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Make Waffle Eggs Benedict for an Extra-Special Holiday Brunch

Brunch for 15 or more people sounds daunting, but a few tricks and a tasty combo simplifies things deliciously.
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Published Dec. 12, 2022.

Make Waffle Eggs Benedict for an Extra-Special Holiday Brunch

The first Christmas morning I spent with my in-laws was a bit of a culinary revelation. My husband has three siblings, so with spouses, partners, and kids added to the mix, there were 15 mouths to feed. 

Every year, without fail, my mother-in-law serves her famous two-entree brunch: eggs benedict and waffles

Why she makes both breakfast dishes is a bit of a mystery to me, because it always is a ton of work. But her dedication to the tradition is so steadfast that she will truck her waffle maker and ingredients over to another family member’s house if we decide to have Christmas morning elsewhere. 

I started reviewing equipment for ATK three years ago, and I’ve learned a ton about streamlining things in the kitchen. My proposal for this year’s Christmas brunch: Combine the best of both worlds to make a Waffle Eggs Benedict. Why not ditch the English muffins and use waffles in their place?

Here are some tips and tricks to streamline the whole situation while still keeping things delicious. 

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Step 1: Make the Best Waffles

First, let’s talk waffles. I highly recommend ATK’s Classic Buttermilk Waffles recipe, which is reliably delicious. We also have some family members who are gluten-free, so I propose we lean on ATK’s recipe for Gluten-Free Waffles

Regardless of recipe, we’ll definitely use our best-buy waffle maker, the Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker, and then keep the waffles warm in the oven. I’ll bring my waffle maker and add it to my mother-in-law’s for a extra waffle capacity.

Winner

Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker

The Flipside made well-browned waffles that were almost an inch and a half high. The built-in timer proved quite useful, giving you an audible alert not only when the waffle was done, but also a minute before—a smart feature that helps ensure that you’ll never overcook your waffle.

Step 2: Whip Up a Hollandaise Sauce

Let’s be honest: this is the real star of the entire dish, so we need to get it right. But we’ll skip the double boiler and constant whisking this time around—it’s time everyone learned once and for all that the best way to make hollandaise is using a blender. 

It simplifies things tremendously, without sacrificing taste. I’ll bring along our favorite midpriced blender, the Breville Fresh and Furious, which will definitely make short work of this simple recipe

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Step 3: Poach the Perfect Eggs

It seems like everyone on the internet has their own method for perfectly poaching eggs, but if 15 people want one to two eggs each, that’s potentially dozens of eggs that ideally would be done at the same time! 

Maybe I’ll go high-tech this year and break out the sous-vide machine my mother-in-law gifted me. Our method for Sous Vide Soft-Poached Eggs allows you to cook the eggs up to five days in advance, then gently reheat them when it’s close to benedict-o-clock. 

Holiday traditions can be pretty set in stone, and I definitely want to honor ours. But maybe this diabolical plan could make things easier for my family this year (and yours, too!).

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