5 Foods that Bring Brunch to the Next Level

It's Sunday morning, you've had an amazing weekend and you want nothing more than to end it with an amazing meal with your friends. Brunch is definitely the answer, but you don't want just any brunch, right? Here are just a few recipes that can kick your brunch up a notch!

Waffles

This may seem like an obvious one, but there’s no way you can have a list of great brunch foods without including waffles! Your best waffle is going to be thick, crispy on the outside and chewie on the inside, and sweet throughout. Maybe you want to put maple syrup on top, maybe you want to use strawberries, blueberries, chocolate, or maybe you want to pair it with nice, crispy, fried chicken! Whatever way you have your waffles, they’re an essential component of a satisfying brunch. If you have a waffle maker at home, here’s what you’ll need to create a batter that crisps up in it just right:

• 2 eggs 
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 ¾ cups milk
  
• ½ cup La Espanola Mild & Light olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
  
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Eggs Benedict

It’s said that in order to become a great chef, the first step you need to take is to learn all the different ways to cook an egg. Eggs Benedict takes advantage of one of the more difficult ways to prepare an egg, and that’s poaching. But there’s also Hollandaise sauce that you pour on top which is a completely unique way of preparing egg yolks. If you’re unfamiliar with Eggs Benedict, what you’ll need is an English muffin, 2 slices of Canadia bacon, and 2 poached eggs. Split the muffin in half, toast it, and lay the Canadian bacon and eggs on each half. That’s the easy part! But the Hollandaise sauce is what pulls it all together! For that you’ll need 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, a tablespoon of lime juice, and half a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream. The trick in making this sauce is to add the butter slowly to the rest of the ingredients so that the yolks don’t curdle! If you can do this perfectly, then you’ll have the perfect brunch!

Carne Picada

Typically, brunch is sought after because everyone has slept later than usual and are looking for something delicious that doesn’t take too long to make. (Otherwise they’d just have lunch!) However, if you’re planning on having brunch with friends and you’ve woken up three hours beforehand, then carne picada is a wonderful blending of Spanish flavors that can kick your brunch up to the next level! What you’ll need is to sear cubed beef in hot La Espanola Classic Olive Oil and then transfer those cubes into a slow cooker. Once there, combine with a mix of flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix it up and then add fire roasted diced tomatoes. After this easy 15-minute prep, you just leave it in the slow cooker for 3 hours on high and in the end you’ll have one of the most delicious brunch items you could ever think of!

Quiche

Quiche is a delightful dish that comes originally from France, and it’s kind of like a savory egg pie. There are many ways to prepare a quiche; you can add bacon, sausage, spinach, peppers, really anything you can think of. But the basic ingredients for the “pie” filling are eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and cheese. Whisk those all together along with whatever other filings you want and pour it into a warm, buttery crust. This crust can be store-bought, but if you want to make it yourself, you’ll have to let it chill overnight before warming in the morning. But that’s it for an easy, delicious quiche brunch! So simple, and yet it will definitely kick your brunch up.

lberic ham and La Española Gourmet Olive Oil

Sometimes all you need for a great brunch spread is some slices of the best Ibérico ham that your money can buy. All you do is put the ham on some toast, sprinkle it with grated tomato and drizzle it with La Española Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil! Or you can have the ham all on its own and use La Española Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil to dip bread in. Either way, you will find that the two ingredients make a great combination!

What brunch foods bring your meal to the next level? Let us know on our social media channels and while you're on Instagram, stay tuned for a special contest where you could win a pack of Ibérico ham!