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I am here to tell you, however, that pancakes are not among those things. Ditto French toast, waffles, eggs — boiled, scrambled, poached and otherwise — even grits and gravy, if that’s your thing.
Yes, breakfast for dinner is a marvelous thing — cozy, uncomplicated and just a tad nonconformist — and it feels especially satisfying during these days of foreshortened daylight and frenzied holiday preparations, of kids and house guests shuffling around the kitchen and schedules turned upside down.
Surrender to the call of “brinner,” dear beleaguered home chef. Present that skillet of hash and eggs unapologetically, and don’t let the naysayers dissuade you.
Unsure if you can pull it off? Then let’s address the most pressing questions associated with the Breakfast for Dinner tradition. (I hear the abbreviation BFD is taken, but I’m going to make use of it anyway.)
Which breakfast dishes make the best candidates for breakfast for dinner?
Anything that you enjoy for breakfast can be enjoyed in equal measure as your evening repast. Don’t make it more complicated than it is. But if you want to make it complicated, the dinner hour often offers a little more leisure than the (often non-existent) breakfast hour to fuss with, say, frothing egg whites for a Belgian waffle or perfecting the wrist swirl for a proper crepe. Crepes, in fact, are an inspired choice because you can try a variety of fillings to suit a variety of palates.
From a nutritional standpoint, of course, you can’t do much better than eggs. And if time isn’t on your side on a particular evening, you won’t find a much easier option than a skillet of scrambled eggs with stir-ins like diced tomatoes, store-bought home fries and shredded cheese.
How about if you’re cooking for a crowd? It seems like a lot of the traditional breakfast foods, while fairly simple to make, are difficult to keep fresh and warm when making large quantities.
You have two options here. Tuck your waffles, pancakes or French toast into the oven at a low temperature until you’ve accumulated enough to feed the masses. Waffles are particularly challenging, not only because you can make just one at a time but because they tend to grow soggy if not consumed straight off the waffle iron. Experts recommend placing them directly on the oven rack in a single layer.
Or, cut through all that hassle and serve straight to the plate. Think of the power you wield with that spatula! Shamelessly trade for favors as you award rights to the next pancake or waffle. Or make pancake art by swirling a letter or drawing on the pan, then pouring a ladle-ful on top. Give the pancake to whoever can guess what it is after you flip it.
My spouse/brother/aunt protests against breakfast for dinner when I attempt to put it on the menu. How should I respond?
Handing the BFD skeptic a take-out menu should do the trick.
If you care to further engage, which you shouldn’t have to — breakfast for dinner is objectively terrific — you could make your case thusly:
1. Pancakes were good enough for your Stone Age ancestors, who most likely did not sit around their sundials debating the appropriate time of day to enjoy them, and they are good enough for you.
2. BFD gives you another excuse to eat bacon (In my very informal surveys, I’ve found that BFD dissenters tend to overlap with the meat-and-potatoes faction of the population. They can often be appeased with large quantities of bacon.)
3. Frankly, your resistance to a sticky stack of pancakes smacks of a deep-seated fear of change. Did someone make you eat cold liver and onions for breakfast as a child? Are you afraid you’ll get up from the dinner table and accidentally dash off to work? Why don’t you go put on your favorite pjs and relaaaaaaaax.
Ooh, pjs. Does that mean it’s okay to eat on the living room couch and watch cartoons?
Of course! As long as the cartoons don’t feature snot or vomit, and as long as your pjs would not make your grandmother blush. I also strongly recommend mandatory ponytails for any long-haired guests under the age of 10.
On the other hand, are there any good techniques for elevating breakfast to a respected place at the more traditional dinner table?
Yes, as they say in the business, presentation is everything. Try a bowl of fresh fruit. Take a hot second to put your condiments in cute little pitchers and bowls. Play classical music and tell people that Mozart probably ate pancakes for dinner.
If I make pancakes, French toast, waffles etc. for dinner, am I obligated to serve real maple syrup?
Hmmm, this is a complicated decision involving economic principles, the age of your dinner guests (the virtues of real syrup are generally wasted on the preschool set, who mostly end up wearing it anyway) and your comfort level with sodium hexametaphosphate. If you don’t want to splurge on the real stuff, try warm jam with powdered sugar as an alternative.
How about cereal? Can I really get away with tossing some boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats and Cap’n Crunch on the dinner table and calling it a day?
Great question. Personally, I think if you’re going to go the Cap’n Crunch route, you should just go full zombie apocalypse and break out the pop-top soup and pimento loaf for those who don’t understand the wonders of the cereal aisle. No bouquet of fresh-cut flowers is going to make up for this culinary cop-out. That’s not to say you shouldn’t do it, but hey, let’s call a Froot Loop a Froot Loop.
So how often can I pass off a pile of scrambled eggs and a stack of toast as dinner?
You’re asking the question all wrong. I think what you mean to say is, “How often can I delight my family and guests with a fun, easy, healthy, economical dish that just happens to be more commonly associated with breakfast than dinner?”
And the answer to that is, did you already make said dish for breakfast this morning? No? Then you’re golden.
Sarah Earle can be reached at searle@vnews.com and 603-727-3268.