- Add 1 cup warm milk, scraping up browned bits. Stir in remaining milk.
- Add salt, black pepper, sage, and cayenne; bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until gravy leaves a clear trail across skillet for a second before flowing back.
- Remove from heat; serve immediately. Thin with 2 tbsp milk if too stiff to spoon.
5. Skillet Fried Apples
Skillet-fried apples always felt like applesauce for grownups to me. They're rich and sweet, but I'd definitely go heavier on the spices, and I think a little allspice would go well together.
Ingredients
Method
- Core apples; cut into 1/2-inch wedges.
- Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apples; cook 6 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Add sugar, spices and salt; stir until sugar melts. Add lemon juice and cider.
- Cover; cook 3–5 minutes until tender. Uncover; cook 1 minute to thicken sauce.
6. Sausage Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Casserole
This sausage biscuits & gravy breakfast casserole takes classic biscuits and gravy and bakes it into an easy 9x13 casserole for breakfast or brunch. It has a hearty layer of breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, and country gravy topped with buttery biscuit pieces.
Angela Latimer / Bake It With Love
7. The Best Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
These Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes are tasty, quick, and simple. The air fryer is the simplest method to cook crispy breakfast potatoes without having to stand over the stove.
Imsen / Ambitious Foodie
8. Homemade Breakfast Sausage
This homemade breakfast sausage recipe is easy to make and perfect for weekends. It can also be made ahead and stored for easy meal prep!
Living the Gourmet / Living the Gourmet
9. Chicken and waffles
Chicken and waffles are about as classic Southern as it gets. While I normally prefer thighs, breasts work better here, as the whole dish is already rich enough.
Ingredients
Method
- Coat the chicken with the buttermilk, then dredge it in the 1 cup flour. Heat 1 inch of frying oil to about 350°F in a deep, heavy skillet. Fry the chicken in batches, turning as needed, until golden and the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Whisk the 2 cups waffle flour, milk, eggs, baking powder and 3 tablespoons waffle oil just until combined. Do not use the chicken-soaking buttermilk in the batter.
- Preheat waffle iron; grease if manufacturer recommends. Cook batter in portions per iron directions until golden and releasing easily.
- Set a piece of fried chicken on each waffle.
- Drizzle with maple syrup and serve hot.
10. Breakfast burritos
A breakfast burrito is one of my favorite egg delivery systems. Do yourself a favor and shred the potatoes fresh instead of using frozen hash browns, or just chop up some potatoes into tiny cubes and fry them.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium; add eggs and scramble gently about 5 minutes until just set.
- Warm tortillas in microwave 20-30 seconds or in a dry skillet until pliable.
- Divide eggs evenly among four tortilla centers.
- Top with sausage, crispy hash browns, cheese, salsa, and optional sour cream.
- Fold sides in; roll tightly from bottom to enclose filling.
- Optional: toast burritos seam-side down in a hot skillet 1-2 minutes to seal.
- Serve with salsa.
11. Spinach and tomato frittata
When I was a teenager in the oughties, the frittata was taking over America's brunch spreads with a vengeance. The choice of fillings is nearly infinite — this is a classic mix of veggies and cheddar.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F; whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium; cook onion and pepper about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add spinach and tomatoes; cook another 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts.
- Pour eggs evenly over vegetables; sprinkle with cheese and stir gently to distribute.
- Cook on stovetop 3-4 minutes without stirring until edges begin setting.
- Bake skillet 15-18 minutes until center sets and top is lightly golden; cool 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
12. Shakshuka
You know you're in a fancy brunch place when they have a kooky house shakshuka. You can definitely mix up the vegetables and toppings, and while this recipe uses feta, I'd probably leave it off.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a large lidded skillet over medium; sauté onion and pepper 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and optional cayenne; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and salt; stir and simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Make 6 small wells with a spoon back; carefully crack an egg into each.
- Cover; cook 5-8 minutes until whites set but yolks remain runny, or longer for firmer yolks.
- Off heat, sprinkle with feta and fresh herbs; serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.
13. Sausage, egg and cheese English muffins
Once upon a time, fast food was convenient and cheap, even if the quality wasn't the greatest. Now that prices have gone through the roof at the drive-through, try making your sausage, egg, and muffin at home and realize how much better it can be.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook sausage patties in a skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side, until 160°F. Top with cheese.
- Toast English muffins. Melt butter in skillet; add eggs, salt and pepper. Fry until whites and yolks are set.
- Fill muffins with sausage, cheese and eggs.
14. Chorizo potato hash
A hash doesn't have to be corned beef — any kind of ground or shreddable meat will do. Mexican chorizo works great here, rich and spicy. I'd use cotija instead of feta in keeping with the south-of-the-border theme.
Ingredients
Method
- Simmer potatoes in water 8 minutes until barely tender; drain well.
- Cook chorizo and onion in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes, crumbling, until sausage reaches 160°F. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add oil and potatoes to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned.
- Return chorizo; make 4 wells and add eggs. Cover; cook 5–8 minutes until whites and yolks are set. Top with feta and cilantro.
15. Vegetable egg bites
These little guys are great for the brunch spread, like little mini-quiches with only a fraction of the effort. This recipe uses spinach and peppers, but I'm thinking a little broccoli would work great too.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Cook pepper and onion in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes; add spinach and cook until wilted. Divide among cups with cheese.
- Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour into cups, filling three-quarters full.
- Bake 18–22 minutes until centers reach 160°F and are set. Cool 5 minutes before removing.