CHAPTER 1

Breakfast Bonanza

Oh yeah, it’s breakfast time, my favorite meal of the day. Fry it, poach it, scramble it, drench it in hot maple syrup, or put it on a roll. I don’t care what you do to it; I just want to eat it! Now, I try to be good during the week, which can be hard especially when our amazing viewers bring such crave-worthy creations to The Chew’s table. Typically, Monday through Friday, I’m an oatmeal guy. Green juice works, too, paired alongside a protein-packed veggie frittata that helps me stay full throughout the day. But on the weekends, well that’s when I go big, and then I go home and take a nap!

I get really excited about eggs Benedict, cinnamon rolls, or sticky buns. And if there’s corned beef hash on a menu, forget about it! And here’s a secret that my wife, Liz, and I discovered after many years in the restaurant business: if you call your first meal of the day brunch, you can have a cocktail and no one will judge you for it. After a meal like that, there’s only one thing to do—slip into my sweatpants and it’s back on the couch just in time for the next football, baseball, or basketball game.

Now this routine has become a weekend tradition in my house. And what I find so exciting about cooking with The Chew viewers is learning about the traditions that they have created with their families. Each home is different, each story unique; but what they all have in common is that they are all focused on creating memories around the table. So here in this glorious chapter dedicated to what I feel is the most important meal of the day, are our favorite viewer recipes and tips from the past five years.

You guys have shown us some really creative ways to rise and dine every day of the week, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and bellies.

—Michael Symon

Irish Soda Bread / Bill Herlihy

Eggs Purgatory / Antoinette Lordo

Omelet Panini / Elizabeth Kellett

Poor Man’s Delight / Andrea Bland

Feta, Spinach, Sweet Potato Frittata / Kristine Hoskins

Monday Morning Breakfast Burrito / Lisa McDermott

Short Rib French Toast / Dustin Smallheer

Crème Brûlée French Toast / Katie Cullen

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes / Ruth Sottille

Chocolate Pancake Sandwich / Alana Rice

Chocolate Hazelnut Ricotta Crepes / Mario Batali

Make-Ahead Mexican Strata / Carla Hall

Toasted Almond Ricotta Fritters / Michael Symon