Power Brunches

Power Brunches

We’ve developed both sweet and savory recipes to jazz up your weekend-brunch menu.

Brunch is a treasured weekend ritual for many diners. They seek a relaxed environment with a delicious display of tempting foods, perfect coffee and perhaps a killer Bloody Mary. From French toast crowned with seasonal fruit to omelets stuffed with oozing cheese and crispy bacon, brunch holds a special place in our culture.

It also provides a great opportunity for chefs. Brunch invites creativity, and is at its best when offering traditional fare with a signature twist.

Build On Trends

Our team of chefs has developed on-trend, easy-to-implement recipes that answer the needs on both the savory and sweet sides of the brunch menu. They took classic brunch favorites and finessed them into something new and exciting.

“We find that usually a 60/40 mix of sweet to savory works best for brunch,” says Jeff Basalik, executive corporate chef at the Kraft Culinary Centre. “If you develop more breakfasty items, like crêpes and pancakes, than lunch-themed ones, like multiple carving stations, your food-cost ratios will be much better.”

Behind the Recipes

Bistro Eggs Benedict Nothing says brunch like eggs Benedict. Here, our chefs have replaced the traditional, heavy hollandaise with a creamy mayonnaise spiked with milk, lemon juice and Grey Poupon, Bistro sauce, which brings in a background note of mustard and horseradish. Strips of Oscar Mayer bacon drape a split and toasted English muffin. A poached egg straddles the bacon, and the sauce naps the egg. “The sauce here elevates this brunch standard, offering so much more flavor than an ordinary hollandaise,” says Chef Basalik.	Bistro Eggs Benedict

Polenta with Italian Cheeses and Roasted Tomato All the best of the Mediterranean is found in this wonderful dish, featuring fresh flavors packed into a round of polenta: Asiago cheese, fresh basil, grilled asparagus, Kraft Grated Parmesan cheese and roasted red pepper. For service, Bel Paese and fontina cheeses are melted over the polenta. It is then laid atop a chunky roasted-tomato sauce, which derives its bright notes from Kraft Signature Balsamic Vinaigrette. A curl of prosciutto and a poached egg perch over the polenta, making it a true brunch item. “All the ingredients working in harmony make this dish great,” says Basalik. “It holds up really well on a buffet line, and you can cut the polenta any shape that fits your operation.”	Polenta with Italian Cheeses and Roasted Tomato

Bacon and Egg Flatbread Pizza This dish is a fantastic way to incorporate a mega trend onto your brunch menu. Flatbreads are hot - and not too taxing on the line. Here, the pizza dough is rolled out thin and par-cooked. It’s spread with a chunky salsa, then topped with cooled scrambled eggs, crisp Oscar Mayer bacon, fresh cilantro, Kraft ChedaSharp cheese and red onion. After cooking in the oven briefly to marry the flavors, a crisscross of Kraft Ranch dressing decorates the flatbread. “We capitalize on the flatbread trend, but turn it into a fun breakfast/brunch item,” says Chef Basalik. “The finish of Ranch dressing brings in a cooling element, but also delivers a great flavor note of buttermilk and herbs.”	Bacon and Egg Flatbread Pizza

“BLT” Quiche This dish brings bacon and eggs together in a delightful brunch presentation. Into a cooled pastry shell, the chefs pour a blend of cooked Oscar Mayer bacon, eggs, flour, milk, Miracle Whip dressing, spinach, Swiss cheese and tomato, then bake it until golden brown. “*The Miracle Whip* adds a tanginess and creaminess, and the bacon gives you a nice, smoky background,” says Chef Basalik. “Quiche is a great way to cross-utilize product, and it’s a perennial favorite on any menu.**”	“BLT” Quiche

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Spread Adding embellished cream cheeses to your bagel bar turns that brunch spread into special-occasion fare. Prepared ahead of time with great ease, softened Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese is whipped with applesauce, brown sugar and roasted peanuts. Applications are endless: Serve it as a spread for apple slices, bagels, Belgian waffles, French toast or pancakes. “It’s so versatile,” says Chef Basalik. “Here, we showcase it over Belgian waffles finished with apple chunks. You can switch out the fruit depending on the season—roasted pears or fresh berries would work well here.”	Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Spread

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Spread Building on the trusted Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, here our chefs take the spread into a different - but still satisfyingly sweet - direction. They take the classic carrot cake ingredients: carrots, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg and raisins, and mix them into the cream cheese. “This flavor profile brings dessert into the brunch mix, and gives your customers a pleasing twist on a classic,” says Chef Basalik.	Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Spread

Open-Face Smoked Salmon Sandwich Smoked salmon or trout is a natural on any brunch menu. It adds perceived value and a sense of occasion. For this open-face sandwich, our Kraft chefs chose a hearty and thick slice of country-wheat bread. “It’s a play on a traditional smoked salmon canapé,” says Chef Basalik. Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese blended with Grey Poupon Bistro Sauce and chives elevates the sandwich spread with a subtle background of horseradish. The fresh flavor of seedless cucumber, red onion and micro-greens balances the sandwich beautifully.	Open-Face Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Bacon and Cheddar Hominy For a unique side dish at a carving station, serve this Bacon and Cheddar Hominy, which combines hominy with cooked Oscar Mayer bacon, garlic, green pepper, Kraft ChedaSharp cheese and tomato. “The melted cheese complements the subtle corn flavor of the hominy, and adds a really wonderful comfort-food side dish to your brunch menu,” says Chef Basalik.	Bacon and Cheddar Hominy

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