39 Reasons To Have Breakfast for Dinner Tonight

Announce breakfast for dinner, and rejoicing ensues. Those 80s TV shows convinced us that, armed with convenience foods like box pancake mix, parents could achieve peak buy-in from their kids with so much less effort than is put into the usual weeknight dinners. And yes, breakfast for dinner is very popular. But these recipes go beyond just pancakes from a mix. These celebrate those iconic breakfast players but dressed up in iterations more suited for dinner (or at least in hearty combinations that feel right for the evening meal). To take it further, they even bring breakfast to that place that breakfast will rarely go in the morning, and it feels so right. Some, but not all, of these recipes take more effort than just scrambling a couple of eggs and calling it dinner. But that’s in the spirit of taking the most important meal of the day and giving it the primetime spot that it deserves. First on our list? These satisfying patties that are topped with two breakast staples: bacon and eggs!

Even if you weren’t a fan of the early aughts, you have to admit that one great innovation it brought us was the breakfast pizza. Bacon and eggs scattered across a blistered crust and teamed up with melty pools of cheese is a combination made in heaven, as welcome a sight in the evening as it is in the morning. Here, store-bought flatbreads make this a doable dinner option even when you’re running late from work.

Eggs Benedict? There’s no twist here that makes this especially dinnery—just our notion that eggs Benedict are certainly special enough to qualify as dinner anytime. Here, Ree uses an easy blender hollandaise that takes all the hand-wringing out of the process. All we can say is, yum.

Rather than playing short-order cook when you want to serve runny eggs to a crowd, adopt the sheet pan method—even better when the whole meal is made on that sheet pan, too. Here, tortillas get wedged and toasted in the oven for a super homemade flavor. Ranchero sauce comes together entirely in the blender, then is dolloped over the chips with some chili beans. Those eggs, some avocado and Cotija cheese, along with a sprinkling of scallions, cilantro and jalapeño, render this an instant classic.

This sandwich borrows from so many good eggy concepts—it’s part French toast, part grilled cheese, part egg sandwich. It all comes together quickly in the same pan, so you go from concept to eating very quickly. This recipe was inspired by a viral video of a food vendor in India—proving that a good idea will always have legs.

Let’s pause this list of recipes to bring you a little lesson on omelets. Omelets may be the simplest thing on this list, but for that reason, technique is everything. Here, learn everything you ever wanted to know about mastering omelet making—and a good one certainly qualifies as fine dining.

These waffles don’t exactly have a twist that translates them for dinner—but that’s the point. Sometimes just an excellent plate of waffles, complemented with a fresh and bright homemade strawberry sauce, is enough to chase away any stresses of the day. These particular waffles make the whole house smell amazing, spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar.

For a delicious, protein-packed breakfast, you can’t go wrong with a morning taco that’s made with a cottage cheese tortilla (yes, cottage cheese!) for a whopping 25 grams of protein per serving. The tortillas are based on the viral cottage cheese flatbread trend and are a perfect vehicle for chorizo, black beans, avocado and eggs. Make a big batch of the tortillas ahead of time and reheat them individually as you need them for quick, satisfying meal.

Ina’s toasty-topped frittata is creamy and melting from the addition of ricotta and a generous amount of Gruyere, along with cubes of fried potatoes. A little flour and baking soda in the egg mixture give it a fluffy, almost souffle-like texture. The fresh basil is a nice touch; you could make the frittata without it, but using it increases its specialness by about a thousand percent.

Steak and eggs might be the poster child for breakfast at dinner. If it’s been a while since you’ve had this combo (or maybe you never have), take our word for it that the two have a natural affinity for one another. Sunny Anderson makes sure the eggs can match the star quality of the steak by making them cheesy.

What evil genius came up with this combination? This is a sandwich that could achieve worldwide domination. It marries the best of egg sandwiches—that runny egg that doesn’t know where it ends and the cheese begins—with the ooey-gooey-crispy-crunch of a grilled cheese sandwich, and throws in some candied maple bacon, to boot. It’s so good you might pine for it on the regular. You’ve been warned.

Whether you call it a western or Denver omelet, the key ingredients are the same: ham, peppers and onions. Cheese might not be classic, but it sure plays well with the others. Use this tutorial to up your western omelet game, and pick up some tips for your omelet technique in general.

These super-hearty breakfast burritos have enough in them to qualify as a fabulous dinner, too. There’s not just eggs in there, but also Mexican chorizo, hash browns with peppers and onions (frozen is your shortcut) and a quickie homemade pico de gallo. If you have to take them on the go, they’ll stay warm for a long time, so they also make home-run stadium dinners when one of the kids has a game.

We all know corndogs as that satisfying fair food, but why should the meat eaters have all the fun? This version relies on veggie sausages. Frying first thing in the morning can be a lot to ask, particularly if you’re pre-coffee. But for dinner, it makes sense—and this recipe is not even that difficult, as far as frying goes. The sausages are already cooked, so you don’t have to worry about cooking anything through. Just focus on that puffed and golden outer coating.

Croque monsieur is a French bistro classic that has always had one foot in breakfast and the other in lunch (in America at least—eggs receive a lot more round-the-clock respect in France. We digress.). It’s at heart a grilled ham and cheese sandwich served in a Mornay sauce—that’s chefspeak for a bechamel-based cheese sauce. Ina shows you how to multiply for a crowd, preparing the sandwiches en masse in the oven rather than in a skillet.

This easy frittata recipe is the perfect option for when you are craving the classic Italian combo of sausage and peppers. Cooking the peppers and onions before adding the egg ensures every bite out of the oven is sweet and tender.

Ever try French toast that’s not sweet? This version goes savory with herbs and cheese, and is complemented by crispy-salty pancetta. The French toast acts as a raft for a fried egg, and feels like a complete meal with an arugula side salad.

We wouldn’t mind this French toast for dinner—and we also wouldn’t mind it for dessert. The Texas toast is dredged in crushed cornflakes for the ultimate crunch. And to top it all off is a banana maple syrup that will have you saying, “yes, please.”

Jeff Mauro has a point here: Wouldn’t eggs Benedict make an amazing sandwich? Here, he simplifies the “hollandaze” and fries the ham and eggs over easy. He adds some spinach (a nod to Benedict’s cousin Florentine) and tops it with the other half of the English muffin for a Benedict that can be eaten out of hand.

These might be the mic drop of pancakes. The whole meal plays with sweet-and-salty, from the pancakes, studded with pistachios and chocolate chips, to the salted honey caramel syrup that you might want to lick off the plates (we’re not looking). The batter needs a little sit time and the syrup can be made ahead, so it’s a logical choice for dinner that might just cure the Sunday scaries.

Shakshuka hails from northern African and Middle Eastern countries, and is essentially whole eggs cooked right in a spiced tomato sauce. We love the versatility of the dish—you can cook it as written, but it is also a great quick meal to keep in mind when you already have some leftover sauce in the house. Feta cheese adds irresistible hits of creamy saltiness.

You might have heard of toad-in-the-hole, the English dish of sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding (come to think of it, that would also make an excellent candidate for breakfast for dinner). Here, we have Ree Drummond’s concept of Bagel Egg-in-the-Hole, where she bakes the egg right in the hole of the bagel (which is enlarged with a round cutter). But she doesn’t stop there. Some hollandaise and smoked salmon turn this into a dinner event.

Making sausage patties at home means that no nitrates or preserving salt is necessary, and you can really go wild with herbs and spices. What’s more, they are as simple to prepare as burger patties—no casings required! Just mix and form into patties, then saute for maximum yum.

“Want to know the secret to a delicious egg white omelet?” a restaurant chef asked us once with a Grinchy sort of smile. “Heavy cream.” Well, that may be the case, but for those diners choosing egg white omelets for a lower-calorie option, it’s also cruel. This egg white omelet is more in the spirit of the thing, but is also absolutely packed with flavor from a fresh and zesty tomato salad, along with some baby greens and parsley.

This is a serious brunch dish, that you might order in a restaurant—which makes it ideal for dinner, too. No maple syrup is necessary for these waffles, which are firmly in the savory camp, made with Cheddar and lots of coarsely ground black pepper. On top is an agrodolce—that’s Italian for sweet and sour—sort of compotey sauce made from sausage and apples. It may ruin you for ordinary waffles.

Despite its name, it’s not just a broccoli omelet. Frozen hash browns and cheese also add layers of texture and flavor, and it comes together quickly (along with the trick to par-cook the broccoli in the microwave first). A simple tomato salad works as a topping or a side, to turn this omelet into a complete meal.

Strata, for the uninitiated, is essentially a savory bread pudding, or can also be thought of as an egg-forward stuffing. Bobby Flay’s version brings the sweet-savory powerhouse of caramelized onions, Gruyere and spinach. A final saute of cherry tomatoes becomes the topping for a bake that feels just right at any time of day.

Fried chicken and waffles work together so beautifully at any time of day. Here, Jeff Mauro sandwichifies them, and amps them up where he can: putting scallions in those waffles, making a spicy maple butter to eat them with, and in a really fun move, adding slices of tomatillo, their sour-fresh burst calling to mind an excellent fried green tomato. Though most things are delicious between two waffles, we hope you’ll agree that this in particular is one inspired stack.

Serve up this incredibly hearty frittata to anyone you’re trying to convince about eggs being a valid dinner choice. It’s layered with potatoes, bell peppers and jalapeños, and some salsa and pepper jack for a total party in a skillet. A fresh topping of avocado and cherry tomatoes, along with some cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, finishes it off.

There’s a lot of mystery around making hollandaise sauce, but here, Tyler Florence offers a tutorial about how to do it in the classic manner. The simplicity of this sauce made in the traditional style—just with a whisk and a double boiler—will bowl you over with its perfection. Just eggs, lemon juice and butter add up to a tart and rich cloak for so many breakfast dishes. And the common worry—what if it breaks?!—is addressed here too.

This calls to mind the classic English breakfast, but updated and streamlined for a busy morning (or evening). But eggs and beans go so well together, it’s remarkable that beyond huevos rancheros, there aren’t more popular dishes that combine the two. Here, the eggs are cooked right in with the beans (shakshuka style!). Once you break the yolks over your toast, they add to the unctuousness of the whole dish.

Molly Yeh has an eye for putting the fun in any meal. Here, she translates a fair food classic, corn dogs, into a breakfast-themed dog that will be welcome at any time of day. The sausage is breakfast sausage, and the batter is pancake batter. This will be one of those, “Where has this been all my life?” situations.

First off, Anne Burrell’s bacon, onion and tomato jam will be the condiment you will find yourself slathering over everything, so go ahead and double that portion of the recipe. That said, this dish is sort of a hybrid between stuffed French toast and runny egg and cheese sandwich, and we’re here for it. A fried egg on top adds another layer of melty goodness that will hit just right at dinner time.

Ree Drummond conjures all your breakfast favorites that you might encounter in a diner and rolls them into a burrito. We’ve got breakfast sausage, homemade home fries, eggs and Monterey Jack cheese. Don’t forget the hot sauce, and Bob’s your uncle.

Trisha Yearwood uses mini muffins as a jumping-off point for a super-fun brunch dish. The muffins are split and given the French toast treatment. Though you can go with any kind of muffin, the chocolate chips in these muffins go beautifully with the cinnamon whipped cream, pumped-up chocolate sauce and dulce de leche served on the side.

Homemade vegetarian sausage patties sounds like a heavy lift, but in reality, if you can work the food processor, you can make these. Easily. Molly packs in so much flavor from so many fresh and wholesome ingredients. Walnuts are the base, but also in there are maple syrup, fresh herbs, oats and eggs. Just a whir in the processor and a saute of the patties and they’re ready to eat.

This will get a real, “Whaaa?” reaction from eaters. Cocoa nibs, potato and Calabrian chile paste? Trust us—it works. You get some nutty bits, crispness, gooiness, saltiness, heat—what’s not to like?

Ricotta undergoes a wonderful transformation as part of pancake batter, yielding light cakes with a hint of natural sweetness (while the curdiness disappears). Lemon is a classic partner with ricotta, and here, lemon zest goes in the batter, but a light and bright lemon syrup also brings out that sunniness. We love these on a brunch buffet or just served for breakfast (or dinner) right out of the skillet.