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Easter Brunch Ideas

March 18, 2008

Whether your Easter morning tradition is a lavish brunch spread or a quiet breakfast with family, we've got recipe ideas from light, fluffy frittatas to fruity breakfast breads to the ultimate bloody mary.

This tart, which comes from baker Nick Malgieri, uses a salty, smoky ham known as speck; bacon is a good substitute. **See the recipe for Swiss Onion Tart »**Todd Coleman

Gruyere, Rosemary, and Honey Monkey Bread — Savory and sweet marry perfectly in this combination of salty cheese, fragrant herbs, yeasty bread, and rich honey-butter sauce.Yossy Arefi

Egg-Topped Ham and Cheese Sandwich (Croque Tartine Parisienne) — A fried egg crowns a decadent sandwich of ham enrobed in bechamel and melted cheese from Oklahoma City's Ludivine restaurant.James Roper

Spanish Potato Frittata (Tortilla Española) — Tortilla española is everything we love about Spanish cooking—lusty, elemental, assuredly simple. Traditionally this Iberian omelet gets its heft from thin-sliced potatoes, but chef Ferran Adria substitutes a generous handful of store-bought thick-cut potato chips.Penny De Los Santos

Strawberry Loaf Bread — As a kid, I wasn't really into cooking or baking, preferring instead to be outside playing soccer. The one thing that I did enjoy helping my mom make, however, was her strawberry bread: packed with fresh strawberries, I loved to eat it hot out of the oven slathered in butter. It's so fast and easy, I make it all the time now, with whatever fresh or frozen fruits I have lying around. —Farideh Sadeghin, test kitchen director Get the recipe for Strawberry Loaf Bread »Yossy Arefi

Brown Butter, Peas, and Mint Omelette — Rich, nutty brown butter perfectly offsets the fresh flavor of sweet peas and mint.Yossy Arefi

Ham, Cheese, Egg, and Lemon Sandwiches — Lemon curd and goat cheese lends this breakfast sandwich a pleasing tang. Get the recipe for Ham, Cheese, Egg, and Lemon Sandwiches »Todd Coleman

Nutella Buns — This breakfast treat is a decadent update of the classic cinnamon bun: the chocolate-hazelnut addition of Nutella makes for a gooey finish.Maxime Iattoni

Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake — With a tender texture thanks to sour cream in the batter, this cake will stay moist for several days after baking, making it a great make-ahead dessert or breakfast. See the recipe for Arlene's Coffee Cake»Farideh Sadeghin

Billionaire's Bacon — Caramelized brown sugar adds an irresistible layer of sweetness to crispy bacon. See the recipe for Billionaire's Bacon »Helen Rosner

Greek Easter Bread — This braided bread, which is probably Byzantine in origin, is traditionally perfumed with the essence of makhlépi, the seeds of Mediterranean wild cherries. See the recipe for Greek Easter Bread (Tsouréki) »Farideh Sadeghin

Topped with slices of leek and zucchini and brightened by a dollop of lemon-scented ricotta, this light and rustic galette is a perfect dish for spring or early-summer. See the recipe for Leek and Zucchini Galette »Leah Koenig

Ricotta and Red Pepper Frittata — Creamy ricotta, silky roasted peppers, and hearty potatoes combine for an easy one-skillet dish that originates in Calabria, Italy, where sometimes sliced, cured sausage is added to it to celebrate the end of Lent.Andre Baranowski

Rhubarb Fizz — This bubbly cocktail makes the most of rhubarb season. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Fizz »Helen Rosner

Thomas Keller's coconut cake — Thick Italian meringue is sandwiched between moist layers of cake, which is topped off with sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe from chef Thomas Keller.Helen Rosner

Classic Carrot Cake — This version of the cake is a potluck and bake sale favorite; the addition of crushed pineapple helps to keep it sweet and moist.Todd Coleman

Rhubarb and Berry Compote — The sweetness of berries plays off tart rhubarb in this lightly-spiced compote, which is great over Greek yogurt.Mackenzie Smith

Eggs add silky richness and heft to mildly bitter greens for a bright-tasting breakfast.James Oseland

Leek Terrine with Goat Cheese — The striking geometry of this terrine—an elegantly simple pairing of leeks and goat cheese—makes for a visually arresting presentation. We like it served with dark pumpernickel bread and some briny cured salmon at brunch, or as part of a cheese plate with a casual dinner.Helen Rosner

Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary — The Union Square Cafe in New York City makes this Bloody Mary using heirloom tomatoes from the nearby farmers' market.Michael Kraus

Raw Artichoke Salad with Parmesan and Mint — Pleasantly bitter baby artichoke hearts, thinly sliced with a mandolin, are wonderful paired with fresh mint and Parmesan cheese.André Baranowski

A hybrid between traditional sweet scones and salty, buttery biscuits, this all-purpose dough is ideal for all sorts of savory fillings. See the recipe for Savory Scones »Anna Stockwell

Espàrrecs Amb Vinagreta (Catalan Asparagus Vinaigrette) — A deceptively simple vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, chopped parsley, and crushed tomato transforms simple steamed asparagus into a sumptuous and well-turned-out dish—exactly what a great dressing should do.Penny De Los Santos

Brioche slices get dipped in crushed cornflakes before frying in a deliciously crunchy version of french toast. See the recipe for Cornflake-Crusted Brioche French Toast »Penny De Los Santos

The classic combination of champagne and orange juice—now a beloved brunch indulgence—was first popularized in Paris and London in the 1920s.Penny De Los Santos

Fava Purée — One of our favorite ways to eat fresh favas is in a brilliantly green puree, perfect as a spread on crispy sliced baguette.Ben Fink

This unorthodox but easy method for making hollandaise sauce appears in an edition of the Esquire Cookbook. See the recipe for Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce » André Baranowski

Peach scones — Dried peaches add concentrated fruit flavor—and a pleasant chew—to these sweet, summery scones.James Roper

Crispy potato galette topped with lox and creme fraiche has all the best parts of an everything bagel.MacKenzie Smith

Bread with Prosciutto and Olives — This recipe is a savory alternative to pizza pasquale, the sweet bread traditionally served with salame on Easter morning. **See the recipe for Bread with Prosciutto and Olives »**Farideh Sadeghin

Cream cheese is the secret ingredient that enhances the richness and moistness of these rolls. **See the recipe for Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls »**André Baranowski

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