Easy Brunch Recipes You Can Make at Home

In New York, we are going on over two months of social distancing due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Going out for brunch is on hold at the moment and we aren’t really sure when that will happen again. When I first moved to Astoria with Ricardo, we were out for brunch every weekend. Our neighborhood has so many great spots that we enjoy, including Sanfords, Shady Lady and The Royal Underground. Eventually we started to cook more at home. We began to make the different brunch recipes we enjoyed eating out, at home for ourselves. I know many people are missing Sunday bounches with friends but I’m sharing five quick and easy brunch recipes you can make at home while social distancing. They are perfect for your zoom brunch parties that are now a thing.

Kahlua French toast

I grew up loving French toast and Ricardo makes it so much better than I do. I get excited when he make this. It brings me back to my childhood days.

Ingredients: bread, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp Kahlua, 1/4 cup milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp olive oil, pinch of cinnamom

Combine all ingredients except, for the bread, in a bowl. Meanwhile put a non-stick pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, dip a slice of bread into the batter and coat each side. Cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes. Once finished, sprinkle a bit more cinnamon on top.

Pancake board

The classic pancake is always a winner in our house. This one is even easier because we use a mix. With two hungry toddlers, we don’t even try to make these from scratch. Ricardo makes gluten-free ones from a mix and they taste great. We jazz them up with some additional accouterments and make it pretty!

Ingredients: pancake mix, strawberries, bacon, eggs, Nutella

Use the pancake mix and combine as instructed. Pour the batter on a hot non-stick pan into small circle sized portions. Once cooked on both sides, place a line of the pancakes on the center of a serving board. Make scrambled eggs as a side. Arrange strawberries, bacon and bananas around the pancakes. Fill small bowls with Nutella, syrup and the scrambled eggs and place on serving board.

Avocado Toast

This is one of my favorites. The first time I bought this while eating out, I realized how easy it was to make. I told myself I would never order this again since I could simply make it at home.

Ingredients: bread avocado, eggs, proscuito

In a small bowl, combine avocado, salt, and pepper. Gently mash with the back of a fork. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, spray with oil and cook the eggs in batches sunny-side up, until the whites are just set, about 2 to 3 minutes for a runny yolk, or longer if a firm yolk is desired. Top toasted bread with mashed avocado mixture. Place a few slices of prosciutto on the avocado and add the egg on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Mushroom, spinach, and feta quiche

Ingredients: mushrooms, spinach, feta, eggs, milk, parmesan, garlic

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Thinly slice mushrooms and mince the garlic. Add the mushrooms, garlic and pinch of salt to skillet and sauté until the mushrooms are soft. Add in the spinach and let that cook down. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with non-stick spray. Pour the mushroom and spinach mixture into the dish and top with crumbled feta. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and Parmesan. Season lightly with pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and feta in the pie dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cut into six slices and serve.

Thank you for reading,

Andrea