My Favorite Recipes for Family Brunch
It’s not all biscuits and gravy.
At least, that’s what I tell my husband every Sunday.
Since the beginning of quarantine way back in March, a new tradition has sprung up in the Winston household:
Sunday Brunch.
This may not seem like a novel tradition. But to a family that’s used to having “hodge” (podge) for dinner (ie whatever we can scrounge together in the kitchen), this planned, seated, relaxed and enjoyed-together meal is a big deal.
And we’ve been loving it.
Not because we get to eat fantastic breakfast food every weekend (which we do), but because it’s that rare chance where every member can simply be together without the stress of rushing home from sports practice or finishing the meal early to get to homework.
Sometimes we share stories and dad jokes and laugh, and sometimes we sit in relative silence. And I’m completely happy either way.
But I’ll admit, the fantastic food doesn’t hurt. And this new tradition has given me good reason to experiment in the kitchen.
We all have our favorite dishes. My husband would go biscuits and gravy every weekend (every day, in fact) if I let him. My girls are on the sweet spectrum and scarf down pancakes and cinnamon rolls like its their job.
So I’ve learned to create a little bit of everything.
Like catering, a great brunch is all about balance. You need a little savory to balance out your sweet, and something light to fit in with heartier fare.
So today, I'm sharing a few of my favorite brunch recipes with you.
The first is for Huevos Rancheros. This Mexican-inspired breakfast is awesome for a themed brunch, and provides a full meal in one dish.
Next up is my version of classic scrambled eggs. I adapted this from the master herself, Ina Garten, and it's been my go-to for perfectly scrambled eggs.
And I saved the best for last. These cinnamon roll bites use refrigerated biscuit dough as a base, and I promise, you won't be able to get enough of them.
Full Recipes
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients:
2 T Olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup picante sauce
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped green onions
6 eggs
6 6” corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Salsa
Shredded Mexican blend cheese, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Directions:
Sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add picante sauce, beans, red pepper, cumin, and salt. Simmer until thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in green onions.
Meanwhile, fry eggs sunny side up in a large skillet. You can also scramble the eggs if preferred. Season with salt and pepper.
Place one warm tortilla on each plate. Top with a spoonful of beans, fried egg, salsa, cheese, and chopped cilantro.
Serves 6
Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs
adapted from Ina Garten
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
½ c half and half
¾ tsp kosher salt
1 T unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the half and half and salt until frothy.
Heat 1 T of butter in a medium sauté pan. Add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the desired doneness.
The key to these eggs is low and slow cooking!
Check for seasoning. Serve hot.
Cinnamon Roll Bites
Ingredients:
1-12oz or 2-6oz. refrigerator biscuits -such as Pillsbury buttermilk flaky layers
4 TBSP butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
For Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 TBSP milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray/grease 8x8in baking dish.
Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Add biscuits pieces and toss to coat each piece of biscuit.
Spread out pieces in 1 layer into baking dish.
Pour melted butter evenly over biscuits.
Bake 20-22 minutes or until baked through.
For glaze:
Mix glaze ingredients until smooth.
Drizzle/Pour glaze over slightly cooled biscuits.