Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Breakfast and Brunch Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

Avon, Massachusetts They dont call it the most important meal of the day for nothing! Breakfast is where we get our fuel to power us through our day, and in our busy, hectic lives, it can be hard for us to sit down and enjoy a good meal before we begin our day of work, school, or both! Studies have shown that most Americans believe breakfast is important, but less than half of them actually take the time to eat before leaving the house in the morning! For children and adults who dont have a balanced meal before school or work, this means decreased concentration, irritable moods, lower productivity, and even increased risk of high-cholesterol, heightened blood pressure, and weight gain. Starting your day off with a good meal sets a positive tone for your day, your week, and your life! While we cant create more time for you in the morning, we can give you fifty delicious recipes that you can make to eat with the whole family, or throw into your bag to munch on your commute. From savory pancakes to poached eggs to portable breakfast bars, these recipes will have you ready to take on whatever comes your way in the morning. Mushroom Parmesan Frittata This is a great breakfast for the mushroom lover. Serves 2 Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 1 (10-ounce) package white mushrooms, sliced Salt and pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 5 eggs, beaten cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Heat the butter on medium-high in a large skillet until it stops bubbling.

   Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saut for about 6 minutes or until the water releases from the mushrooms and evaporated.

3. Add the oil to the pan, then pour in the eggs and half of the Parmesan cheese. Cook the frittata by constantly stirring the eggs over medium-high heat until the eggs have set but they are still quite moist.
4. Top the frittata with the remaining cheese and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes of until the top is very brown and the eggs are dry. Slide onto a platter and serve.

Stuffed French Toast Use plain white bread for this version of French toast.

Its just better. Serves 2 Ingredients 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 4 slices white bread Butter, for cooking 3 tablespoons cream cheese 3 tablespoons jam of your choice

1. Mix together the eggs and milk. Soak the bread in the mixture for 1 minute. Fry well on both sides in butter.
2. Spread one side of 2 slices of the French bread with the cream cheese. Top each with the jam and a slice of bread.

   No syrup needed here.

Its Better with Butter Butter has superior flavor over oil in many applications, especially breakfast cookery. It is the milk solids in the butter that brown when the butter is cooked and give up that rich and nutty flavor that only butter has. If you are going to be cooking over very high heat, butter is not recommended because it burns easily. Brandy Bacon with Sweet Brown Sugar This is a very interesting way to season bacon and makes a great breakfast side dish. Serves 2 Ingredients pound sliced bacon cup light brown sugar cup brandy

1. Lay out the bacon on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with the brown sugar and brandy.

   Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 300F.
3. Bake for about 18 minutes of until the bacon is as crispy as you like it.

Cooking Bacon Cooking bacon in a frying pan is both messy and time consuming. A great way to cook bacon is as described here, on a baking sheet in the oven. Another great alternative is to layer bacon between paper towels and cook it in the microwave.

The fat is absorbed in the towels and the bacon is always crisp. Experiment with different power settings until you find what works with your machine. Savory Smoky Home Fries The trick here is cooking the potatoes halfway ahead of time. Serves 2 Ingredients 2 large Idaho potatoes 6 slices bacon, minced 1 white onion, small diced 1 green bell pepper, small diced 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Simmer the potatoes, skin on, in plenty of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
2. Place the bacon in a pan and cook until crispy.
3. Place the bacon in a pan and cook until crispy.

   Remove the bacon and leave the fat in the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes. Do not stir the potatoes right away. Allow them to brown well on one side before turning them.

4. Turn the potatoes over and add the onion, bell pepper, and butter. Cook for about 10 minutes or until all the potatoes are browned and the onions and peppers are soft, stirring occasionally.

   Add the crispy bacon and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Sweet, Not Spicy! Green bell peppers are actually underripe red or yellow bell peppers. Many people think that red bell peppers are hot and spicy. But these peppers are actually sweeter than their green counterparts and make a great addition in many dishes for both color and flavor. Do not fear red peppers! If they are spicy, they will be advertised as such.

Pesto Green Eggs and Ham This is not just for kids. The flavors are sophisticated and delicious. Serves 2 Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 4 ounces smoked ham, chopped 6 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons store-bought pesto Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the butter in a nonstick pan until it stops bubbling. Add the ham and saut for 1 minute.
2. Add the eggs and pesto, and cook as you would scrambled eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

   Serve hot on toast, or alone.

Poached Eggs Perfecto Many people complain about the trouble they have poaching eggs. This is a good method. Serves 2 Ingredients 4 eggs 2 quarts water 1 tablespoon white vinegar Pinch salt

1. Place the water in a small saucepot. Bring the water to just under a boil and add the vinegar and salt.
2. Swirl the water in the pot with a large spoon very rapidly to form a fast-moving whirlpool.

   Crack each egg into a bowl and drop in one at a time in the center of the whirlpool. Do not allow the water to boil. Cook for exactly 3 minutes for medium-soft yolks. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Advance Poaching You can prepoach eggs in anticipation of a large group of people.

Simply follow the directions in this recipe, and when the eggs are almost done, place them in a bath of ice water. This will stop the eggs from cooking. You can store the eggs in the cold water in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve them, simply drop them into the hot water for about 30 seconds to reheat. It works great! Sour Cream Pancakes These very delicate pancakes are exquisite in texture and flavor.

Lightly coat a nonstick pan with the butter.

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