Julie Giuffrida is the former Test Kitchen coordinator for the Los Angeles Times.
Sweet, savory or a mix of the two, we have breakfast and brunch recipes for you.
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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
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Almond Dutch Baby With Honeyed Figs
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 2 to 4
Buffalo Corn With Bacon and Eggs
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Whole wheat pancakes
Time 45 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Hou Bao Daan: Hong Kong-Style Fried Eggs
Time 5 minutes
Yields Serves 1
Cinnamon Crunch Buns
Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yields Makes 12
Chickpea Frittata with Tomatoes and Kale
Time 1 hour 45 minutes, plus overnight chilling
Yields Makes one 9- by 5-inch loaf
Kuku Sabzi (Persian Greens Frittata)
Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 10
Sweet Potato Bread
Time 1 hour 30 minutes, largely unattended
Yields Makes 1 9-by-5-inch loaf
Passion Fruit-Poppy Seed Muffins
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 12
Vegan Chilaquiles
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Egg and Cheese Skillet Pancake
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6
Ultimate Overnight Waffles
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 1 to 2 dozen.
Shakshouka
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Mantou Steamed Chinese Buns
Time 3 hours
Yields Makes 12 buns
Bacon-Basted Root Vegetable Hash
Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Prosciutto and onion frittata
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6 as appetizer, 4 as main course
Upma
Time 35 minutes
Yields Serves 2 to 4
Chard Shakshouka
Time 50 minutes
Yields Serves 6
Pumpkin-spiced French toast
Time 24 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Savory bread pudding with sausage gravy
Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields Serves 10 to 12
Maple bacon cinnamon rolls
Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Yields Serves 12
New Mex Migas
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Cherry tomato frittata
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 1 to 2
Butter Pecan Banana Muffins
Time 30 minutes
Yields Makes 12 muffins
Artichoke and sun-dried tomato frittata
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 12
Oatmeal pancakes
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Homemade pop tarts
Time 2 hours
Yields Makes 8 pop tarts
Cornmeal pancakes
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 2 to 4
Basic rice congee
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Emily's chocolate mandel bread
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Apple bacon coffeecake
Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Yields Serves 16
Rockenwagner's Ginger scones
Time 45 minutes
Yields Serves 10
Shakshuka
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4
Mesquite apple muffins with streusel topping
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 12
Blueberry Breakfast Bread
Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Yields Makes 2 loaves
Mendocino frittata
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields Serves 8
Square One brown-butter pecan coffeecake
Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Yields Serves 8
Crespelles with prosciutto and zucchini
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6
Breakfast Pizza
Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields Serves 6
Malted cornmeal pancakes with orange-blueberry syrup
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes 18 (4 1/2 -inch)
Wild Mushroom Frittata
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6
La Brea Bakery chocolate-walnut scones
Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields Serves 12
Pecan currant sticky buns
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 12 buns
Raised buckwheat Belgian waffles with honey butter
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Frank's home fries
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 6
Cardamom sweet rolls
Time 50 minutes
Yields Serves 12
Pumpkin pancakes
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Corn Waffles
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 16 waffles.
Party eggs
Time 35 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Crepes
Time 30 minutes
Yields Makes 26 crepes
Sweet Potato Hash With Pancetta and Rosemary
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Chorizo Migas
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Chocolate Almond French Toast
Time 15 minutes
Yields Serves 2
Featherbed Eggs
Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields Serves 6
Sour Cherry and Vanilla Cream Scones
Time 30 minutes
Yields Makes 2 to 16 scones
Crisp Everyday Waffles
Time 35 minutes
Yields Makes 6 (7-inch) waffles
Silky Scrambled Eggs
Time 5 minutes
Yields Serves 1
Bottomless Mimosas
Time 5 minutes
Yields Makes 6 drinks
Champurrado
Time 55 minutes
Yields Makes 2 quarts
Spanish hot chocolate (chocolate a la taza)
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 5
Parisian-style hot chocolate
Time 15 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
Time 10 minutes
Yields Serves 4