Great Breakfasts

This simple and satisfying breakfast sandwich recipe calls for using American cheese, but it's equally as delicious with Gruyere or sharp cheddar cheese. Feel free to use your favorite toast if you don't have English muffins. A dash of vinegary hot sauce is a great addition here.

This decadent version of French toast, from Jamie West at The Mayflower Inn in Washington, Connecticut, is made with two slices of buttery brioche that are filled with creamy peanut butter, coated in crunchy cornflakes, toasted until crisp and topped with maple syrup and fresh berries. F&W's Grace Parisi adapted the recipe to make it easier and cheaper.

This moist, nutty bread is a terrific way to use up late-summer zucchini. The walnuts in the bread are super-heart-healthy, and the yogurt adds moisture without any fat.

Chef-owner Ginevra Iverson of Restaurant Eloise in Sonoma County, California, serves her light, crisp, sugared doughnut holes with sweet-tart raspberry jam. She won't send any imperfect doughnut holes into the dining room; misshapen ones, she says, become snacks for the kitchen crew: "They get slathered with jam and devoured by whomever gets to them first."

Grace Parisi creates a witty take on a breakfast staple by stirring delicious herbed croutons right into her soft, creamy scrambled eggs—eliminating the need for a side of toast.

These frittatas are so thin and light, they're almost like crêpes. Alain Coumont serves them with juicy tomatoes tossed with mint, but nearly any summer salad would work.

Thomas DeGeest went to Belgium to learn from master waffle-makers and perfect his own recipes. He came back with ideas for two styles of waffle, including this light, crispy Brussels version. Toppings can include dulce de leche, maple syrup and Belgian Chocolate-Fudge Sauce.

Some little rituals, like baking on Sunday for the week, provide cookbook author Eugenia Bone a kind of stress-free reprieve, and at the same time let her stock up on fuel for the family, like these muffins.

These ethereal free-form soufflés—filled with strawberry jam—are equally good for brunch or dessert.

The honeyed glaze on these sticky, nutty breakfast rolls is luscious and soft when warm, then turns nicely chewy when cool.

Pastry chef Mariah Swan bakes buttery brioche for this crisp French toast, which she tops with a warm berry compote. The compote comes together in less than 10 minutes but tastes surprisingly complex for something so quick.