Got a fridge full of food you need to use up? Bread getting ready to go stale on you? No problem! Make the Most of It with an easy, yet impressive Eggs Benedict.
Eggs Benedict is not so much a recipe as it is a concept. There really are no rules! It looks fancy, and can seem intimidating, but as long as you understand the building blocks, it really is a breeze. And a wonderful chance to get creative. And, let’s be honest, a great way to impress your brunch guests (and cure their hangovers)!
Focus on these building blocks: Base, Meat, Veggies, Eggs and Sauce. Take each step as an opportunity to use up the odds and ends you have left in your pantry, fridge or freezer.
1. Base – Grab any bread that needs to be used up (biscuit, toast, English muffin, hamburger buns), or anything with structure that can support the other toppings. Waffles, stuffing, fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, meatloaf, grit cakes, latkes, tortillas.
2. Meat (optional) – How about the last of that rotisserie chicken you used earlier in the week? Or prosciutto and salami from your holiday charcuterie board? Steak, shrimp, barbeque, ham, bacon, turkey, prosciutto, Canadian bacon, carnitas or sausage patties.
3. Veggies – Seriously, whatever you’ve got. Spinach, sauteed peppers and onions, fresh tomatoes, cooked asparagus, avocado, Brussels sprouts, pickled veggies… the options are endless.
4. Eggs – Believe it or not, these are also optional, depending on your tastes dietary needs. The traditional recipe calls for a poached egg, but you can certainly take the easy way out with a lightly fried egg. This will still give you that #foodporn runny yolk spilling down over your creation and save you some of the headache.
5. Sauce – Traditional Benedicts call for Hollandaise sauce, which you can make on your own, or cheat and use a packet from the grocery store. I’ll never tell. This is another chance to get creative. Following Thanksgiving, I had gravy on hand. You better believe I went there. Béarnaise Sauce, salsa, Alfredo sauce, marinara sauce and Remoulade are also wonderful options. Use up whatever jarred sauces you have in your fridge.
Reuben Benedict – toast, corned beef, sauerkraut, egg and Hollandaise
Oscar Benedict – English muffin, crab meat, roasted asparagus, egg and
Béarnaise sauce
Meatloaf Benedict – meatloaf slice, spinach, eggs and marinara sauce
Thanksgiving Benedict – Stuffing, spinach, sausage patties, eggs and gravy
Fajita Benedict – tortillas, rotisserie chicken, avocado, egg and salsa
Crab Cake Benedict – crab cake, fresh tomato, Hollandaise (stir in some Old Bay seasoning) and garnish with chives.
Pizza Benedict – English Muffin, spinach, pepperoni, mozzerella cheese and egg and marinara
Latke Benedict – latkes, lox, egg, Hollandaise and garnish with chives
BLT Benedict – Toast, bacon, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, egg and Remoulade
Southern Benedict – Biscuit, barbecue, pickled okra, egg and Alabama White Sauce
Scampi Benedict – whole wheat english muffin, seasoned shrimp, sauteed spinach, egg and scampi sauce (or Hollandaise with extra lemon juice)
Cuban Benedict – hamburger bun, pulled pork, deli ham, swiss cheese, egg and Hollandaise (stir in some dijon mustard!)
Cajun Benedict – biscuit, Andouille sausage and/or shrimp, sauteed peppers and onions, egg, Remoulade and garnish with green onion
Italian Benedict – English muffin, salami and ham, spinach, egg and marinara
Philly Benedict – Hamburger bun, steak, sauteed peppers and onions, egg and Béarnaise sauce
Chicken & Waffles Benedict – waffles, fried chicken, egg, Hollandaise, garnish with chives
Alfredo Benedict – whole wheat english muffin, rotisserie chicken, sauteed spinach, egg and Alfredo sauce
Fried Green Tomato Benedict – fried green tomato, bacon, avocado, egg and Remoulade
