Best Ina Garten Breakfast Recipes, Ranked

Garten’s smashed eggs on toast, which appears in “Modern Comfort Food,” was the first “Barefoot Contessa” breakfast recipe I ever made. Garten explains in the description that the dish is her modern twist on a traditional plate of poached eggs on toast.

“It’s easier than poaching eggs,” she wrote in her book. “And so much more delicious!”

For this dish, you’ll need:

• Extra-large eggs
• Whole-grain mustard
• Fresh dill
• Bread

This dish is all about timing. Garten says the eggs must cook for exactly six and a half minutes, then sit in an ice bath for exactly two minutes.

I was paranoid that the eggs would knock into each other if I turned my stove up too high, so I ended up undercooking a few of them, which turned into a mess when I tried to unpeel the eggs. I had accidentally taken the “smashed” in Garten’s smashed eggs on toast a little too literally.

But some eggs still turned out great, and I loved how they paired with the crunchy, toasted bread. The whole-grain mustard gave each bite a nice kick, while the dill helped elevate the flavors — and looked gorgeous on top of the eggs.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s smashed eggs on toast here.

This recipe, which also appears in “Modern Comfort Food,” actually comes from Garten’s social-media producer and recipe tester, Kristina Feliz Ibarra.

“We were thinking about breakfast recipes and she suggested her favorite breakfast tacos,” Garten wrote in the recipe’s introduction. “Corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, Monterey Jack cheese, and avocado — who wouldn’t want that for breakfast?”

To make Garten’s breakfast tacos at home, you’ll need:

• Extra-large eggs
• White-corn tortillas (Garten recommends the 6-inch)
• Scallions
• Monterey Jack cheese (grated)
• Avocado
• Chipotle hot sauce or Tabasco

The eggs only needed about five minutes to set, and I stirred them constantly to make them especially fluffy. They looked beautiful with the scallion greens, bright-green slices of avocado, and streaks of Chipotle sauce across the top.

The tacos were deliciously light, but my family and I agreed they needed just a bit more flavor. We added some chopped tomatoes to give the dish a bit more oomph, and next time, I’d throw in more cheese.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s breakfast tacos here.

Garten’s “easy eggs in purgatory” appear in “Go-To Dinners,” her most recent cookbook.

The dish was inspired by a recipe from legendary New York chef Missy Robbins, but features an accessible store-bought twist from the Barefoot Contessa.

To make Garten’s easy eggs in purgatory for two, you’ll need:

• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 24-ounce jar of Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce
• 1 cup of yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon of freshly-grated Italian pecorino cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh parsley, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon of crushed red-pepper flakes
• 2-4 slices of toasted country bread, for serving

I have to confess that when I first made Garten’s dish, I overcooked the eggs a bit. But I adored the sauce, which had a kick from the Arrabbiata and a satisfying dash of salty cheesiness from the pecorino.

I’ve had more memorable Barefoot Contessa breakfast dishes, but there’s no denying this recipe looks beautiful on the plate with its deep scarlet hue and bright bursts of color from the parsley and egg yolk.

You’d definitely impress your family and friends if you whipped this up first thing in the morning!

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s “easy eggs in purgatory” here.

What makes Garten’s breakfast sandwich unique is that the eggs are cooked in the microwave.

Garten wrote in “Modern Comfort Food” that she wanted her “perfect” breakfast sandwich to taste amazing while being “easy enough to prepare in the morning.”

Almost all the sandwich ingredients are pantry staples, and there’s also very little prep.

To make the sandwich at home, you’ll need:

• Extra-large eggs
• Thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
• Sharp white cheddar cheese (grated)
• English muffins
• Avocado
• Whole milk

I had no idea you could make such creamy eggs in a microwave. I loved how their texture contrasted with the crispy, thick-cut bacon, which served as the perfect sandwich base with the creamy avocado.

The microwaving process is time-consuming if you’re making more than two sandwiches, but the recipe is proof that you don’t need a stove to make a great breakfast. Garten’s recipe even won second place in my celebrity breakfast sandwich showdown.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s bacon, egg, and cheddar sandwich here.

Garten’s fresh spin on avocado toast appears in the republished version of “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” which originally came out in 1999.

She reveals in the recipe’s description that this avocado and fried egg tartine is always her first choice “for a quick and satisfying breakfast or lunch.”

To whip up Garten’s recipe, you’ll need:

• Eggs
• Prosciutto slices
• Large (½-inch thick) slices of rustic bread, such as sourdough
• Haas avocados, halved and pitted
• Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• Sriracha
• Unsalted butter
• Microgreens or baby arugula

Her tartines are bursting with color, from the bold green avocado and crimson prosciutto to the sunshine yellow of the egg yolk — which is perfectly cooked, thanks to helpful “Barefoot Contessa” frying tricks.

I love that Garten roasts the prosciutto, which gives the tartines a delicious crunch, while the lemon juice and Sriracha give the avocado both a lift and a kick.

The overall effect is a beautifully fresh, light breakfast that feels healthy and comforting. What more could you want?

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s avocado and fried egg tartine here.

Garten’s banana sour cream pancakes appear in her cookbook “Family Style,” and her husband Jeffrey is a huge fan.

“I spent a full weekend testing pancake recipes, but they all tasted pretty much the same to me: good, but not exciting,” Garten writes. “Finally, I made these with sour cream, bananas, and vanilla, and — served with bananas and maple syrup — they were a hit.”

“My husband Jeffrey, who was my taste tester, loved them,” she added. “But he had to take a long nap that afternoon!”

To make 12 of Garten’s banana pancakes, you’ll need:

• 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 ½ cups of flour
• ½ cup of sour cream
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of milk
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• Unsalted butter
• Pure maple syrup for serving

Garten’s banana sour cream pancakes came out beautifully golden, instantly impressing my boyfriend and our friends when I brought out a fresh plate from the kitchen.

I’m not usually a big fan of pancakes, but I loved Garten’s trick of adding sour cream. It added major flavor and body to the pancakes, giving them a slight tang and a deliciously thick but fluffy texture.

They’re impressive but easy to whip up, making them the perfect dish for a big weekend brunch.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s banana sour cream pancakes here.

I was so excited when I saw a recipe for “scrambled eggs cacio e pepe” in “Go-To Dinners.” The recipe is inspired by the traditional Roman pasta dish, made with spaghetti, pecorino cheese, and black pepper.

“Eggs are always my go-to breakfast for dinner because they’re substantial without being heavy, but I like to dress them up, like adding spicy Italian pecorino cheese and pepper,” Garten wrote in the recipe’s description. “Just take your time with the cooking and you’ll serve the most delicious scrambled eggs ever.”

I’m a huge fan of Garten’s pasta recipes, so I knew I had to try this.

To make 4-5 servings of Garten’s cacio e pepe eggs, you’ll need:

• 12 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) of unsalted butter, quartered
• ⅔ cup of freshly-grated Italian pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving
• 4-5 slices of country bread, toasted

Garten’s scrambled eggs tasted so elevated from your everyday recipe. The pecorino gave the eggs a salty sharpness that I loved, and the texture had a creaminess that reminded me of recipes I’ve made from Gordon Ramsay and Martha Stewart — but with way less effort.

I could happily eat these scrambled eggs for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’d also recommend pairing them with some toast and jam. The latter works really well with the cheesy flavor and helps cut through the pecorino with some sweetness.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s cacio e pepe scrambled eggs here.

Jeffrey Garten has great taste because he’s also a huge fan of his wife’s easy breakfast potatoes.

“When my husband tasted them, he wanted to know if he could have them for dinner!” Garten wrote in her “Family Style” cookbook. “Hey, why not? What makes him happy is just fine with me.”

To make 4-6 servings of Garten’s breakfast potatoes, you’ll need:

• 1 ½ pounds of boiling potatoes, ½-inch diced
• 1 ½ cups of chopped yellow onions
• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons of minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons of minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Garten’s easy breakfast potatoes were cooked perfectly, with a crispy exterior that gave way to a soft and creamy middle. I loved the extra flavor from the parsley and scallions, which also added a lovely pop of color to the presentation.

My friend Jeff loved the potatoes so much that he said he could’ve eaten the whole pot. They’re that good!

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s easy breakfast potatoes here.

Garten’s blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake appears in “Go-To Dinners,” and she also shared the recipe on Instagram in honor of moms everywhere.

“For Mother’s Day, let mom sleep in while you bake her my Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake. It’s so easy to make — and who wouldn’t love cake for breakfast?!!!” Garten wrote on the post.

Garten wrote in her cookbook that everyone who makes her blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake “can’t believe how easy it is!” I understood why after I tried it.

To make Garten’s blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake, which serves eight, you’ll need:

• 2 cups (12 ounces) of fresh blueberries
• 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of whole-milk ricotta
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• Sifted powdered sugar, for dusting

Garten’s breakfast cake is a stunning centerpiece, and it tastes even better than it looks. Every bite is super moist thanks to the ricotta and sour cream, and I love how the sweetness of the blueberries pairs with the zingy and bright lemon zest.

I had my mom test it since Garten said it was perfect for Mother’s Day, and she was a huge fan.

“This was superb,” my mom declared. “I give it a 10/10.”

I loved how easy it was to make Garten’s cake, and it still tasted incredible the next day. I’ve since made it for friends at a brunch party, and everyone couldn’t get enough of it.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake here.

And stay tuned for more “Barefoot Contessa” breakfast dishes to come.