An Easy Timeline for Make-Ahead Eggs Benedict For A Crowd
So you’ve got a special occasion coming up—we always turn to eggs benedict for Easter brunch, but any occasion will do—and you need a brunch recipe that’ll really wow the crowds. You know for sure that everyone loves eggs benedict—and who doesn’t?!— but maybe you’re a little intimidated by them. The perfectly poached egg, with just-set whites and a yolk that spills out with the pressure of an eager fork. Yellow and gushing, the yolk runs into lemony hollandaise and you sort of scrape together a little bit of everything—toasty English muffin, runny yolk, Canadian bacon, and a generous swipe of hollandaise—into one, perfect brunchy bite. Chase it with a sip of mimosa, and ooooooooh if that little bite of heaven is not proof that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we don’t know what is. Getting all of these components to happen at the same time is hard enough for one serving of eggs benedict, let alone for a whole bunch at once. OR SO IT MAY SEEM! But guess what?! We’ve nailed a nearly foolproof method for making eggs benedict for a crowd that’s stress-free and (largely) make-ahead, which is always important for brunch recipes.
Here’s your super easy, make-ahead egg benedict timeline:
Up to 2 days ahead: poach all the eggs.
The night before: make the hollandaise sauce.
Day-of: toast English muffins, assemble and serve!
How to Make Eggs Benedict
The whole idea that making eggs benedict is some kind of insane balancing act best left to professional chefs is a complete (convincing) lie—we’re betting it was made up by the same people who have convinced us time and time again to wait in a 2-hour brunch line on Easter Sunday. Well, no more! Now you’ve got eggs benedict at your fingertips. With a little planning, you can do this, friends! You can serve your friends and family a restaurant-level brunch, no wait required. Here’s how it’s done:
Make a whole bunch of poached eggs. Here’s how. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
Make hollandaise sauce. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Top each English muffin half with butter and toast them on a baking sheet in the oven.
While the English muffins toast, warm the hollandaise and the poached eggs. They don’t need to be piping hot—better just warm than over-cooked. You just want to take the chill off.
Assemble! Top each muffin with ham (or Canadian bacon), a poached egg, and a generous drizzle of hollandaise. Let the accolades roll in!
3 Ways To Reheat Hollandaise Sauce (Yes, It Can Be Done!)
Ideally, you’ll make your hollandaise sauce right before you serve the eggs. But if you like to work ahead—and it’s always nice to have the option when cooking for a crowd—you can make the hollandaise in advance and store it in the fridge for 6-12 hours. Do not, repeat, do not reheat your hollandaise sauce in the microwave. It will end in disaster. For any of these three methods, keep a close watch on the hollandaise sauce and don’t keep it over the heat for more than one minute at the very most. If your hollandaise breaks—it happens, don’t beat yourself up—it can be rescued! Move it quickly to your blender and blend on high until it re-emulsifies.
Saucepan + hot water. Pour the hollandaise into a small saucepan over low heat, and vigorously whisk a tablespoon of hot water into the sauce.
Saucepan + melted butter. Pour the hollandaise into a small saucepan over low heat and whisk in two tablespoons of melted butter, stirring constantly until it is fully incorporated.
Double boiler. Place the bowl of hollandaise over a double boiler and allow the steam to reheat it while stirring constantly.
Eggs Benedict Variations
While we’re pretty die-hard traditionalists when it comes to eggs benedict, it can be nice to offer your guests a few options. Instead of the ham or Canadian bacon, try swapping in:
Blanched asparagus
Smoked salmon (aka Eggs Royale)
Fresh spinach, raw or sautéed. (aka Eggs Florentine)
Bacon
What to Serve With Eggs Benedict
Mimosas
Tools You’ll Need
Brunch is Served!
Honestly we love to eat out as much as anyone—even when there is a 2-hour wait—but it’s really fun to stay home with all your favorite people and serve up a big feast sometimes, too. Refills are free, and the comfy pants are close by—what’s not to love?! We hope you have all kinds of success with this eggs benedict recipe, and when you do, we really want to hear about it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
