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Maytag Blue cheese, made by the same family that became world famous for its appliances, is handmade from cow’s milk and has a peppery, piquant flavor. Start this sandwich about an hour in advance so the chicken has time to marinate. This is an easy recipe to double or triple for a larger group, and the chicken can be made ahead. I like to serve this sandwich on raisin pumpernickel bread, but feel free to use another favorite loaf.

This sandwich is a French import made by dipping a basic ham and cheese sandwich into a beaten egg before sautéing it in butter. It’s like a savory French toast sandwich. It’s best made in a cast-iron skillet since cast iron distributes the heat very evenly. Ask the deli clerk to slice the ham very thin, and use good-quality French bread.

A nice vegetarian option, these crêpes have a substantial, almost meaty texture thanks to the mushrooms. They’re rich enough to be a main course and especially flavorful, thanks to the fresh herbs. Serve with Mixed Summer Berry Parfait (page 231).

A sophisticated dessert or even a sweet main course, these crêpes feature two favorite flavors of kids everywhere: bananas and chocolate. Using bittersweet chocolate cuts the sweetness of the banana and makes these crêpes quite elegant.

Crêpes can be sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and served flat, like regular pancakes; or rolled up around fruit, Nutella (chocolate hazelnut butter), or chocolate; or topped with fruit, fruit compotes, whipped cream, or jam. You can make this batter ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to two days. Use a crêpe pan, which has a very long handle and slightly sloping slides, or a small to medium nonstick skillet. Prepared crêpes can be frozen for up to a month and defrosted at room temperature for a couple of hours. For best results, place crêpes between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper before freezing. Rewarm them by removing the waxed paper and baking them, tightly covered, in a baking pan in a preheated 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

A delicious and painless way to sneak more vegetables into the brunch, these crêpes are good for when brunch tilts more in the direction of breakfast. You can make the filling a day in advance and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Warm it over low heat before using it as a filling.

Gruyère is one of the best cheeses to use in a crêpe because it is flavorful and melts nicely. Here, broccoli adds color and texture. You can prepare both the filling and the crêpes ahead of time and assemble the crêpes at the last minute. If you make crêpes in advance, the crêpes can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to two months. Serve with Mixed Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette (page 169).

If you didn’t think waffles could taste good and be good for you at the same time, these will change your mind. Besides the taste of fresh applesauce, the addition of flaxseed meal, wheat germ, and whole wheat pastry flour imparts a wholesome flavor. If you choose to buy applesauce rather than making it from scratch, the waffles will still be very good, but nothing compares with homemade applesauce made with crisp autumn apples.

These golden, delicious-smelling waffles are an autumn treat, and they are even better when topped with a fall-fresh Cinnamon Pear Compote (page 277). They’re tender and especially aromatic, thanks to the various spices. Buy plain canned pumpkin purée, not the prepared pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and added spices. Serve with Fresh Cranberry Juice (page 240).

In place of maple syrup, try homemade Maple Butter (page 274) with these deliciously nutty waffles. Buttermilk makes these waffles especially crisp and light.

The yeast, in addition to letting the batter sit for at least six hours, gives these waffles a chewy consistency and a slightly pungent flavor. One note on preparation: Since this batter needs to stand overnight, be sure to prepare it a day in advance. You can freeze these waffles, well wrapped, for up to a month. Simply heat them until nice and crispy in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Since the invention of the nonstick electric waffle iron, making homemade waffles is a breeze. You can freeze these waffles for up to a month. Baking them in a preheated 350°F oven will quickly restore them to their irresistibly crisp, buttery state.

You can serve this brunch favorite as soon as it’s ready, or keep it warm for up to twenty minutes, loosely covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel in a 200°F oven. Avoid using very soft white bread as it tends to fall apart when dipped into the egg mixture. It’s best to use a firm bread such as a large baguette or sourdough loaf. In fact, French toast is a great way to use up slightly stale bread, and you can make this with just about anything from a baguette to brioche to a cinnamon raisin loaf.

French Toast is the perfect way to use up day-old bread. If you’ve made Raisin Challah Bread (page 61), go ahead and use up the leftovers the next morning. Good-quality store-bought thick-cut raisin bread will also work. Cut your challah slices on the thick side, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick, so that when you griddle them, the outside will be crisp and the inside will be moist and creamy. Serve with lots of syrup, homemade jam, sautéed bananas (see Banana Walnut Pancakes, page 122), fresh bananas and strawberries, or the fruit compote of your choosing (see pages 276 to 278).

If there’s anything better than traditional French toast, it’s this crisp, golden variation, made by pressing the bread slices in crushed cornflakes before griddling. Be sure to generously coat both sides of the bread with the cornflakes and use plenty of butter on the griddle. Serve with maple syrup, sautéed bananas (see Banana Walnut Pancakes, page 122), fruit compote (see pages 276 to 278), or homemade jam, such as Strawberry Jam (page 280).

Johnnycakes, believed to be the precursor of the pancake, date back to the 1700s and are typically made with cornmeal and either water or milk. Though they used to be fairly flat griddle cakes, our johnnycakes contain eggs, butter, and leavening, so they taste somewhat like a cross between pancakes and corn bread. Adding blueberries makes them even better.

The agreeably assertive flavor of buckwheat flour, the nuttiness of wheat germ, and the pleasantly chewy texture of rolled oats combine to make these pancakes hearty and full-bodied. They’re really a meal on their own, though nobody would complain if you were to offer Venison Sausages (page 185) or thickly cut Maple-Glazed Bacon (page 177) alongside.

My mother used to make these slightly tangy, slightly chewy, wonderfully moist pancakes when we were kids. Now, Bubby’s serves these pancakes every weekend. The recipe works best when you have all your ingredients at room temperature. Plan to make the Primary Batter 8 to 12 hours ahead of time. Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before you make the pancakes, and give it a good stir before using. The Primary Batter will yield 3 3/4 cups, which you will use in the pancakes, and 2 1/2 cups to return to the starter container, which will feed your starter for a week. Plan on ordering starter for the Primary Batter from any number of online companies. Serve the pancakes with a fruit compote (pages 276 to 278) or sautéed bananas (see Banana Walnut Pancakes, page 122) and Glazed Smoked Ham (page 187).

These extra-special pancakes are filled with toasted walnuts and topped with caramelized bananas—a perfect combination. While adding syrup may seem over the top, we always slather these with some anyway, for extra decadence. Serve with yogurt and fruit.

A generous measure of blueberries—two full cups—ensures a juicy mouthful of berries with every bite. Use fresh berries when they are in season, or frozen if fresh seasonal berries are unavailable. There is no need to thaw frozen berries before using them. You can keep the cooked pancakes, loosely covered with a clean kitchen towel, for 15 minutes in a 200°F oven. Serve with Roasted Asparagus and Leek Frittata (page 96).