Some days, you just want to have breakfast for dinner. You might want to go out to a diner (Denny’s, Mel’s, Shari’s, Steak ‘n Shake, to name a few examples), in the hopes of meeting a politician there by chance or to meet up with friends and listen to music from a jukebox.
But sometimes you want to have breakfast for dinner in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Here are some “diner breakfast” recipes to help you get started.
- Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble bacon into small pieces.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir eggs until set, about 5 minutes. Season scrambled eggs with salt and pepper.
- Layer rice, eggs, and bacon in a bowl; top generously with cinnamon sugar.
Breakfast for Dinner
In a small cast-iron skillet, heat the butter until it starts to foam. Add the eggs, trout, crème fraîche, Parmigiano-Reggiano, the 1 tablespoon of chives and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, shaking the pan and stirring gently with a spatula, until small curds form and the eggs are just set, about 4 minutes. Garnish with snipped chives and serve with toast.
Phoenicia Diner’s Breakfast Skillet
- Grate potatoes on the largest hole on a box grater into a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and drain; repeat once or twice, until water runs nearly clear. Taking small handfuls at a time, squeeze all the water from the potatoes and place in a dry medium bowl. Grate onion on the largest hole on a box grater and toss with potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and let sit while you cook the bacon.
- Cook bacon or sausage in a large cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches) over medium heat until totally crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Drain fat from the skillet into a small bowl (you should have 3 to 4 tablespoons; if you don’t, use vegetable oil to make up the difference).
- Again taking small handfuls at a time, squeeze all water from the potato-onion mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat or vegetable oil in that same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl together.
- Add potatoes and onions and spread into a thin, even layer. Cook, without moving, until the potatoes are nearly cooked through and browned on one side, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a spatula, flip sections of the potatoes to crisp on the other side. Add 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat or vegetable oil and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook, without moving, until potatoes are browned on the other side, about another 5 minutes. Flip once or twice more (you don’t have to be so careful here; just kind of stir them around) and continue to cook until most of the bits of potato are golden brown and crisped, about another 4 minutes.
- Transfer potatoes to a plate and set aside while you fry the eggs. Meanwhile, toast the bread.
- Increase heat to medium high and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, rotating skillet occasionally until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are still bright yellow and runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place on 2 plates with hash browns, bacon and toast. Serve with hot sauce (or ketchup, if you wish).
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Mix together strawberries, sugar, 1 Tbsp brandy, and grated orange peel. Let compote sit 30 minutes to allow strawberries to soften.
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Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add cream, 1 Tbsp brandy, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat well.
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Soak 12 pieces bread in egg mixture. Melt butter on a griddle over medium heat and cook each piece of bread for 4 minutes per side.
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As toast comes off griddle, immediately spread 1 tsp mascarpone cheese and 2 Tbsp compote in middle and fold in half so cheese melts and strawberries warm. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.
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In a heavy skillet, cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion softens.
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Whisk together eggs and milk. Add tortilla chips and pour mixture into skillet with onion. Cook, stirring, until eggs begin to set, about 1 minute.
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Add ½ cup diced tomatoes and cook, stirring, until eggs are set. Remove from skillet and immediately top with ⅔ cup grated cheese (preferably Monterey Jack or cheddar).
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Garnish with 1 to 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh jalapeño pepper, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Migas (Tex-Mex Omelets)
- Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan.
- Slowly add the grits, stirring constantly until smooth.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover pan, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until smooth, stirring several times.
- Serve with some of these optional garnishes and accompaniments: butter, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, jam, cheese, fried eggs, chopped crisp bacon, and milk or half-and-half.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil and stir in grits. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Mix in ½ of the butter and 2 cups cheese until melted.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the onions and sausage until the sausage is evenly browned. Drain the sausage and mix into the grits. Beat the eggs and milk together, pour into the skillet with any remaining sausage drippings. Lightly scramble the eggs, then mix into the grits. Add the Worcestershire, garlic and Tabasco, salt and pepper; mixing until combined. Pour the grits mixture into the prepared baking dish and dot with the remaining butter. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Slowly pour the grits into the water while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the grits are tender and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the grits constantly as they cook. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and sprinkle in the grated luncheon meat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the luncheon meat has browned. Pour off any excess grease, and stir half of the luncheon meat into the grits along with the tomatoes, sour cream, and half of the Cheddar cheese. Pour the grits into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining luncheon meat and Cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is hot and the cheese has melted and is bubbly, about 30 minutes.