Eggs Benedict

"These were a staple of my Sunday brunch when I was a line cook at the Admiral Risty restaurant in Rancho Palos Verdes, in Southern California," says Greg Lindgren, who now co-owns some of San Francisco's best bars. The decadent take on eggs Benedict includes scrambled eggs "with anything and everything," Greg says: Canadian bacon, cheese and jalapeños, all covered with hollandaise sauce.

In this version of eggs Benedict, applewood-smoked bacon replaces the usual Canadian bacon for extra flavor and a crisp texture.

This spin on eggs Benedict from chef Josh Habiger has all the beloved elements of a Reuben sandwich. Besides corned beef, sauerkraut and rye toast, Habiger makes a Thousand Island-style hollandaise sauce to coat the eggs.

This version of eggs Florentine is based on eggs Benedict: The perfectly poached eggs rest on toasted English muffins on a bed of garlicky spinach and are then topped with a light cheese sauce spiked with smoked Spanish paprika.

Classic hollandaise sauce is prepared with butter, egg yolks and lemon juice. Here, Neal Fraser adds a red wine-and-port reduction to the rich sauce, which is delicious with the juicy tenderloin steak that accompanies the poached eggs.

Instead of starting his day with traditional eggs Benedict, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple opts for this healthier salad. To mimic hollandaise, he makes a richly flavored yogurt dressing, and he tosses that with greens, torn ham and crunchy English muffin croutons. It’s a deeply satisfying and healthy alternative to heavier brunch options.