Tasty Breakfast Baguettes

Every time I put out the question on my Instagram feed asking folks what recipes they’d like to see, I get a few requests for easy breakfast ideas. In my family, “easy breakfast” usually translates to grabbing a banana or an energy bar. But every time I whip up a batch of Tasty Breakfast Baguettes, we all wonder, our mouths full of delicious cheesy egginess, why we don’t have these more often.

Tasty Breakfast Baguettes are the perfect super-easy yet satisfying breakfast to make whenever you have extra people around (like, say, during the holidays). Who has the time or patience to stand at the stove cooking eggs and toasting batches of bread? Instead, buy a few baguettes and prep some ingredients ahead of time. You can have these ready to bake in about 10 minutes.

I was introduced to this recipe at Thanksgiving five years ago by my good friend Beth Hamed, chef extraordinaire and owner of A Thyme and Place Catering in Washington, DC. That was the first year we joined our annual Friendsgiving celebration in Maryland. Per tradition, Beth made these for breakfast the next day, and I watched in fascination as a crowd filtered toward the kitchen, casually hovering around the oven. They’d seen these before. She barely had time to slice them before they were set upon and devoured. By the same people who had demolished an entire Thanksgiving dinner the evening before, mind you.

You can use whatever type of crusty bread you prefer. This year, we tried ciabatta-style baguettes and actually preferred their slightly chewy texture to the crispier French-style. It’s all about the crust, since you pry out the middle of the baguette to make way for the filling. That part can be done with a spoon, by the way, but I prefer tearing it out with my fingers.

As for fillings, the base is simply eggs whisked with a little cream, plus any other goodies you want to throw in. Our standard is bacon and cheddar, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top. The surprise hit with our gang this year was herbed goat cheese, tomato, and basil. But really, let your imagination fly. Use what you have on hand. We made a post-Thanksgiving one with leftover turkey, stuffing, and cranberry; it was delicious. And another with leftover mac and cheese and bacon (aka the Carb Lovers Delight). This week, I whipped up a super spicy one with pepper jack cheese, peppered bacon, and salsa, and my husband thought he’d died and gone to heaven.

You can mix the egg and fillings together and spoon them into the bread, but I prefer to add the fillings first. This creates a little barrier at the bottom of the loaf and stops the egg from soaking in or leaking out too much.

The fillings will condense as they cook, so be sure to pile them high. Then carefully pour the beaten egg on top, letting it dribble into all the yummy cracks and crevices. It’s ok if some leaks out. Bonus omelet!

Bake ’em for 20 minutes or so to let the egg cook through, then cool slightly, slice, and serve. And watch them descend. Breakfast: DONE. Easy-peasy, right?

Need more breakfast-for-a-crowd ideas? Try my Ridiculously Easy Baked Eggs and Parmesan Pesto Scones!

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