Spring Brunch Recipes

February 28, 2008
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Everybody loves brunch, so welcome spring by creating a menu with these stylish offerings such as French toast, crab cakes, stratas, muffins, and coffee cake.
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Eggs in a Garden Breakfast Tart

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Mark Driskill
Eggs in a Garden Breakfast Tart Recipe

Thanks to ever-handy, store-bought puff pastry, this stunning savory tart is shockingly easy to make. The flakey puff pastry crust cradles 8 over easy eggs, surrounded with vibrant spring vegetables (thus, the recipe’s name). What you have here is an incredibly impressive option for your next brunch gathering. Serve with a side of roasted red potatoes or fresh fruit for a complete meal that’s sure to wow. 

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Open-Face Matzo Brei Breakfast Sandwiches

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Paige Grandjean
Open-Face Matzo Brei Breakfast Sandwiches Recipe

Matzo brei, a traditional dish made by folding soaked matzo into scrambled eggs, makes the perfect base for a delicious, protein-packed breakfast stack. Just spread with softened cream cheese, then top with smoked salmon, thinly sliced red onion, capers, and fresh dill... you'll be well on your way to brunch happiness.  

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Saucy Skillet-Poached Eggs

Photo:Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele: Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
Saucy Skillet-Poached Eggs Recipe

If you've ever had Italian eggs in purgatory, this recipe makes a similar Israeli breakfast dish called shakshuka. If you need to stretch the meal, simply add another egg to the pan. Top with any herb, such as cilantro, chives, or oregano.

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Fluffiest Multigrain Pancakes with Almond Butter Drizzle

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez  
Fluffiest Multigrain Pancakes with Almond Butter Drizzle Recipe

Get ready; this will become your new Sunday morning staple. These pancakes are wonderfully hearty, thanks to old-fashioned oats and white whole-wheat flour, yet their texture is still fluffy and light, with a beguiling creaminess in the middle. Instead of dousing this short stack with syrup, we opt instead for a nutty sauce of maple-sweetened almond butter--cutting about 27g added sugars from the typical pancake breakfast. (Feel free to sub any nut butter you have on hand.) Soaking the oats first softens them and helps create that creamy interior texture. As they soak, you can make the almond butter sauce and measure out the other ingredients.

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Triple-Berry Muffins

Photo and Styling: Katelyn Hanley
Triple-Berry Muffins Recipe

Here's a breakfast muffin you don't have to feel bad about. We opted for canola oil over butter, incorporated 50% white whole-wheat flour, and kept the added sugar low by leaning on the sweetness of ripe summer strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Peaches will be a welcome addition later in the season.

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Kale and Mushroom Frittata

Photo: Jennifer Causey  
Kale and Mushroom Frittata Recipe

Half the pleasure of a frittata is just saying it. Go ahead. Free-tah-tah. For molto fun, say it Italian-style: Stress the first syllable and roll the r. Fr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-ee-tah-tah. Brava, bella. A cast-iron or carbon-steel pan is best here because it goes under the broiler, and high heat could damage nonstick skillets. Handy advice: If you set out to make an omelet but your pan won’t release the eggs and they stick to the bottom, just spread out the fillings, pop it under the broiler, and presto! Frittata. You can easily make this dish for 2 or 4 people using a larger pan and multiplying ingredients accordingly.

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Chicken and Waffles with Kicky Syrup

Photo: Alison Miksch  
Chicken and Waffles with Kicky Syrup Recipe

If ever a breakfast meets dinner combo were to go viral, chicken and waffles would be it. The mash-up actually dates back a couple hundred years, and we can guess why—the sweet, crunchy, and salty trio must have been just as crave-worthy then as it is now. We skip the deep fry and intsead bake chicken breast cutlets with a super-crunchy cereal and panko crust. Lean, boneless chicken and multigrain frozen waffles also save time. To top it off, a bit of Sriracha and soy sauce adds spicy, savory depth to a maple syrup drizzle.

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Dutch Baby with Strawberries and Pistachios

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez  
Dutch Baby with Strawberries and Pistachios Recipe

The key to the dish’s dramatic puff comes from oven spring—the jolt of heat and steam the batter gets when it’s poured into a sizzling hot pan and placed in a cranked-up oven. The butter browns instantly when it’s added to the pan, but pouring in the batter right away keeps it from burning, and the brown butter lends rich nuttiness to the batter. Make the strawberry topping first so the fruit has time to macerate and release some of its juice to form a loose sauce. The finished Dutch baby will deflate a little as it cools, though the texture remains airy and crisp outside, creamy and custardy within.

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Zucchini and Spinach Chilaquiles

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
Zucchini and Spinach Chilaquiles Recipe

This verde version of a Mexican brunch classic is the perfect introduction to summer. If you have time, try switching out canned tomatillos for fresh: Remove the papery husks from 8 ounces fresh tomatillos, toss with 1 tablespoon oil on a baking sheet, and broil 6 minutes or until lightly charred. Cool before processing. Queso fresco has the texture of strained ricotta—it won’t quite melt under the broiler, but its mild flavor will be a welcome contrast to the heat in the tomatillo mixture. Add scrambled eggs to each serving for a little extra protein.

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Creamy Baked Eggs with Herbs and Bacon

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Creamy Baked Eggs with Herbs and Bacon Recipe
This hearty helping of sunny-side up eggs is a great way to say hello a fresh spring morning.

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Chocolate Buckwheat Waffles with Juicy Berries

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower
Chocolate Buckwheat Waffles with Juicy Berries Recipe
The typical syrup-doused breakfast plate gets a healthy transformation with these lower-sugar, fruit-forward, gluten-free, whole-grain waffles.

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Veggie Eggy Scramble

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Veggie Eggy Scramble Recipe
We like the idea of incorporating veggies into the morning meal, and it's not hard or time-consuming to do.
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Golden Potato-and-Smoked Sausage Hash

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Golden Potato-and-Smoked Sausage Hash Recipe

Make this hash even heartier by adding a fried egg on top.

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Crostini with Spinach, Poached Egg, and Creamy Mustard Sauce

Photo: Con Poulos
Crostini with Spinach, Poached Egg, and Creamy Mustard Sauce Recipe
Low heat is the key to perfect poaching and silken eggs in this one-dish meal of Crostini with Spinach, Poached Egg, and Creamy Mustard Sauce.

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Grilled Asparagus with Fried Eggs and Pancetta

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower, Claire Spollen
Grilled Asparagus with Fried Eggs and Pancetta Recipe

Asparagus and fried eggs are a classic springtime combo for good reason--they're delicious together. Medium-thick asparagus spears will char nicely outside while staying crisp-tender within.

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Veggie-and-Herb Frittata

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Rachael Burrow
Veggie-and-Herb Frittata Recipe
This frittata is chock full of good veggies and flavors that nearly burst out of the pan. Fresh crumbled goat cheese and shredded fontina cheese to bring out the perfect texture.

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Carrot Cake Pancakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe
These cakey flapjacks feature warm spices and bright carrot flavor. Our lightened version calls for low-fat buttermilk and a small dab of honey butter.

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Breakfast Enchiladas

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Breakfast Enchiladas Recipe

Remove eggs from stovetop while they're still a bit wet; they'll finish cooking in the oven. To make this a day ahead, go through Step 2; cover and chill the casserole. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before baking.

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Buttermilk-Glazed Cherry Sheet Cake

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns
Buttermilk-Glazed Cherry Sheet Cake Recipe
If you're ready to step up your brunch game, this beautiful cake will definitely do the trick. Serve with lots (and lots) of coffee.

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Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss Strata

Photo: Oxmoor House
Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss Strata Recipe
A hearty, rustic bread is the key to a great strata. Here, a ciabatta loaf is cubed, toasted and combined with a sautéed onion-mushroom mixture, then topped with Swiss cheese and bacon. This make-ahead dish is not only great for brunch–it's also ideal for a savory supper.

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Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup

Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup Recipe
If you've ever surprised mom with breakfast on her special day, you know how much she enjoys being pampered. Let her sleep in while you prepare this elegant take on classic French toast.
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Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade Recipe
Serve this sparkling lemonade as the perfect, thirst-quenching cocktail for your spring brunch. Elderflower liqueur is sweet, delicate, and floral, like nectar from a spring bouquet.

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Potato Hash

Photo: Hector Sanchez 
Potato Hash Recipe
This great potato hash is a perfect addition to the brunch table.

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Bloody Mary Punch

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Bloody Mary Punch Recipe
No brunch is complete without a pitcher of hot and spicy Bloody Marys. This classic tomato juice cocktail never goes out of style.
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Eggs Benedict

Photo: Iain Bagwell Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas 
Eggs Benedict Recipe

The real kicker on this breakfast classic is the buttery, luscious hollandaise sauce. We lighten it up with a mixture of silken tofu and reduced-fat sour cream. When poaching eggs, choose the freshest possible; the white adheres to the yolk better, making for an easier, cleaner poach.

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Peter Rabbit

Photo: Michael Kraus; Styling: Roscoe Betsill
Peter Rabbit Recipe
Thinly sliced carrot makes a wonderful garnish for this festive cocktail.

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Hot Chicken-and-Waffle Sandwiches with Chive Cream

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Hot Chicken-and-Waffle Sandwiches with Chive Cream Recipe

We did a taste test and loved the just-fried tenders from the Publix grocery store deli.

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Bacon, Egg, and Kale Breakfast Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Bacon, Egg, and Kale Breakfast Salad Recipe

Based loosely on the flavors of a BLT, this salad is hearty and light at the same time. Don't worry if it feels like you don't have a lot of dressing; the luscious golden yolk makes a creamy sauce in the bowl.

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Caribbean Crab Cakes Benedict

Howard L. Puckett
Caribbean Crab Cakes Benedict Recipe
Instead of placing the poached egg on top of a slice of ham and an English muffin for a traditional Eggs Benedict, make crab cakes the base. Top with an island-inspired hollandaise sauce spiked with lime juice, ginger and red pepper.

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Stuffed French Toast

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jen Rotenstreich
Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Start the day with a satisfyingly sweet main dish. This make-ahead version of French toast earns its high rating from the layers of cinnamon-raisin bread with a sweet cream cheese filling.
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Smoky Egg and Cheese Tostada

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Smoky Egg and Cheese Tostada Recipe
This egg and cheese breakfast tostada cuts back on calories and sodium by using whole-grain corn tortillas instead of flour. Just top with this fun flavor combo and crunch. So healthy and delicious, you'll want two.

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Boysenberry Danishes