Recipes: Egg dishes for brunch

Here are 3 recipes for egg dishes to jazz up your weekend brunch routine: poached eggs with a crabmeat and bacon hash, a cheesy puffed strata casserole and a fanciful egg roulade.

Serves 6.

Note: This is great with or without the crabmeat. Adapted from "Buttermilk & Bourbon," by Jason Santos.

• 9 medium-size red potatoes, cut in 1/2-in. pieces

• 5 slices uncooked bacon, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 in. pieces

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1 c. diced onion

• 1 c. diced celery

• 1 c. diced red bell pepper

• 1 c. diced poblano or Anaheim pepper

• 1 c. diced yellow bell pepper

• 1 tbsp. seeded and minced jalapeño

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells (about four 6-oz. cans, drained)

• 2 tsp. paprika

• Pinch of cayenne

• 3 tbsp. minced green onions

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tbsp. white vinegar

• 12 eggs

• Hot Sauce Hollandaise (see recipe), for serving

Directions

Cover chopped potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil, then drop heat to let water simmer. Cook potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just barely tender. Drain potatoes and cool immediately in very cold water. Drain again and set aside.

Cook bacon in a large pan over medium heat until nicely crisp. Remove bacon from pan, drain on a paper towel and crumble into smaller pieces, if desired. Drain all but about 2 tablespoons bacon grease from pan and return the bacon to the pan, along with potatoes and sauté until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and the onion, celery, peppers and garlic, and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes (make sure celery is soft). Add in crabmeat, paprika, cayenne and green onions. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a boil. Add vinegar and a pinch of salt and lower heat so water is at a simmer, 160 to 180 degrees. Break each egg individually into a small bowl, then slide each egg into the pan of water, repeating until the pan is full (you may need to use 2 pans). Poach eggs for about 3 minutes until yolks are set the way you prefer (spooning hot water over the tops to cook the whites, if desired).

Lift each egg out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a paper towel. Serve hash on individual plates, topped with poached eggs and Hot Sauce Hollandaise.

Nutrition information per serving, without sauce:

Calories580Fat22 gSodium580 mg

Carbohydrates62 gSaturated fat8 gAdded sugars0 g

Protein34 gCholesterol470 mgDietary fiber9 g

Exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 2 carb, 4 medium-fat protein.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note: From "Buttermilk & Bourbon," by Jason Santos.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 1 shallot, diced small

• 4 egg yolks

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste

• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• Cayenne, to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Put butter, thyme and shallot in a small saucepan and cook slowly in order to infuse the butter and cook the shallot. When butter is melted, remove thyme sprig and discard.

In food processor, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. While machine is running, drizzle in warm butter mixture in slow, steady stream until mixture is emulsified and creamy. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or gently keep warm until needed.

Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:

Calories155Fat17 gSodium45 mg

Carbohydrates1 gSaturated fat10 gAdded sugars0 g

Protein1 gCholesterol100 mgDietary fiber0 g

Exchanges per serving: 3 ½ fat.

Serves 8 to 10.

Note: If you are short on time, use a ready-made pie pastry, then roll it out and bake it as indicated below. The recipe also works well without the crust (but grease the pan). From "Bazaar: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes" by Sabrina Ghayour.

For the pastry:

• 1 3/4 c. flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1/2 c. cold salted butter, cut into small cubes

• 3 to 4 tbsp. cold water

For the filling:

• Vegetable oil

• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, pulled off stem

• 9 oz. ricotta cheese (about 1 c.)

• About 7 oz. feta cheese, finely crumbled

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. chile flakes

• 1 tsp. minced dried garlic

• 16 pitted Kalamata olives, plus a few extra to garnish

• Pinch of Maldon (or other) sea salt flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make pastry: Put flour into large mixing bowl, then rub in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water and mix to a stiff dough. Roll dough into a ball, seal it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make filling: Drizzle a little vegetable oil into a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add onion and thyme and cook slowly, stirring regularly, until onion has caramelized and is golden in color. Do not allow it to crisp up or burn. Once cooked, set aside to cool. (This will take a while, about 40 minutes or more, for the best result, if you're really cooking the onions slowly.)

To assemble: Roll out dough on a floured surface. Make it slightly larger than a 9 1/2-inch pie plate. Transfer dough into pie plate. Don't worry if it breaks; you can easily patch it up later with dough trimmings.

Push dough gently into edges of pie plate, leaving a little overhanging. Now sweep rolling pin across the top of the pie plate to cut off the overhanging dough. Use the trimmings to patch up any cracks or holes. Crimp edges, if you prefer, for a nice look. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In mixing bowl, combine ricotta, feta and egg until mixture is smooth. Add chile flakes, garlic granules, 16 olives and caramelized onions, and season with the salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir well to combine.

Pour filling into the pastry-lined pie plate and garnish with remaining olives, if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through and brown on top. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition information per each of 10 servings:

Calories290Fat18 gSodium360 mg

Carbohydrates23 gSaturated fat11 gAdded sugars0 g

Protein9 gCholesterol70 mgDietary fiber1 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 ½ carb, 1 medium-fat protein, 2 ½ fat.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: You can substitute whole milk for the half-and-half, but the eggs will be less rich and less tender. From "Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Brunch," by the editors of America's Test Kitchen.

• 12 eggs

• 1 garlic clove, minced to a paste

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/8 tsp. pepper

• 1/4 c. half-and-half (see Note)

• 2 tbsp. flour

• 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

• 4 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 c.)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray, then press sheet of parchment paper into baking sheet, making sure to get paper into corners and up the sides. Coat parchment with vegetable oil spray.

Whisk eggs, garlic, salt and pepper together in large bowl.

In separate bowl, whisk half-and-half and flour together, then slowly whisk into egg mixture until uniform. Carefully pour egg mixture into prepared baking sheet and sprinkle spinach evenly over the top. Bake until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle Gruyère over top. Using parchment paper and starting on 1 long side, lift and roll egg over itself into a tight cylinder. Gently roll roulade backward into middle of parchment paper, then use parchment as sling to transfer roulade to cutting board. Slice and serve.

Variation for roulade with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes over eggs with spinach. Substitute 1 cup crumbled goat cheese for Gruyère.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Calories260Fat18 gSodium390 mg

Carbohydrates5 gSaturated fat8 gAdded sugars0 g

Protein20 gCholesterol400 mgDietary fiber1 g

Exchanges per serving: ½ carb, 3 medium-fat protein, ½ fat.

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: This is a cheesy puffed casserole, more like a strata, despite the name from America's Test Kitchen. It's a brunch no-brainer in that it must be refrigerated for at least 8 hours (and up to 24) before it's baked, allowing plenty of time for the cook to do other things. From "Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Brunch," by the editors of America's Test Kitchen.

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

• 10 slices hearty white sandwich bread

• 12 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded (3 c.), divided

• 8 eggs

• 3 c. whole milk

• 1 small onion, grated

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1 tsp. dry mustard

• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce

Directions

Grease 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spread butter evenly over 1 side of bread slices, then cut slices into 1-inch pieces. Scatter half of bread evenly in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half of Cheddar. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, mustard and hot sauce together in bowl until well combined. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread and press lightly on bread to submerge. Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap casserole and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Variation with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella: Substitute mozzarella for Cheddar. Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry and chopped, between the 2 layers of bread as you are layering them. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro over top before serving.

Variation with pepper Jack and chipotle chile: Substitute pepper Jack cheese for Cheddar and 2 to 3 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce for dry mustard and hot sauce. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro over top before serving.

Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:

Calories460Fat28 gSodium900 mg

Carbohydrates27 gSaturated fat14 gAdded sugars2 g

Protein24 gCholesterol250 mgDietary fiber4 g

Exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 2 ½ medium-fat protein, 2 ½ fat.

Makes 8 pieces.

Note: The bacon won't be crunchy-crispy, but more like candied. From "The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook," by Julia Konovalova.

• 8 pieces bacon

• 2 tbsp. maple syrup

• 2 tbsp. Sriracha

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with heavy-duty foil (to make cleanup easier). Place a wire rack onto the foil. Arrange the bacon on the wire rack so that each piece is flat and not overlapping.

In small bowl, mix together syrup and Sriracha. Brush the mixture onto both sides of bacon pieces. Bake in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon and how well done you prefer the bacon.

Nutrition information per slice:

Calories55Fat3 gSodium240 mg

Carbohydrates4 gSaturated fat1 gAdded sugars4 g

Protein3 gCholesterol8 mgDietary fiber0 g

Exchanges per serving: ½ medium-fat protein.