We all learned a few tricks in 2020 and one of them is to be kind to ourselves. When it comes to meal prep, that often means comfort food and cutting corners.
So in our brave new world, there’s absolutely nothing weird about breakfast for dinner. Children will delight in it. Your partner will thank you and ask for more maple syrup. And you get to appreciate a meal that is both easy to prepare and abundantly comforting. You can go very savory, if you like, larding up eggs with prosciutto or serving a tomato-based dish that will make the even make the “but this is dinner time” stalwarts in your family happy. And hey, your supper doesn’t need to be egg-centric! Think: crepes, pancakes, savory waffle sandwiches, and hash.
Here are eight easy dishes to satisfy everyone in your brunch—er, bunch.
1. Ham and Cheese Buckwheat Waffle Sandwiches
Call these waffle sandwiches “waffle grilled cheeses” and watch children storm the dinner table. If you’re feeling generous, you could even splash a little syrup on top of each. Though the flavors are deeply savory (ham, cheese and buckwheat), maple syrup goes with nearly everything when breakfast is for supper.
2. Sautéed Pear, Turkey and Brie Crepes
You keep swearing you’re going to use that crepe pan. No time like the present! Behold these stunningly savory crepes brimming with Brie, pears and smoked turkey. This is the sort of restaurant-quality dish you’ve been craving at home, but it comes together in less than an hour (plus, any non-stick fry pan will stand in for the crepe pan in a pinch!). Pears out of season? Swap in strawberry or fig jam. Yum.
3. Baked Eggs With Tomato and Fennel
We don’t mean to brag, but we have some darned good baked egg recipes, including these knockout baked eggs with tomatoes and fennel. If you’ve got a fennel bulb and a well-stocked pantry, you’re golden. No fresh herbs are required; the prep time is a mere 15 minutes; you can use the fennel fronds as garnish. Who is gonna turn this down?
4. Bacon and Leek Quiche
Do as we do. When there is quiche, emphasize its best qualities first. (Because most can love quiche if they just give it a chance.) In this case, it’s bacon. And leeks. And Gruyère. It’s so good, it makes the house smell great, and if you don’t have it in you to make a pie dough, bust out that frozen one you picked up. No judgment.
5. Parmesan French Toast
The best brunches are the ones where you happily mix everything together on your plate, with a bite of runny egg mingling with a bite of French toast. Best of both worlds alert: This Parmesan French toast is killer. It delivers exactly that uber-savory experience you want at breakfast for dinner. It’s a riff on a croque madame, sure, and that’s also excellent. But thin, rumpled slices of prosciutto really set this recipe apart from the pack.
6. Buckwheat Crepes with Corn and Roasted Poblano Chiles
Say hello to our most beloved, five-star savory crepe. You might recognize the buckwheat crepe from your favorite Parisian creperie. Sometimes called a galette, it can wrap around an infinite variety of savory fillings. We love this one, with popping, fresh corn, red onion and roasted poblano chiles.
7. Gruyère and Parmesan Souffle
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Souffles can be dinner, too. We know they seem like a lot of work, but they’re not, and honestly, feeding your family (or yourself!) is a lot less pressure than busting these babies out for company. Gruyère and Parmesan combine to make this a deeply savory treat. Expect applause, because… souffles!
8. Dutch Baby With Fresh Berries
Speaking of babies, why not just go full breakfast for supper? Any excuse to put maple syrup on the table is a good one. We find that this Dutch Baby is even simpler than pancakes (though those are great, too). And watching the Baby puff, dance and ultimately deflate will delight the kids and kids-at-heart in your home. Serve with powdered sugar and lemon, fresh berries and stone fruit, or butter and maple syrup. Throw a few plump sausages into the mix, and supper is served.
A few things we like about this recipe: 1. It’s hearty and delicious. 2. You can make it ahead. Serve it for Sunday brunch, then hold the leftovers for Monday night. Pair it with a crisp green salad, a glass of rosé or crisp white wine, a hunk of crusty sourdough and you have yourself the perfect supper. Bon appetit!
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