Julie Giuffrida is Test Kitchen coordinator for the Los Angeles Times.
Sweet, savory or a mix of the two, we have breakfast and brunch recipes for you.
One advantage to this stay-at-home holiday season is that you might be lucky enough to get time with members of your household to make meals together, discover new recipes, dig up old family ones and tell stories as you cook. Here are 63 recipe ideas for your cook-a-thon. (And remember, you can “cook” with loved ones who are far away with services such as Google Hangouts, FaceTime, Zoom or Skype.)
Start with a batch of lemon poppy seed or mesquite apple muffins, cardamom sweet rolls, ginger scones, a breakfast bread or a coffee cake. Pop them in the oven first thing and your housemates will quickly join you in the kitchen. If you haven’t yet agreed on who’s making what, start delegating tasks as they straggle in (it’s much easier than cajoling or nagging for helping hands).
While the baked goods are in the oven, reach into the fridge for the ultimate overnight or buckwheat Belgian waffle batter you made the night before (the lightest, fluffiest waffles take some advance planning). If you’d rather not be tied to a plan, crisp everyday waffles are a same-day operation and just as good a canvas for all of the fixings.
If you are more of a pancake person, whole-grain pancakes have better flavor than those made with all-purpose flour. Try these oatmeal, whole wheat or cornmeal pancakes. Not a pancake shop? Perhaps pumpkin-spiced or chocolate almond French toast or homemade pop tarts are more your thing.
You may want — or need — some protein and fiber to slow the sugar coursing through your system. Frittatas can provide both. Wild mushroom, prosciutto and onion or a vegan chickpea frittata with tomatoes and kale can go in the oven once the baked goods come out, as can a casserole of savory bread pudding or featherbed eggs. New Mex Migas and vegan chilaquiles are also satisfying one-pan wonders.
If you prefer to stay stovetop, dress up classic shakshuka with chard or Jerusalem artichokes and fava beans. It can simmer on the stove while you work on some side dishes. Perhaps bacon-basted root vegetable hash or Frank’s home fries. Either would also complement silky scrambled eggs. Hong Kong-style fried eggs go well with rice. Try a basic rice congee, pounded rice with onion and potatoes or Mantou steamed Chinese buns, which are often served as a side dish instead of rice. Perhaps you have some leftovers you would like to repurpose as a filling for crepes or atop a breakfast pizza.
With all of this activity, you’re sure to get thirsty. Trade in your coffee for champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) or Spanish or Parisian-style hot chocolate. When you sit down to eat, toast your good fortune with bottomless mimosas and bacon Bloody Marys and relish the memories and meal that you have all just created.
Palak Paneer Shakshuka
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Almond Dutch Baby With Honeyed Figs
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 2 to 4
Buffalo Corn With Bacon and Eggs
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Whole wheat pancakes
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Hou Bao Daan: Hong Kong-Style Fried Eggs
Time5 minutes
YieldsServes 1
Cinnamon Crunch Buns
Time2 hours 30 minutes
YieldsMakes 12
Chickpea Frittata with Tomatoes and Kale
Time1 hour 45 minutes, plus overnight chilling
YieldsMakes one 9- by 5-inch loaf
kuku sabzi (Persian greens frittata)
Time1 hour 20 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 10
Sweet Potato Bread
Time1 hour 30 minutes, largely unattended
YieldsMakes 1 9-by-5-inch loaf
Passion Fruit-Poppy Seed Muffins
Time45 minutes
YieldsMakes 12
Vegan Chilaquiles
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Egg and Cheese Skillet Pancake
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Ultimate Overnight Waffles
Time45 minutes
YieldsMakes 1 to 2 dozen.
Shakshouka
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Mantou Steamed Chinese Buns
Time3 hours
YieldsMakes 12 buns
Bacon-Basted Root Vegetable Hash
Time2 hours 30 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Prosciutto and onion frittata
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 6 as appetizer, 4 as main course
Upma
Time35 minutes
YieldsServes 2 to 4
Chard Shakshouka
Time50 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Pumpkin-spiced French toast
Time24 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Savory bread pudding with sausage gravy
Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsServes 10 to 12
Maple bacon cinnamon rolls
Time1 hour 40 minutes
YieldsServes 12
New Mex Migas
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Cherry tomato frittata
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 1 to 2
Butter Pecan Banana Muffins
Time30 minutes
YieldsMakes 12 muffins
Artichoke and sun-dried tomato frittata
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 12
Oatmeal pancakes
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Homemade pop tarts
Time2 hours
YieldsMakes 8 pop tarts
Cornmeal pancakes
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 2 to 4
Basic rice congee
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Emily's chocolate mandel bread
Time1 hour
YieldsMakes about 4 dozen cookies
Apple bacon coffeecake
Time1 hour 40 minutes
YieldsServes 16
Rockenwagner's Ginger scones
Time45 minutes
YieldsServes 10
Shakshuka
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 4
Mesquite apple muffins with streusel topping
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 12
Blueberry Breakfast Bread
Time1 hour 15 minutes
YieldsMakes 2 loaves
Mendocino frittata
Time1 hour 30 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Square One brown-butter pecan coffeecake
Time1 hour 35 minutes
YieldsServes 8
Crespelles with prosciutto and zucchini
Time1 hour 30 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Breakfast Pizza
Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Malted cornmeal pancakes with orange-blueberry syrup
Time1 hour
YieldsMakes 18 (4 1/2 -inch)
Wild Mushroom Frittata
Time30 minutes
YieldsServes 6
La Brea Bakery chocolate-walnut scones
Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsServes 12
Pecan currant sticky buns
Time45 minutes
YieldsMakes 12 buns
Raised buckwheat Belgian waffles with honey butter
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Frank's home fries
Time1 hour
YieldsServes 6
Cardamom sweet rolls
Time50 minutes
YieldsServes 12
Pumpkin pancakes
Time25 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Corn Waffles
Time45 minutes
YieldsMakes 16 waffles.
Party eggs
Time35 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 6
Crepes
Time30 minutes
YieldsMakes 26 crepes
Sweet Potato Hash With Pancetta and Rosemary
Time25 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Chorizo Migas
Time25 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Chocolate Almond French Toast
Time15 minutes
YieldsServes 2
Featherbed Eggs
Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsServes 6
Sour Cherry and Vanilla Cream Scones
Time30 minutes
YieldsMakes 2 to 16 scones
Crisp Everyday Waffles
Time35 minutes
YieldsMakes 6 (7-inch) waffles
Silky Scrambled Eggs
Time5 minutes
YieldsServes 1
Bottomless Mimosas
Time5 minutes
YieldsMakes 6 drinks
Champurrado
Time55 minutes
YieldsMakes 2 quarts
Spanish hot chocolate (chocolate a la taza)
Time20 minutes
YieldsServes 4 to 5
Parisian-style hot chocolate
Time15 minutes
YieldsServes 4
Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
Time10 minutes
YieldsServes 4