National Eggs Benedict Day is this Saturday, April 16, and what better way to celebrate filing your taxes the day before (actually taxes aren’t due until April 18 this year, but who’s counting?) than by indulging in this breakfast staple. Poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise mix together perfectly on top of an English muffin to create one of the tastiest dishes you can find on a breakfast or brunch menu. Of course, there are many different combinations that can make up an Eggs Benedict — my personal favorite from a local restaurant involves regular bacon and a chipotle hollandaise — and they should all be celebrated. Below are seven recipes that range from traditional to takeoffs that celebrateall the facets of this beloved dish.
Image Credit: Laura Vitale
Traditional Eggs Benedict{via saveur}
Traditional or classic, whatever you prefer to call it, is the default preparation for a reason. A toasted English muffin, a poached egg, hollandaise, and Canadian bacon are all you need for the perfect, mouthwatering bite. Adding vinegar to the poaching liquid is a great trick, just make sure not to over poach the eggs. Cutting into the egg and having the yoke mix with the hollandaise is always a special treat. A hard yoke just takes something away from the dish.
Baked Eggs Benedict Cups{via buzzfeed tasty}
Though almost exactly like the traditional Eggs Benedict, this recipe is good for those who, like myself, are terrified of poaching eggs. I also suggest modifying this hollandaise recipe and adding a bit of hot sauce like many other recipes suggest. It won’t ruin the hollandaise to go without, but it’ll be a bit more plain. This is definitely a good starter recipe for those who want to make Eggs Benedict at home, but find themselves intimidated by the thought of poaching eggs. Though the texture of the egg won’t be exactly the same, you’ll still get that nice runny yoke, as long as you don’t over bake it.
Crab Eggs Benedict{via paula deen}
Crab and eggs go surprisingly well together,so substituting crab for Canadian bacon works perfectly in an Eggs Benedict. Either a crab salad or a crab cake is a nice addition to this dish. I find that seafood can be hit or miss in egg dishes, but some nice, flavorful crab goes perfectly with this and doesn’t overwhelmthe hollandaise. You can add pretty much any seafood to an Eggs Benedict — I’ve seen restaurants advertise everything from oysters to smoked salmon — but in my opinion crab melds best with the flavors of the dish.
Southwestern Eggs Benedict {via taste of home}
This twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict is good for those who want a substitute for bread or who are looking for a little more spice in their dish. While keeping the poached eggs, this recipe calls for potatoes, peppers, and bacon instead of an English muffin and a cheese sauce as substitute for hollandaise. Though in some ways it’s more of a hash than a Benedict, the spirit of the dish is still there, and the flavors are spot on. Though I’d probably prefer my potatoes as a side dish, when the yoke mixes with the potatoes and the cheese sauce, I might end up changing my tune.
Country Style Eggs Benedict{via spoon fork bacon}
Though remarkably different from the traditional preparation, the Country Style Eggs Benedict is full of great flavor and encompasses the spirit of the dish. Country gravy and chicken fried steak replace Canadian bacon and hollandaise, while a buttermilk biscuit lays the foundation instead of an English muffin. The egg can be poached or fried, though I think poaching is always the way to go if you’re going to call your dish a Benedict. There’s really no way you can go wrong with this dish, and it’s a great twist on both an Eggs Benedict and a country fried steak breakfast.
Eggs Benedict Casserole{via baker bettie}
This is another recipe for those who love the flavors of Eggs Benedict but hate poaching eggs. All the flavors are there – the hollandaise, the Canadian bacon, the English muffins – the only difference is the eggs are baked into more of ascramble. Sure the runny yoke is missing (and isn’t that kind of the best part?) but everything else is virtually the same. This is also a good dish to make ahead, while almost all other preparations ofEggs Benedict need to be made to order. This also serves a lot of people with minimal effort. The most time-consuming part is making the hollandaise, but that can be done while the casserole is baking.
Image Credit: Dennis Prescott
Eggs Benedict Burger{via food and wine}
These might be the two best foods in the world, combined into one superfood that will take over the world. Too much? Probably not. Combining the most delicious breakfast and lunch foods together seems like a no-brainer. Adding eggs to burgers is actually quite common, but adding hollandaise to the mix really puts it over the top. There are a lot of ways you can go with this, it all depends on how you like your burger and how you like your Eggs Benedict. There’s a lot of potential options to mix and match, but regardless, there’s a lot of potential for deliciousness.
Let’s be honest, though, there really isn’t a bad way to prepare Eggs Benedict. One of the best parts of the dish is all the potential flavor combinations. You can use all different kinds of meats, or none at all. You can add vegetables to the mix, and you can try spicing up your hollandaise in different ways. The possibilities are endless, but all equally tasty.
How do you plan to celebrate National Eggs Benedict Day? What’s your favorite Eggs Benedict preparation? Have a favorite recipe? Feel free to share in the comments!
