The American breakfast, much like the English one, is considered the most important meal of the day and, consequently, should be the most substantial.
Unlike the continental breakfast, it involves predominantly savory foods.
The American breakfast starts, however, with sweet dishes such as muffins, orange juice, sweetened whole milk, cereals, buttered toast (French toast), jam, and honey.
Then it’s time for the savory part, with sausages, fried eggs, bacon, as well as vegetables and fruit.
At the end of the breakfast, we find the classic pancake, which is entirely covered with maple syrup.
A fundamental part of the American breakfast is eggs.
Just go to one of the thousands of diners scattered all over the country and read the menu to understand the importance of this food for Americans.
Diners are the equivalent of our cafeterias, specializing in breakfast preparation where you can find eggs for all tastes: scrambled eggs, eggs Benedict, fried, well cooked, soft-boiled, etc.
In our trip to the United States in March 2023, there were many American breakfasts consumed in diners.
If you go for breakfast in a diner, you can order a complete American breakfast consisting of: eggs, meat, bacon and sausage, hashbrowns, and toast or pancakes.
Some more or less well-known and simple recipes to prepare, but I would like to delve into hashbrowns, which I love very much; according to some theories, hashbrowns were created based on rösti, a typical Swiss farmer dish based on potatoes.
During the war, a variant of hashbrowns known as squeak, which also included canned meat and often leftover vegetables, became famous.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs Potatoes (preferably Russet)
- to taste Butter
- to taste Salt and pepper
Preparation of hashbrowns:
Carefully wash the potatoes in cold water, then peel and grate them with a vegetable or cheese grater into a cloth that will be used later to squeeze them.
Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Once the butter is completely melted, add the grated and dried potatoes, salt, and pepper.Cook for a short time over high heat and then lower it for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
When the potatoes are well seasoned with butter, flatten them with a cooking spatula.Serve the hashbrown on a plate, accompanied by eggs, bacon, and/or a nice pancake with maple syrup.
Breakfast aboard MSC Divina.
Eggs Benedict and hashbrowns aboard MSC.
American breakfast in the diner
Curiosity:
The American breakfast harks back to the breakfast of the early American pioneers, cowboys, and cattlemen who needed a hearty breakfast to face a hard day’s work in the fields or with the cattle.
Breakfast was the main meal of the day and had to last until dinner time, as lunch consisted only of a few sandwiches or some bread and beans.
Today, usually Americans who work in the morning have breakfast at home or grab a quick bite at a cafe and then eat as they head to the office; it rarely happens that they have time to sit and enjoy breakfast.
For this reason, waffle, muffins, and donuts are the preferred choices of employees because they are convenient to carry around and easy to eat while going to work, along with the inevitable large cup of American coffee.
