New Year’s Eve may be all about excesses. But come New Year’s Day, there’s a fresh perspective. The first day of the year is a time to regroup with friends to reflect on the year past, look forward to better things ahead, and — hopefully — eat some delicious food.
So, assemble your inner circle for a celebratory brunch — we’ve got 33 recipes for everything from hearty pancakes to breakfast nachos to unique twists on favorite a.m. cocktails.
How to gather safely
We’re all antsy to get on with normal life. But unfortunately, the threat of COVID-19 is still very real. So, we highly recommend checking the CDC’s most recent guidelines for gatherings this holiday season before you make any plans.
You can, of course, mix and match any of the recipes below. But for a spread that covers all the brunchy bases, here’s our star lineup:
Ratatouille frittata
Ratatouille has a reputation for being a pain to make. (So. Much. Slicing.) This frittata includes all the Mediterranean flavors with less of the slicing and dicing.
Eggs Florentine
Fun foodie fact: In recipes, “Florentine” is code for spinach. Here, the iron-rich greens nestle beneath a poached egg and a traditional hollandaise sauce drizzle.
Roasted red pepper deviled eggs
Jarred roasted red peppers make these distinctive deviled eggs a snap to prepare.
Denver omelet breakfast muffins
The classic Denver omelet, compacted into muffin form!
Salmon Benedict arugula breakfast salad
Salad for breakfast? Yep, totally a thing. Lighten up your New Year’s spread with this superfood mélange of eggs, smoked salmon, and arugula.
Easy crab quiche
Prep this egg dish ahead! Quiche can be served at room temperature or even cold. (Just don’t let it sit out longer than 2 hours.)
Bacon egg salad tomato bites
These juicy bites won’t derail your low carb pals’ eating agenda.
Sweet potato turkey sausage egg bake
If you’ve made resolutions to eat more veggies in the new year, this casserole fits the bill with sweet potatoes, spinach, red onion, and bell pepper.
Raspberry almond baked French toast
On a hectic morning of last-minute table setting and dining room vacuuming, an overnight baked French toast means one less thing to worry about. Prep this the night before, then pull it out of the fridge and pop it in the oven on New Year’s Day.
Oatmeal blender pancakes
Praise be for the blender! These oat-based blender pancakes are a total breeze. Plus, they’re gluten-free for your GF guests.
Grapefruit poppy seed crispy waffles
For a perfectly seasonal New Year’s brunch option, grab some grapefruit. This twist on the usual lemon poppy seed mixture uses fresh grapefruit juice for an even tangier taste.
Vegan stuffed French toast
Vegans can get in on the creamy goodness of stuffed French toast with this animal product-free version.
Whole-wheat zucchini pancakes
Amp up the nutrition — and the color — in whole-wheat pancakes by grating in some zucchini.
French toast pancakes
Can’t decide between French toast or pancakes? Now, you don’t have to. This fun recipe dips pancakes in an egg mixture and griddles them like French toast.
Honey cinnamon whole-wheat waffles
Earthy cinnamon and hearty whole wheat combine forces in these stick-to-your-ribs waffles. If you’re serving multiple items at your brunch buffet, cut the waffles into quarters so everyone can sample a little of everything.
Healthy hash brown bites
Haul out the muffin tin for these bite-sized, veggie-filled hash brown cups.
Bacon and potato latkes with fennel citrus slaw
A fennel-citrus slaw adds a touch of fancy to humble latkes in this unique recipe.
Roasted rosemary sage home fries
Savory herbs are a no-fail complement to roasted potatoes at any meal, including brunch.
Air fryer breakfast potatoes with peppers and onions
Use the air fryer to get the crispy texture of homestyle taters with less of the oil. Just 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil is all you need here.
2-ingredient sweet potato hash browns
Even novice chefs should have no trouble with these simple sweet potato hash browns, made even easier with the help of a spiralizer.
Sweet potato breakfast toasts
Move over, avocado toast. In this twist on toast, thin slabs of roasted sweet potato serve as the base for a scrambled egg and chive topping.
Sausage potato hash
There’s more to this hash than its simple name might lead you to believe. With green and red bell peppers, onions, and garlic, this one may be the hit of the party.
Chilaquiles breakfast nachos
Ooh, pretty! A garnish of neon pink watermelon radishes brings a pop of the unexpected to these saucy morning nachos.
Breakfast street tacos
The smaller size of street taco tortillas makes the mini breakfast-themed Mexican delights perfect for buffet grazing.
Fresh huevos rancheros
The classic Mexican breakfast, updated! Huevos rancheros get a makeover with a fresh pico de gallo-style salsa atop tortillas, beans, and eggs.
Amazing Mexican breakfast casserole
An easy casserole never fails to save your bacon (or, in this case, your sausage) on brunch day.
Mexican sweet potato hash with black beans and spinach
You may end up making this nutrient-dense hash for breakfast, even on non-holiday mornings. It’s black beans, spinach, and sweet potatoes — a very good way to start the day indeed.
Blood orange mimosas
With three ingredients, these mimosas don’t actually take a lot of work, but their striking red hue is sure to impress.
Almond milk cold brew coffee latte
Those who stayed up ’til dawn ringing in the new year may need something to get them perked up the next morning. A jolt of almond milk cold brew just might do the trick.
Green machine juice
New Year’s Day is all about starting fresh. With five different veggies and three fruits, this green juice is full of the best edible intentions.
Grapefruit screwdriver
Tweak the traditional screwdriver in this recipe that subs grapefruit juice for OJ.
Lavender lemonade
For a virgin drink that’s still oh-so-special (and lovely to look at), try lavender-infused lemonade.
Bloody Mary bar
You provide the basic mix (tomato juice, vodka, Tabasco) then let guests go to town with creative mix-ins like olives, celery, fresh herbs, bacon, and more.
