Breakfast at home, especially on the weekdays, just isn't always the best — a sad toaster pastry, a solitary egg on a slice of toast, or any other hallmark of a rushed weekday meal. Everyone's working for the weekend, which means one thing: brunch! When you can't get a table at the trendy spot in town, any one of these sweet or savory brunch recipes will please a crowd.
We love brunch!
1. Bell-Less, Whistle-Less, Damn Good French Toast
French toast does not, and should not, be over-the-top. A spiced custard and good bread (we like challah or brioche) is really all it takes to perfect this easy brunch recipe.
2. Smashed Potato and Ramp Frittata
When you're looking for a quick and easy brunch recipe, skip the quiche and go straight for a frittata. This one-skillet egg dish is destined to be a part of your spring brunch spread and is vegetarian to boot.
3. Lady and Pups's Magic 15-Second Creamy Scrambled Eggs
It doesn't get easier or faster than these scrambled eggs, which cook in literally 15 seconds. A few beaten eggs are mixed with a slurry made from cornstarch and milk, which not only makes the eggs creamier, but also helps them to cook in the blink of an egg.
Making waffle batter completely from scratch is just as easy as using a store-bought dry mix, I promise. This big-batch recipe will feed six to eight people, or a few very hungry houseguests on a Sunday morning.
If you were planning on making a smoothie for brunch, how would you feel if I told you that you could just as easily make Eggs Benedict? There's no fussy bain marie or balloon whisk needed to make this hollandaise sauce — just a high-powered blender and a lot of butter.
6. Citrusy Fruit Salad in Ginger Lime Syrup
For a light and colorful brunch side dish, turn to this wintery fruit salad bursting with three kinds of citrus, two kinds of pears, persimmons, and pomegranate seeds.
7. Zucchini Frittata with Caramelized Red Onion and Goat Cheese
This frittata is even easier than the aforementioned potato and ramp frittata; pick your poison (and then try whichever recipe you didn't go for next weekend).
I'll be the first person to say that any fruit galette absolutely counts as breakfast or brunch. Aside from the pastry and appearance, it's no different than the widely-accepted danish. So relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, cast away any negative misconceptions that you shouldn't have dessert for breakfast, and cut yourself a slice of this rustic Apple galette.
Carbonara was the breakfast pasta of all breakfast pastas (it's literally bacon and eggs!) until everything spiced buttered noodles came along and claimed a spot on the table.
10. Avocado Toast
You can never, ever, ever go wrong with avocado toast. It's nourishing, satisfying, and most importantly, delicious.
11. Salvadoran Breakfast Cake (aka Quesadillas)
"Think cheesy poundcake. Think party food. Think happy mornings, popping a few too many quesadillas in your mouth. In El Salvador they eat rich, buttery quesadillas in the morning with a big cup of coffee and I suggest you do the same. You'll love the slight crunch of the sesame seeds in combination with the sweet/salty cake," writes recipe developer Sasha from Global Table Adventure.
Rhetorical question: is it really brunch if you're not pouring mimosas for the crowd? Juice your own oranges for the best-tasting mimosa, or swap in any other fruit juice (pineapple, pomegranate, guava, passion fruit, watermelon juice) because why not?
13. Milk Toast
Two brunch staples — milk and toast — team up for this warm and homey meal. Think of it as a super low-maintenance bread pudding with all the cozy feels.
14. Sheet Pan American Breakfast with Bacon and Eggs
Bacon, eggs, and hash browns — what more could you ask for in an easy brunch recipe?
You won't miss the eggs, butter, or cow milk in these dairy-free pancakes; a combination of apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil, and non-dairy milk makes them flavorful and moist.
Kristen Miglore, Food52 Creative Director and Resident Genius, is sharing her husband's recipe for fried eggs, which are delicious alongside hash browns, over toast or an English muffin, or savory porridge.
Give this classic brunch cocktail an autumnal spin with homemade spiced pear purée. To make it, combine fresh pears, the zest and juice of a lemon, maple syrup, a bunch of ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice), and vanilla bean paste. Cook everything in a saucepan until the pears break down, then purée it until super smooth and homogenous in a blender.
18. Virginia Willis' Deviled Eggs
I'm pretty sure it's illegal to host Easter or Mother's Day brunch without serving deviled eggs and this recipe is as classic as it gets.
Want to know the secret to winning brunch? Make-ahead muffin mix, which you can bake on the fly with any add-ins that you want (think: blueberries, cranberries, or chocolate chips).
20. Popovers
There's a lot to love about popovers, but most of all is their versatility. They can fill an upgraded bread basket or they can be the main event, especially if served with maple butter for a sweet iteration or filled with an egg scramble.
21. Sheet-Pan Eggs and Potatoes, Huevos Rotos-Style
The quickest and easiest way to feed a crowd for brunch is by making a big batch of huevos rotos-style eggs and vegetable sides on a sheet pan. Minimal prep work, minimal clean up.
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