brunch spread

9 Recipes for the Perfect Brunch

Last Updated on December 23, 2020

Brunch. It may blur the lines of breakfast and lunch, but it always features hearty fare that tastes incredible no matter the time of day.

In this compilation, we compile our favorite brunch recipes. There’s plenty of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, but you’ll also find novel recipes like the ever-underrated breakfast salad, or our favorite riffs on small bite deviled eggs.

There’s even a dessert-like selection for those of us with sweet-tooths. Feel free to mix and match these recipes for a full brunch spread, or stick with one when you just want a breakfast that feels a little special.

Happy brunching!

Individual Frittatas

individual frittatas

The beauty of these individual frittatas is that they’ll work just as well for brunch as they do for meal prep. Simply warm them in the morning for a weeklong, portable breakfast or in the afternoon for a snack.

These personal frittatas are just that—personal. You can work in any filling you’d like. Here are just a few of our suggestions:

  • Sausage
  • Chives
  • Bacon
  • Broccoli
  • Cheese
  • Mushrooms
  • Cherry tomatoes

Beyond fillings, all you’ll need are some eggs, salt, and pepper. With any combination, you can’t go wrong.

Shaved Asparagus And Frisee Salad With A Warm Bacon Honey Vinaigrette

shaved asparagus brunch salad

Breakfast salads are so underrated. With this shaved asparagus and frisee salad, you’ll be a breakfast salad convert.

Complete with a warm bacon honey vinaigrette, this salad works well on its own for lighter fare, or makes a great accompaniment to some eggs, toast, and bacon.

Its lengthy name may sound fancy, but this salad couldn’t be easier to throw together. Simply shave your asparagus with a vegetable peeler and toss it with frisee lettuce (or any lettuce) and baby spinach.

Pro tip: Thick asparagus works best for shaving, but you can also roast thin asparagus for a similar result.

The warm bacon honey vinaigrette comes together in one pan and gets tossed with your greens immediately, meaning you’re just minutes away from an incredible breakfast salad.

Maple Orange Bread Pudding French Toast

orange maple french toast recipe

Maple orange bread pudding French toast. That’s all we really have to say, right?

Okay, here’s a little more. If you’ve ever wondered how to use up a pack of croissants about to go crusty, you won’t find a better way than this epic brunch recipe. It’s so simple, and so delicious.

You’ll start by making a bread pudding, taking cubed croissants and mixing them with a homemade custard made with eggs, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake away.

If you stopped here, you’d have delicious bread pudding. But, for an-out-of-this-world brunch, save this bread pudding in the fridge for the next morning. Then, slice it and pan-fry it in butter for a French toast effect.

Waffle Maker Hash Browns

hash browns made on waffle maker

These crispy waffle maker hash browns will leave you wondering why you haven’t put potatoes in your waffle maker before.

All you’ll need is a waffle maker, some refrigerated hash brown potatoes (the store-bought stuff is fine), and some salt and pepper. Don’t forget the cooking spray to keep things from sticking.

Once your potatoes are tossed with some salt and pepper (or, get fancy with a medley of spices), you’ll load them into your waffle maker in baseball-sized mounds. You’ll close the lid and leave them be!

It’ll take about 12 to 15 minutes, and you’ll have mouthwateringly crispy hash browns for your brunch spread.

Deviled Egg Trio

deviled eggs

Deviled eggs are a humble, but delicious addition to brunch. Up your game with this deviled egg trio, complete with three deviled egg variations: avocado, smoked salmon, and bacon.

To get started, you’ll need to make a simple deviled egg recipe. Just hard boil your eggs, let them cool, and make a filling with egg yolks, mayonnaise, dry mustard, and salt.

Here’s where the fun begins. To make a trio, you’ll mix in your preferred additions. For avocado deviled eggs, skip one tablespoon of mayo and sub in avocado. You can even top this version with some extra bacon for good measure.

For smoked salmon deviled eggs, add finely minced smoked salmon and a bit of chopped dill. And for bacon deviled eggs, just add bacon! Yum.

Leftover Turkey Hash

leftover turkey hash

The best brunches transform leftovers from the night before, like this leftover turkey hash.

This simple recipe combines leftover cooked turkey with bacon, sweet potatoes, and kale. It all gets topped off with a runny egg for a rich, satisfying brunch.

By the way, this hash is not limited to leftover turkey. Leftover chicken works just as well, as does leftover steak or ground meat.

Sunny Breakfast Sausage Scramble with Avocado

avacado and sausage with eggs

How about a sunny breakfast sausage scramble with avocado to wake up to in the morning? Packed with savory, delicious ingredients, this scramble is nevertheless easy to throw together.

Savory pork breakfast sausage melds perfectly with fluffy scrambled eggs, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and plenty of melty cheese. Don’t forget some diced avocado for creamy richness.

Bacon and Swiss Quiche

This bacon and Swiss quiche was made for brunch. It’s downright delightful.

The key to a quiche is a good crust, and this version opts for a grain-free one made with almond flour, sea salt, coconut oil, and an egg.

Next comes the smooth and rich filling, made with eggs, bacon, heavy cream, and Swiss cheese. Also important: The essential quiche spices, including nutmeg (which adds a deep nutty flavor) and earthy chopped sage.

Southwestern Frittata

egg southwest frittata

Don’t want to slave over the dishes post-brunch? Try this one-pan Southwestern frittata, complete with cheddar cheese, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and spicy ground beef.

It’s the Southwestern spice blend that delivers the kick. You can use a store-bought version or make your own—most recipes feature plenty of spicy chili powder.

Pro Tip: We’d totally serve this frittata alongside that asparagus frisee salad we talked about earlier. Yum.

Courtney Hamilton is a writer and editor with over seven years' experience in journalism, blogging, communications, and other media. She has written for publications like PaleoHacks, PaleoPlan, The Center for American Progress, OC Weekly, and more. 
 
Check out more of her work at www.courtney-hamilton.com.