Reinventing your breakfast menu to reflect the season doesn’t have to mean learning new recipes and redesigning your entire menu.  Many of the dishes you are making for summer can easily be adapted to perform well for Fall and Winter.  Keep an open mind as I walk you through some easy dishes I made at our inn and you will get some great ideas on how to convert your Summer favorites to equally successful Fall dishes.

Right around the time I would get comfortable with my seasonal menu, it seemed like it was time to change it again. And, going from Summer to Fall came at our busiest time!  I finally learned to adapt recipes with simple changes for each season.  For example, a parfait of Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and mint is easily switched to Greek yogurt with honey and rum raisins (recipe below).  This was the same plating and basic process but with a completely different flavor profile for fall.

At our inn, French toast was made like a bread pudding, allowing for different ingredients to be folded into it. For example, the Blueberry and Lemon French toast became Apple and Rum Raisin French Toast in the fall.  Add a simple caramel sauce and this was a real crowd pleaser.  Rich with flavors of raisins, cinnamon and caramel, this warm and comforting breakfast was requested by guests who came back year after year.

One of our very favorite savory dishes every fall was the Sweet Potato, Sage and Sausage Hash (recipe below).  With a few poached eggs on top, this hash is satisfying and makes for a beautiful plate. Many of our egg dishes so easily adapted to different seasons by simply changing out the vegetables in it or pairing them with a side dish that complemented the season. 

But the absolute favorite breakfast at our inn was Caramel Apple Bacon French Toast.  Hands down the very favorite breakfast we served, this was also the breakfast that earned me a spot on the Food Network Holiday Baking Championship a few years ago.  Doesn’t that just make your mouth water – Caramel Apple Bacon French Toast?  And, it is easy to make with some simple planning and time-saving hints.  For example, don’t bother peeling the apples.  Use sweet eating apples like Fuji or Gala.  These are hybrids made with thin skins for a great eating apple.  When sliced or diced, the skins are just fine for baking or cooking. The apple slices can be steamed ahead and refrigerated.  And we all know how easy it is to bake trays of bacon in advance.  Just pile steamed apple slices and bacon on top of French toast and drizzle caramel sauce over it. To. Die. For.

Changing breakfast for the season doesn’t have to be time consuming or mean extra work creating new recipes.  With just a bit of creativity, you can convert your current menu into a stunning culinary offering for the next season.