Let’s be honest – making eggs benedict at home can feel pretty intimidating. Between poaching eggs just right and nailing that hollandaise sauce, it’s not exactly the kind of breakfast you want to tackle when you’re still half-asleep on a busy morning. Plus, who has time to carefully assemble those fancy restaurant-style plates before rushing out the door?
That’s where this eggs benedict bowl comes in. It’s got all the flavors you love from the classic brunch dish, but in a laid-back, easy-to-throw-together format that actually works for real life. The best part? You can prep most of the components ahead of time, making breakfast a breeze even on the most hectic weekdays.
Why You’ll Love This Eggs Benedict Bowl
- One-bowl convenience – Everything you love about eggs benedict but in an easy-to-eat bowl format – no English muffins to toast or complicated assembly required.
- Customizable breakfast – You can easily add or remove toppings like cheese, tomatoes, or green onions to make it exactly how you like it, and it’s perfect for using up leftover vegetables.
- Hearty and filling – With potatoes, bacon, eggs, and vegetables, this bowl keeps you satisfied all morning long and provides a good balance of protein and carbs.
- Perfect for meal prep – You can prepare the vegetables and bacon ahead of time, then just cook the eggs and warm up the hollandaise when you’re ready to eat.
What Kind of Eggs Should I Use?
For eggs benedict bowls, fresh large eggs are your best bet since they’ll be the star of the show. While any grade of egg will work, I recommend using the freshest eggs you can find – you can check this by looking at the pack date or doing a quick float test in water (fresh eggs sink and lay flat). Farm-fresh eggs are fantastic if you can get them, but regular supermarket eggs will definitely do the job. When poaching eggs for this dish, the fresher they are, the better they’ll hold together in the water, giving you those picture-perfect poached eggs with neat, compact whites and runny yolks.
Options for Substitutions
This breakfast bowl is pretty flexible and you can switch things up based on what you have in your kitchen:
- Bacon: You can swap bacon with Canadian bacon (more traditional for Eggs Benedict), ham, turkey bacon, or even smoked salmon. For a vegetarian version, try using mushrooms sautéed with a bit of smoked paprika.
- Potatoes: Any potato variety works here – russet, red, or Yukon gold. You could also use sweet potatoes for a different flavor, or swap with cauliflower for a lower-carb option.
- Eggs: The poached eggs are pretty essential to this dish (it wouldn’t be Eggs Benedict without them!), but if you’re not comfortable poaching eggs, you can make them over-easy instead.
- Hollandaise Sauce: While traditional Hollandaise is key to Eggs Benedict, you can use a quick version made with Greek yogurt and lemon juice, or even a store-bought version in a pinch.
- Red onion: Yellow or white onions work just fine here, or try shallots for a milder flavor.
- Cheese: Any cheese you like will work – cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere are all good options. Skip it altogether if you prefer to keep it classic.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest challenge when making eggs benedict bowls is timing – your potatoes and vegetables need to be perfectly cooked before you start poaching the eggs, as overcooked eggs will ruin the entire dish. When poaching eggs, a common mistake is using boiling water instead of gently simmering water (around 180°F), which can cause the whites to separate and create a messy result – add a splash of vinegar to help the eggs hold their shape. For the crispiest potatoes, avoid overcrowding the pan and make sure they’re completely dry before cooking, as excess moisture will steam them instead of creating that golden-brown crust we’re after. If you’re making hollandaise sauce from scratch, keep the heat low and whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling, and have all your ingredients at room temperature before starting.
What to Serve With Eggs Benedict Bowls?
Since this breakfast bowl already includes protein, veggies, and potatoes, it really works great as a complete meal on its own! I like to serve it with some fresh fruit on the side – berries or citrus fruits work especially well to balance out the richness of the hollandaise sauce. If you’re serving this for brunch, add a stack of buttery toast points or an English muffin for soaking up any extra sauce. For drinks, try pairing it with a mimosa, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or a hot cup of coffee to complete your breakfast spread.
Storage Instructions
Keep Components Separate: For the best results, store the different parts of your eggs benedict bowl separately. Keep the cooked veggies and bacon in one container, and make the hollandaise sauce and eggs fresh when you’re ready to eat. The veggie-bacon mix will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Prep Ahead: You can dice all your veggies and store them uncooked in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. This makes breakfast prep super quick when you’re ready to make your bowl! The bacon can also be cooked ahead and stored separately – it’ll stay crispy for about 2 days in an airtight container.
Leftover Tips: If you have leftover hollandaise sauce, it’s best to use it within 24 hours. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge, and gently warm it up in short bursts in the microwave while whisking, or use a double boiler. Remember that eggs are best made fresh, so I recommend cooking those right before serving.
| Preparation Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 25-30 minutes |
| Total Time | 35-45 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 800-900
- Protein: 35-40 g
- Fat: 50-55 g
- Carbohydrates: 60-70 g
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 pound potatoes (diced into 3/4-inch cubes, around 2 cups)
- 2 carrots (diced into 1/2-inch pieces, roughly 1 cup)
- 1/4 red onion (cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 1/2 cup)
- 4 eggs
- 1 serving of hollandaise sauce
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions (optional)
- 1 fresh tomato (chopped, optional)
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
While the oven is heating up, mix together your desired quantities of potatoes, carrots, onions, and bacon.
Once combined, spread this mixture evenly on a sheet pan to ensure even cooking.
Step 2: Bake the Vegetable and Bacon Mixture
Place the sheet pan with the potato mixture into the preheated oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring the mixture halfway through the cooking time.
This helps achieve a tender and crisp texture for the veggies and bacon.
Step 3: Prepare Hollandaise Sauce and Eggs
While the mixture is baking, it’s time to prepare the Hollandaise sauce and poach your eggs.
Follow your favorite recipe for Hollandaise sauce and poach eggs according to your preference.
If you’re interested in different egg cooking methods, see previous posts for options beyond poaching.
Step 4: Assemble and Serve
Once the potato mixture is tender and crisp, remove it from the oven and divide it equally between 2 bowls.
If you’re using cheese, sprinkle it over the hot potato mixture so it can melt.
Top the mixture with the prepared eggs and finish with a generous drizzle of Hollandaise sauce.
Enjoy your delicious, hearty meal!