30-Minute Croissant Eggs Benedict
Everybody’s favorite brunch dish, simplified (this will be your new go-to).
A few weeks ago I asked readers what some of their favorite Christmas-related food traditions were and I just LOVED the answers. Here are some of my favs:
Crab soup on Christmas Eve
“I make a gingerbread train from scratch every year (for 17 years!) and the family decorates it.”
Eating hibachi on Christmas Even then having the leftovers for lunch Christmas Day
Fudge and Divinity
Peanut Butter Balls
Christmas morning Swedish Braid made on Christmas Eve served warm
“We choose a different country every year and cook a meal of that country’s food.”
Prime rib and crème brûlée on Christmas Eve
Paella
Seafood spread on Christmas Eve
Old Bay steamed shrimp
Tamales and tacos on Christmas Eve
Blueberry French toast casserole every Christmas morning
“My mom makes delicious almond croissants on Christmas morning.”
Beef tenderloin dinner on Christmas Eve
Monkey bread on Christmas Morning
Chinese food on Christmas Eve
Latkes
Appetizer night for Christmas Eve
And those were just a few!
Last week I polled everyone here on The Foodletter and asked if you’d rather see another Christmas Cookie recipe or a make-ahead/easy breakfast idea, and the response was clearly pointing toward breakfast.
I daydreamed for a few days thinking about what easy breakfast recipe I could share that would be special and impressive, but nothing too crazy or complicated for Christmas morning.
And then it came to me: croissant eggs benedict.
But not a traditional eggs benny where you poach the egg and laboriously complete each step—this eggs benedict would be easy and practical, blurring the lines between traditional and innovative, and obviously downright delicious.
A few things that make this recipe great:
Using buttery croissants instead of English muffins ensures that the eggs benny has heightened TEXTURE (hello, flaky croissant pieces) and that regardless of when you buy your croissants (okay, maybe not too far in advance!), the base to your brunch will be flaky and delicious, not dry and stale.
My hollandaise sauce recipe is foolproof (WHEN the instructions are followed exactly). I’ve made hollandaise sauce countless times and not all recipes are created equally. There is nothing more frustrating than a broken hollandaise sauce (that’s when the egg separates from the butter), so make sure that you follow this portion of the recipe undistracted.
The “cheater” method of cooking eggs that I use (technically called basted eggs) will not only revolutionize the way you make silky soft, yolky eggs, but will yield perfect results every time without having to strain egg whites, swirl boiling water, or fish individual eggs in and out of a saucepan. In my family, we call this method Grandma Martin Eggs (affectionately named after my Great-Grandmother Martin). I know you’ll simply love this method.
So, there you go. I’ve detailed the entire top-to-bottom process so that when you follow the steps exactly, you’ll have brunch for the whole family done in 30 minutes. It’s no Christmas miracle, just a really great recipe.
Your very best insulated tumbler
Fish spatula