4 Simple Ways To Upgrade Your Eggs Benedict

As American and iconic as fried chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict is a mainstay on breakfast and brunch menus across the U.S. Over its nearly two centuries as a brunch favorite, the dish has come to encompass numerous extravagant and creative varieties. If you plan on serving eggs Benedict at your next brunch party, we've consulted an expert to give you plenty of ideas on how you can put simple twists on the classic recipe. In an interview with Tasting Table, Nelson Serrano-Bahri, Chef and Director of Innovation at the American Egg Board, recommended four upgrades that focus on "playing around with the base and seasonings." 

So as not to completely overwhelm the home cook, Chef Serrano-Bahri doesn't change the elements of eggs Benedict that are the hardest to execute. Instead, he offers easy additions and swaps with flavorful impacts. If you're planning on wowing guests with eggs Benedict at your next brunch party, you can try one or a combination of Chef Serrano-Bahri's four tips. You'll impress guests even more with his creative yet straightforward upgrades that either enhance the classic profile of the traditional recipe or change the theme of the dish altogether.

Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri's first couple of upgrades involve infusing the standard Hollandaise sauce with flavor by adding store-bought ingredients. He advises, "Try some fun sauces! Sriracha Hollandaise adds a spicy kick to the traditional Hollandaise sauce." Perhaps the easiest upgrade, sauces and condiments are prepared liquid ingredients that seamlessly blend into your Hollandaise sauce without adding any extra steps. 

Sriracha is an Asian chili sauce that'll bring heat and flavor from the peppers to the buttery rich profile of Hollandaise sauce. A few drops of Tabasco or Cholula chili sauce, a can of chipotles in adobo, or your favorite bottle of enchilada sauce would also make great add-ins for a peppery, smoky, and spicy Hollandaise. A great way to bring out the spiciness of these additional sauces is with a squeeze of citrus juice. Juice from a single lemon, lime, or even orange will accentuate the spice while cutting through the butter and egg-heavy sauce. 

Of course, there are numerous other condiments and sauces that you can stir into your Hollandaise sauce for a completely different flavor infusion. For example, you could add your favorite store-bought pesto sauce for an earthy, nutty upgrade. Or, bring a burst of umami to the mix with pesto rosso or this smoky Romesco sauce recipe that's full of roasted tomato, red pepper, and paprika.

Another equally simple way to upgrade Hollandaise sauce is with the help of aromatic ingredients. Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri opts for adding "some fresh herbs like tarragon or chives to your Hollandaise to enjoy some herb-infused Hollandaise for added freshness." Whether you have an herb garden at home or not, fresh herbs are easy to come by and all it takes is a rough chop to release their flavorful aromas. 

Since Hollandaise has a rich yet neutral profile, it'll pair with any fresh herb or combination you have in mind. Tarragon and chives offer a sweet and spicy duo, while cilantro would take the sauce in a more savory direction. You could even add cilantro to a sriracha Hollandaise for a spicy, savory profile. Just as we recommend adding store-bought pesto to Hollandaise sauce, you can also elevate your creation with fresh basil and parsley.

If you don't have fresh herbs, dried herbs will work in a pinch. Just be mindful of the fact that dried herbs have a much stronger taste, so you'll need to reduce the proportion of dried herbs to 1 teaspoon for every tablespoon of fresh herbs. You could also add store-bought Italian seasonings replete with thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, basil, and sage to infuse this lemony Hollandaise sauce recipe with a complex aroma.

After giving us suggestions on simple upgrades to the sauce, Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri grows bolder with a tip for changing one of the foundational ingredients altogether. "I recommend swapping the English muffin out! I like using different bases like a savory waffle, sweet potato hash, or even a slice of grilled portobello." We'll tack on a toasted bagel and buttermilk biscuit, or simply a nice slice of toasted crusty bread like sourdough or seeded breakfast bread. 

A thick slice of this honey sage skillet cornbread would encompass two of Chef Serrano-Bahri's upgrades on eggs Benedict as a carb swap that's also infused with fresh sage. For an Italian-inspired foundation, mold polenta into solid rounds or squares to smother with pesto rosso Hollandaise sauce and a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil.

This recipe for sweet potato waffles is the sweet and hearty foundation you need for a spicy Hollandaise sauce spiked with Tabasco sauce. It'd also pair well with a rosemary-infused Hollandaise sauce. For a Mediterranean twist, you could use a thick cut of roasted or breaded eggplant as the foundation for your eggs Benedict with a harissa-infused Hollandaise sauce finished with chopped parsley and chives.

Of course, if you want to stick to the traditional eggs Benedict recipe, you can always upgrade it with additional ingredients. "One of my favorite additions is adding a layer of avocado to my eggs Benedict," Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri explained. Avocado has inspired its own fancy toast craze for brunch lovers, often topped with a poached or fried egg. So, it's easy to see how his assertion that "creamy avocado pairs beautifully with the rich Hollandaise and egg yolk" in eggs Benedict rings true.

Since avocado is a Mexican crop, you know it'll taste delicious as an addition to a chipotle-infused Hollandaise sauce topped with freshly chopped cilantro. For that matter, you can blend an avocado along with cilantro into Hollandaise sauce with a serving of sour cream or Mexican crema for yet another Mexican twist on eggs Benedict. 

While each simple tweak is a flavorful upgrade, you can use them all collectively for a radical change with minimal effort. For example, you could create an Asian-inspired eggs Benedict with strong umami notes by using a soy-marinated portobello topped with mashed avocado, a poached egg, sriracha Hollandaise, and a sprinkling of nori and furikake. Then, serve it over a bed of steaming jasmine rice and pair it with this DIY matcha latte.