Main

The addition of ricotta cheese gives these citrusy pancakes a little more heft. After you cook each batch of pancakes, transfer them to a heatproof platter and keep them warm for up to 20 minutes in a preheated 200°F oven.

These pancakes, the signature griddle dish at Bubby’s, were inspired by James Beard’s excellent recipe. Half the milk called for in Mr. Beard’s recipe is replaced with sour cream, resulting in a fluffy, deep golden griddle cake. Mix the dry ingredients and mix the wet ingredients separately ahead of time, but don’t make this batter more than three hours in advance or it might deflate. Serve with plenty of butter and maple syrup, Canadian bacon, or one of Bubby’s fruit compotes (pages 276 to 278).

A meal in itself, this is a great dish for a crowd. It can be made ahead, baked, and reheated, or it can be held unbaked until a couple of hours before you plan to serve it.

Traditionally made by my stepmother, Sue, for New Year’s Day brunch, this is a wonderful make-ahead dish. It can be prepared with canned cream of mushroom soup or leftover homemade cream of mushroom soup, and you can substitute various kinds of sausage, according to your taste. Serve with Mimosas (pages 246–247) or Bloody Marys (page 245).

Eggs Benedict is a decadent breakfast composed of two crispy slices of good Canadian bacon on top of two halves of a toasted English muffin. Two perfectly poached eggs sit on top of the Canadian bacon, and the eggs are covered with rich, lemony hollandaise sauce. Serve with Home Fries (page 209), Skillet Hash Browns (page 211), or Stone-Ground Hominy Grits such as Hoppin’ John’s or Anson Mills (page 207).

This layered, all-in-one brunch casserole is great for when you’re serving four or more people because it can be prepped before your guests arrive. It’s an old-time casserole with the added flavor of leeks and some delicious homemade fried onion straws on top.

Torta—Spanish for “cake,” “loaf,” or “sandwich”—is also a substantial brunch entrée in which the eggs are baked, often with vegetables. In this version, caramelizing brings out the natural sweetness in the onion and red bell pepper. Serve this torta either hot or at room temperature with sourdough toast and slab bacon.

This Bubby’s version of Dr. Seuss’s whimsical creation will satisfy kids and adults alike. Serve this children’s classic with Home Fries (page 209) or Stone-Ground Hominy Grits (page 207).

In the spring we go to the farmers’ market for morels and in the fall for chanterelles. Either mushroom is wonderful in this dish, as are cremini, oysters, hen o’ the woods, trumpets, porcini, and portobellos. One cautionary note: Know your mushrooms, and never eat any that you pick yourself unless you are absolutely certain they’re edible. See Alice in Wonderland for the effects of eating the wrong mushrooms or speak to someone at your local emergency room for details.

Andouille, a spicy Cajun sausage, is a must in dishes like jambalaya. Here, along with another favorite Louisiana ingredient, crawfish, it flavors a delectable scramble that will make you think of New Orleans. You may use either fresh or frozen crawfish tails. In case you’ve never eaten them, crawfish tails have a flavor that is somewhat like shrimp, only sweeter.

Those who like a little extra kick in their eggs will enjoy this dish. Customize it by adding a little extra jalapeño, which will increase the heat. The clean, bright flavor of cilantro is excellent here, and it adds color as well.

This late-summer indulgence showcases a harvest of vegetables abundant from August until the end of September. Although you can buy these ingredients year-round, this frittata is at its best when made with ripe in-season produce. This recipe can be doubled, but don’t try to make more than two frittatas at a time or you’ll end up with runny, undercooked eggs. This is delicious accompanied by garlic toast. Serve with Potato Pancakes (page 213).

This egg dish is bursting with generous chunks of ham and scallion and bound with an abundance of sharp Cheddar. Be sure your ham is sizzling nicely before adding the eggs, and don’t overcook this scramble: The eggs are just right when they’re still a little wet. Serve with Blackberry Corn Muffins (page 39).

Afine choice for a spring menu, although good whenever you can find fresh asparagus, this frittata has an especially nice flavor because the asparagus and leeks are roasted and caramelized before being added. If you like, roast the vegetables a day ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to use.

Cheddar and apples are great together, and the combination gets even better when you add some superior-tasting slab bacon. Any sweet-tart apple—Macoun, Mutsu, Greening, Winesap—works well here.

The key to making a great broccoli omelet is to slightly overcook the broccoli. One of the best cheeses to pair with broccoli in many a dish is Cheddar because of its sharp, tangy taste.

As the name implies, this is a workingman’s or -woman’s omelet, bulging with crispy chunks of slab bacon, potatoes, and onions. It’s also great with leeks. There’s no need to fold this before serving. It’s served as is, flat and round, and right out of the skillet. Serve with Zucchini Bread with Zucchini Flowers (page 48).

Roasting pears accentuates their sweetness, making them the perfect match for tangy goat cheese. Allow yourself enough time to prepare the pears and let them cool—about 30 minutes in total. This can be done several hours ahead or even a day before you plan to make the omelet, which takes under 10 minutes to cook. You’ll have enough roasted pears for four omelets; if you make only one, use the extra pears to top pancakes or waffles. Bartlett or Bosc pears are a good choice for this recipe, although you could use apples instead. Be sure your goat cheese is chèvre, which means that it’s made entirely from goat’s milk. Among the better-known types of chèvre are Montrachet, Banon, and Bucheron.

A robust Cajun tomato sauce flecked with bacon and chopped bell peppers blankets this spicy omelet, which is bursting with andouille sausage, crawfish, and sautéed vegetables. You could make the sauce ahead of time, refrigerate it, and reheat it before using.

Fresh spinach and creamy Brie make a delectable combination, especially in an omelet. One big bunch of spinach yields only about 1 cup of cooked spinach, but it is enough for three or four omelets. You will need about 1/3 cup of steamed, chopped spinach for each omelet. Serve with Butter and Parsley Potatoes (page 222).