Breakfast and Brunch

Breakfast

Breaking the fast is never so fun as when you dine on favorite breakfast dishes from around the world. Eggs, cheese and fruits are favorite starters in the Western World. In the East, your day is more likely to begin with a bowl of rice gruel and fish or with a steamed, filled bun. Africans might have a bowl of corn porridge. For Mexicans, it's often as simple as warm tortillas and refried beans.

Image by charles_chan

Breakfast Recipes

Atole

(Mexican warm cornmeal beverage)

Atole (ah-TOH-lay) is an ancient Mexican beverage with origins in pre-Columbian times. Similar warm drinks, thickened with cornmeal, are found throughout Central America and are especially popular for breakfast. Mexican atole is traditional at dia de los muertos celebrations, and it's chocolate version, champurrado, is popular at Christmastime. The consistency of atole varies anywhere from almost porridge-like to a thin, pourable drink. Read more »

Baking Powder Biscuits

(American breakfast quickbread)

Here is an easy, quick recipe for basic American breakfast biscuits. Spread with jam or serve topped with a generous portion of sausage gravy. Baking powder biscuits make a great addition to any Sunday morning breakfast. Read more »

Baleadas

(Honduran flour tortillas with beans and cheese)

A quick and satisfying breakfast or evening meal, baleadas are thick flour tortillas folded over a variety of fillings. The most common filling for baleadas is a simple mix of beans, cheese and the Honduran-style sour cream known as mantequilla. Read more »

Banana Bread

(Caribbean sweet quickbread)

Banana bread is eaten in many countries, of course. But it is especially popular in the Caribbean, particularly in Aruba, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Serve slices with dollop of whipped cream and a cup of coffee or hot tea. Also great for breakfast or as a snack for kids. Read more »

Bao

(Chinese steamed, filled buns)

Bao, also known as baozi, are pillowy, soft buns that are either steamed or baked. They come with a variety of fillings and are a common item in dim sum shops. Bao are a favorite breakfast or mid-morning snack. Read more »

Beid Hamine

(Egyptian slow-cooked eggs)

Beid hamine is an Egyptian dish with origins in Egypt's ancient Jewish community. The long cooking time comes from the Jewish tradition of slow cooking food overnight to serve on Shabbat, when cooking is forbidden. Read more »

Beignets

(American Southern powdered sugar fritters)

Pillowy puffs of fried dough dusted with snowy powdered sugar, beignets (bane-YAY) are most famously served at the Café du Monde on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Beignets are best enjoyed for breakfast with a hot cup of chicory coffee. Read more »

Bellini

(Italian peach and sparkling wine cocktail)

This refreshing cocktail was first served in Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, sometime in the 1930s or '40s. Named after the Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, this beautifully hued beverage is traditionally made with white peaches. If you can't find white peaches, regular peaches will do. Bellinis make the perfect beverage for brunches and New Year's or other celebrations. Read more »

Bubble and Squeak

(English fried potatoes and cabbage)

Bubble and squeak gets its name from the sound it makes as it is cooking. It is a popular breakfast or supper dish in England, made from the leftovers of a roast beef dinner, and often served with bacon and eggs. Also known as "bubble and scrape" or "fry up." Read more »

Cachapas

(Venezuelan fresh corn pancakes)

Cachapas are rib-sticking pancakes made with fresh corn. They are sold as road-side snacks in Venezuela, wrapped around queso fresco, mozzarella, chopped ham, chorizo or spread with butter, cream cheese or sour cream. Cachapas are a great, gluten-free option for people who can't tolerate pancakes made with wheat flour. Read more »

Chakchouka

(North African eggs poached in a pepper ragout)

This dish, with many variations, is a popular breakfast in North Africa, especially in Algeria and Tunisia. Most recipes include the eggs, but they can actually be left out if you like. Jewish immigrants from the Maghreb have made this a popular breakfast dish in Israel. Read more »

Chilaquiles

(Mexican fried tortillas in sauce)

Chilaquiles are an easy way to use up leftover tortillas. Popular for breakfast all over Mexico, the ingredients vary somewhat by region. But the essentials are the same — fried corn tortillas simmered in a spicy sauce and garnished with cheese. Chilaquiles are great as part of a Mexican brunch and are considered excellenthangover cure by Mexicans. Read more »

Clafouti

(French cherry flan)

This sweet cherry flan originated in the Limousin region of France and is often served as a breakfast dish. Clafouti is classically made with fresh cherries in early summer, but you can substitute all kinds of seasonal fruits. Cherry clafouti is traditionally made without first pitting the cherries. Read more »

Fritatta

(Italian open-faced omelet)

A frittata (Italian plural: frittate) is an Italian egg dish, similar to a crustless French quiche, that is studded with a variety of flavorful, seasonal ingredients. Often referred to as an "open-faced omelet," frittatas are cut into wedges and served warm or at room temperature as part of a breakfast, brunch or light meal. Read more »

Ful Medames

(Egyptian slow-cooked fava beans)

Ful medames is an ancient Egyptian dish with origins that reach back to the time of the pharaohs. This simple dish of slow-simmered fava beans seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices is the daily breakfast meal for millions of Egyptians. Read more »

Hangtown Fry

(American oyster and bacon omelet)

Hangtown fry originated in Placerville, California, during the Gold Rush. The town was known as Hangtown in recognition of the harsh justice often meted out there. The story goes that a prospector struck it rich, walked into a restaurant in town and ordered the best meal that money could buy. In that place, at that time, Hangtown fry was it. Read more »

Huevos Rancheros

(Mexican ranch-style eggs)

Huevos rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast, traditionally served to farm laborers, or rancheros. The eggs match perfectly with the spicy tomato sauce. Use fresh tortillas to mop up every last bite. Read more »

Kookoo Sabzi

(Persian herbed omelet)

A kookoo — also spelled kookoo-ye, kuku, or kou-kou — is a Persian-style egg dish that is similar to an Italian frittata or an open-faced omelet. Iranians make many, many different types with a variety of flavorings. The kookoo sabzi, flavored with a variety of herbs and tinted a deep green, is probably the most popular. Read more »

Llapingachos

(Ecuadorian potato-cheese patties)

Llapingachos (yah-peen-GAH-chos) are a popular side dish in the highlands of Ecuador. They are often served with fried eggs and a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and avocado. Sometimes sausages and a side of rice are added to make a full and typically Ecuadorian meal. Read more »

Mangú

(Dominican mashed plantains)

Mangú, one of the essential Dominican dishes, is descended from West African fufu. In the Dominican Republic, these mashed plantains are popular for breakfast served with eggs, salchichon sausage and sliced avocado. Mangú is often served topped with a vinegary onion sauce called escabeche. A great alternative to mashed potatoes! Read more »

Matzo Brei

(Jewish-Israeli fried flatbread and eggs)

Matzo brei (pronounced MAHT-zuh bree, or MAHT-zuh breye) is a tasty and easy breakfast dish and is a good way to use up leftover matzot after Passover. And kids love it. Every family has their own way of making this dish. The biggest dispute seems to be whether sweet or savory is best. It's up to you to decide. Sometimes spelled matzah brei. Read more »

Misoshiru

(Japanese miso soup)

Misoshiru is a basic part of the typical Japanese breakfast. This nourishing soup is eaten alone or with eggs, rice, fish and pickles. A simple version of the soup, lightly garnished with tofu and scallions, is most popular for the morning meal. But misoshiru can also be part of a larger midday or evening meal, often with added garnishes. Read more »

Muesli

(Swiss oats and fruit breakfast)

Muesli, or müsli, is a breakfast cereal developed at the turn of 20th century by the Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a Swiss nutritionist. He introduced a dish of raw grains, nut, milk, cream and honey for the patients at his sanitorium The original recipe, called Birchermüsli, is widely popular in Europe and has since spread around the world. Variations on the basic theme are endless. Read more »

Pancakes

(American skillet cakes)

Also known as flapjacks, hotcakes or griddlecakes, pancakes are a traditional breakfast food in the United States. Variations of the pancake, sweet and savory, are found around the world, from the French crèpe to Indian dosas. Read more »

Perico Venezolano

(Venezuelan scrambled eggs)

A popular breakfast dish in Venezuela is perico, eggs scrambled with onions, tomatoes and peppers. It's colorful name means "parakeet" in Spanish, and it can be eaten with bread or stuffed into arepas. Read more »