Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Specifically, I love toast, preferably slathered with butter. But it’s got to be a hearty bread: German seedless rye, sour sourdough or ciabatta with kalamata olives.

Toast with soft scrambled eggs is my favorite breakfast, although I’ve been known to branch out and have avocado toast with a three-minute egg on top.

In an effort to expand my breakfast horizons, I’ve asked two friends to share their favorite breakfast recipes. And I’ve included a new recipe of my own, sweet potato hash, which is an easy one-skillet breakfast for four and quite economical at about $1.50 per person.

Go ahead, invite friends for brunch and share these dishes! If you’re feeling really generous, make extra granola and put it in jars for your guests to take home.

Melanie and Maggie’s granola

Recipe from Maggie Ducayet

I was never a fan of granola. It was too sweet or too crunchy. But then I tried Maggie’s granola and was an instant convert. Now I enjoy it at least once a week. I like to eat it with plain Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. This would be perfect for a “granola bar” at your brunch. Set out a bowl of granola, a bowl of plain Greek yogurt and fresh berries.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup mixed seeds (sesame seeds, flax seeds, etc.)
• 2 cups nuts (mix two or three types such as pecan, pistachio and almonds)
• 4 cups old fashioned oats

Directions

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Put mixture on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cook for 45-60 minutes depending on how dark you want your granola, stirring it and turning the baking sheets about every 15 minutes.

Maggie’s granola with coconut and dried fruit

Adapted from Clint’s Bakery & Coffee House granola recipe

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, sliced almonds and pistachios
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup juice (orange or apple juice or a mix of the two)
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups assorted dried fruits (cranberries, golden raisins, chopped apricots, dried cherries, dried cherries)

Directions

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper, and mix oats, nuts, coconut, spices and flax seed in a large bowl. Bring juice to a boil, and stir in maple syrup and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Pour over oat mixture in a bowl and mix well. Spread out on baking sheets and bake about a total of 30 minutes, stirring often and reversing the cookie sheets every 15 minutes. Let cool, put into bowl, add dried fruit and enjoy.

Verne’s oatmeal pancakes

Recipe from Pat and Verne Hoogheem

One morning, before the airport shuttle picked me up, I joined Pat and Verne for breakfast. They served light yet hearty oatmeal pancakes with sausage patties and maple syrup on everything. The perfect way to start my journey. For your brunch, make the batter the night before and store in the fridge. Then heat up the griddle in the morning, and you’re ready to cook.

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Mix oats and buttermilk. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Spoon batter by the half-cup onto a medium-high, preheated, greased griddle or nonstick frying pan. Allow to cook on first side for 3 minutes or until bubbles form, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until cooked through.

Suzanne’s sweet potato hash with sausage and kale

Brunch idea: Double the recipe, cook in a large oven safe skillet or transfer to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and double the eggs cooked in the hash.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 12-ounce package ground breakfast sausage
• 2 large leaves of kale, stemmed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A healthy pinch of Southwest seasoning or ancho chile powder, optional

Directions

Heat oven to 400. In a cast iron skillet, add the breakfast sausage and cook for 4 minutes, breaking into crumbles. Add the diced onions and peppers and then the sweet potatoes. Cover to allow the potatoes to steam until just tender. Remove the cover, stir in the seasonings and the chopped kale.

Make four indentations in the hash with the back of a large spoon, and break an egg into each indentation. Put the skillet in the oven and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, until the eggs have reached the desired level of doneness.

Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson’s column “Home Cooking” publishes biweekly on Thursdays in the Summit Daily News. Anderson taught herself to cook after college when she discovered dinner parties were a cure for loneliness. Her latest cookbook is “A Year in the Mountains Cookbook.” She has lived in Breckenridge since 2016. Contact her at suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com.

Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson’s column “Walking Our Faith” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Anderson is the author of 10 novels and nonfiction books on faith. She has lived in Breckenridge since 2016. Contact her at suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com.