Breakfast and Brunch Party Recipes for Watching the World Cup
Advance your World Cup watch party to the next bracket with these 23 breakfast, brunch and drink recipes.
The FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar this year, so with the time difference, you’ll want to plan morning and afternoon viewing parties. That means having an arsenal of breakfast and brunch friendly recipes is your ticket to viewing victory. We have 23 recipes for the almost month-long celebration of the best in soccer, from sweet to savory, and even a few that come with a kick. From Japanese Soufflé Pancakes to Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme and even Big-Batch Bloody Marys, here is every recipe you need to throw an epic World Cup viewing party. Set your alarm, and get cooking.
Guava and Cheese Bread Pudding
Paola Velez brings the iconic pairing of guava and cheese together in what she describes as "if flan and bread pudding had a baby, and it's delicious." This particular budin de pan recipe — which Velez calls "history in a bowl" — originated from Velez's husband's 101-year-old grandmother. It features a lavish custard made with what might seem like an excess of evaporated milk, but makes for an utterly dreamy texture in the final product.
Brown Butter-Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
In this baked oatmeal, perfectly tender spiced oats mixed with sweet and tart fruit are topped with crispy coconut and pecans. The recipe calls for raspberries, but blackberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries would work as well. Blooming the spices in the hot brown butter releases their flavors and infuses the entire dish with a nutty warmth, perfect for a crowd.
Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme
This luscious squash-studded, egg-forward casserole with prosciutto and Gruyère is the ideal main breakfast course.
Orange Liqueur Mimosa
No breakfast party is complete without a mimosa. In this recipe, we give classic mimosas a twist by swapping out the traditional orange juice with splashes of homemade orange syrup and orange liqueur. The orange syrup can be made up to several weeks in advance and kept in the refrigerator; it can also be stirred into a glass of soda water for a non-alcoholic drink.
Spinach and Scallion Dutch Baby
This pancake is a savory riff on the traditional Dutch baby. It is puffy when removed from the oven, giving it a dramatic reveal. This take on a Dutch baby has spinach and Parmesan cheese giving it a delicious, savory twist. Pouring the batter into a hot skillet gives this dish a crisp crust.
Carrot Cake Marmalade with Yogurt and Fresh Fruit
At Molly's Rise and Shine in New Orleans, diners rave about the yogurt bowl topped with sunny roasted carrot marmalade. This take on chef Mason Hereford's marmalade gets big flavor from stewing carrots and apple with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise for a warmly spiced result.
Big-Batch Bloody Marys
This crowd-pleasing mix starts with the toned-down tomato kick of V8 vegetable juice, then gets a double smack of heat from zippy horseradish and hot sauce. Regular pickle juice adds a puckery sweet-and-sour touch, but we really love the extra heat from a jar of spicy pickles. Be sure to let the mix sit for a least a couple hours to let the flavors meld and mingle.
Tater Tot Casserole
Tater tots are the ultimate party food. The secret to this casserole is the layer of creamed spinach in the middle, atop the cooked sausage. It adds elegance to the dish, as well as a nice contrast to the crispy, crunchy Tater Tot top.
Sweet Potato Sticky Buns with Toasted Marshmallow
F&W Best New Chef Thessa Diadem's show-stopping sticky buns from L.A.'s All Day Baby are filled with ginger-studded sweet potato and spiced with cardamom and vanilla. Rolled into a buttery dough that bakes up light and pillowy, like giant cinnamon rolls, there is a little bit of sweet potato filling in every bite. Glazed with butterscotch and crowned with toasted marshmallow, these buns make a show-stopping addition to any brunch. Serve freshly baked and topped for best results.
Crispy Potato Galette with Smoked Fish and Dill Crème
Crème fraîche, smoked salmon, and smoked sturgeon come together in this galette by Wolfgang Puck that makes the perfect low-effort, high-outcome dish. If you’re feeling extra, we suggest pairing this decadent breakfast dish with a bright, minerally sparkling wine.
Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche
At Convivial in Washington, D.C., Cedric Maupillier's foot-long quiche takes this breakfast classic to the next level. This version, prepared in a rimmed baking sheet, makes plenty and is the perfect addition to your game day party.
Blood Peach Bellini
The Blood Peach Bellini was originally made using super-seasonal summer blood peaches. This variation combines Campari, grenadine, and white peach puree to approximate the rare fruit's flavor and color.
Cheddar Cheese Pound Cake with Brandy Caramel Apples
This poundcake created by chef Dawn Burrell gets a bit of a savory edge from the mellow cheddar cheese mixed into the batter and sprinkled on top of the cake as it bakes. It's excellent with afternoon coffee or tea on its own, but the Brandy Caramel Apples move it clearly into dessert territory (add a scoop of ice cream to take it over the top). You can bake one large cake in a Bundt or tube pan, or two cakes baked in loaf pans.
Salmon and Arugula Frittata with Pesto
Chef Eric Adjepong uses salmon two ways in his pesto-infused frittata, topping the eggs with cooked fresh salmon before baking it, then garnishing the frittata with thinly-smoked salmon just before serving. Adjepong likes to serve the frittata with crisp greens drizzled with fresh lemon juice – a decadent choice for a watch party.
Cinnamon Roses
This simple yeasted dough is soft and tender, yielding golden, tear-apart rolls. For the best “bloom,” tightly roll the dough, and use unflavored floss to cut the roses; it pinches the rolls less than using a knife.
Blueberry Cornbread French Toast
Cornbread and blueberries are natural partners, especially in this French toast recipe by chef Erick Williams of Virtue restaurant in Chicago. Dipping cornbread into the blueberry-infused batter gives the bread a beautiful blue marbled pattern while retaining its texture. Be sure to just dip it in the batter and not soak the bread; otherwise, it will fall apart. The cornbread and blueberry sauce can be made a day in advance; use frozen blueberries if fresh ones aren't available.
Buttermilk Crumpets
Crisp on the outside with an airy, spongy center, crumpets are lovely hot out of the pan but also reheat beautifully in the toaster. Buttermilk helps to keep them tender and light, while spelt flour lends a nutty flavor. Better yet, they are a great make-ahead treat.
Lemony Crêpe Casserole
Reminiscent of a classic bread pudding, this sweet-tart crêpe casserole has a beautiful lacy top and tender-but-sliceable center.
Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms
These surprisingly elegant, savory herb-topped eggs bake up in a muffin pan, so it’s easy to make breakfast or brunch for a few days — or for more than a few people. Serve any leftover breakfast egg cups sandwiched between buttered, toasted English muffins or brioche slices.
Chilaquiles with Tomatillo Salsa and Fried Eggs
Bringing a skillet of chilaquiles topped with all the fixings to the table is a very wise weekend brunch move. Start out by firing up your broiler: Lightly charring the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeños, and onion until lightly charred gives the green salsa terrific depth of flavor. If you don’t have time to fry the tortilla chips at home, just pick up a bag of your favorite store-bought brand.
Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
The secret to high-rise soufflé pancakes is all about speed and temperature: Cold egg whites whip more slowly than room temperature ones, but they form stronger, more uniform bubbles, and whipping them on medium speed incorporates more air. Finally, piping the batter in one swift pass allows you to create more height from the beginning without overcooking each pancake.
Espresso Martini
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter
This recipe from Simon Sebbah, beverage director at NYC's American Bar, gets you a perfectly frothy, caffeinated cocktail every time. Plus, it's boozy enough to watch those morning matches with enough caffeine to keep you awake.
Savory Bread Pudding
This bread pudding with bacon, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheese will be a guaranteed hit. Better yet, it can be prepared up to a day in advance and then baked the day you serve it. You can sub in any good quality bread for this recipe.
