huevos rancheros

Photo: Lynn Andriani

The Mexican Egg Dish That Turns Any Meal into a Fiesta
A fried egg served atop a warm corn tortilla and smothered in salsa is a delicious way to start your day—or to end it. This slow-cooker version is slightly different (the eggs are more omelet-like) but still wildly tasty. And there's a lot to love about this Crock-Pot rendition of huevos rancheros: You can cook it ahead of time, and the leftovers are terrific eaten cold or reheated.

Get the recipe: Slow-Cooker Huevos Rancheros
stuffed french toast

Photo: Anshu18/iStock/Thinkstock

A Classic A.M. Food with a Twist
Stuffed French toast may sound fancy or fussy, but it's actually a snap. Plus, it'll fill you up, thanks to its high levels of fiber and protein. First, you prepare a pear-almond butter sandwich; then, you plunge it into a mixture of milk, egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest. The final step is to sauté the soaked sandwich until it's golden and crispy on both sides.

Get the recipe: Pear-Almond Butter Stuffed French Toast
Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash

Photo: Many Kitchens

An Update to Meat and Potatoes
Here's a savory meal for any skeptics out there who think "breakfast for dinner" means a bowl of cereal. It's a satisfying breakfast hash that combines sweet potatoes with chicken sausage, which has a more subtle flavor than traditional pork sausage and allows the other ingredients to stand out.

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash
poached egg spinach chocolate

Photo: Paul Delmont, Prop styling: Leila Baboi

A Chocolate Breakfast That Actually Has Some Nutrition, Too
You'd expect master pastry chef Jacques Torres, aka Mr. Chocolate, to eat the stuff for breakfast, but not like this. First, he fills a coffee mug with very cold water, gently cracks an egg into it and microwaves it for a minute. (He likes his poached egg runny, but you can cook the egg longer if you prefer yours more solid.) Next, he microwaves a handful of fresh spinach in a bowl covered with a plate until it's wilted. Last, Torres lifts the poached egg out of the water with a slotted spoon, lays it over the spinach and—ahem—sprinkles cocoa nibs and a little salt on top.

Get the recipe: Poached Egg with Spinach and Chocolate

Photo: Sarah Ashley Schiear

The Incredible 29-Cent Fruit Transformation
When your supper ingredients appear to be limited to bananas, eggs and some dry goods from the pantry, turn to these otherworldly pancakes. To make them, you just prepare a standard pancake batter and stir in one mashed banana. Then, when you ladle the batter onto the pan, drop a couple of banana slices onto each cake. A drizzle of honey before flipping allows the fruit to brown as it cooks. And instead of syrup, try the maple-almond sauce that accompanies this recipe; just a little bit takes this dish to the next level.

Get the recipe: Caramelized Banana Pancakes with Maple-Almond Sauce