Eggs Benedict for a Crowd

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Today, I will be sharing how to make Eggs Benedict for a crowd! Eggs Benedict is my favorite Breakfast. When I got married, in my pre-kids days, making Eggs Benedict was an occasional weekend treat. Well, now fast forward to the chaos of parenting little humans, and who has time to poach multiple eggs with little tornadoes running around? But, after reflecting on this matter for a while, I have now cracked the code! I will be sharing a game-changing recipe for all brunch-loving parents out there, and I have a couple of tricks that won’t leave you chained to the stove any longer. This recipe is fast and gives you perfectly poached eggs and a deliciously creamy hollandaise sauce every time. Intrigued? Stick around, and I’ll spill the beans on how to ace the art of crowd-pleasing Eggs Benedict without losing your sanity! Perfect for holidays or special occasions.

eggs benedict served with breakfast potatoes

Note: Here, I will be sharing a recipe for four Eggs Benedict. This way, I think it will be easier for you to scale the recipe to meet your needs. Also, because I am making this at home and currently have no need to prepare a large quantity of eggs, just enough for my husband and me. However, you will see what I mean when I say this method is the best for a crowd. Let’s dive into this delicious brunch recipe.

Equipment:

Instant Pot: The Instant Pot allows you to make several poached eggs at once. This can be substituted for a simple pot and whisk, but doing it one by one takes considerably longer. Some recipes claim you can poach multiple eggs using a skillet without making a vortex (traditionally, you make a vortex with simmering water and then drop an egg in the middle), but I have tried this before with no success, so I do not recommend that method.

Baking Sheet: This is the easiest way to heat all of your English muffin halves when making several.

Air Fryer: This frees you from having to babysit the peameal bacon. Just place it inside your Instant Pot and work on the other steps of the recipe. Just make sure to start with this first as the bacon slices can’t be on top of each other so you might need to make them in batches.

Blender or Immersion Blender: You can use either, but for a larger quantity, it might be best to use a blender.

Silicone Cups: They sell silicone cups specifically made for poached eggs. However, I believe in making do with what you have, and I do not have those. Instead, I use a silicone egg-bites mold, and they probably make taking the eggs out a little more difficult but it does not bother me too much. If you do not have those either, I am sure a simple silicone muffin liner would also work.

Ingredients:

Pemeal bacon package, egg in a bowl, vinegar in a little bowl, a package of English muffins, nutter in a measuring cup

4 Toasted English muffins (slit crosswise)
4 peameal bacon slices (slices of Canadian bacon)
4 poached eggs (see below)
Hollandaise sauce (see below)

For the poached Eggs:

4 eggs

For the Blender Hollandaise sauce:

100 g of butter
1 egg yolk
½ tbsp of apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Ham

Begin by placing your peameal bacon slices in the air fryer: Slices can’t be on top of each other, so depending on how many you are making and the size of your air fryer, you may need to make them in batches. The beauty of this method? No need to babysit – it cooks without spattering, and it conveniently shuts off on its own. Pro tip: Line the air fryer with foil paper or grease the pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Now, you can start working on the rest of your recipe.

For the hollandaise sauce:

2. Now, let’s work on your easy hollandaise sauce. Melt your butter in the microwave or a small saucepan. In a blender cup, combine one egg yolk and vinegar, then start blending while slowly adding a thin stream of melted butter. It’s practically magic – by the time the butter is all in, your sauce is ready to steal the show! And the best part? It takes no time at all. Season with a pinch of salt to taste.

For the eggs:

3. Don’t forget to warm up your English muffins. To warm up several English muffins in a jiffy, the quickest route is to line them up on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes. Or you can use your toaster or even Ari fryer.

4. Time to tackle the poached eggs, and we’re bringing in the Instant Pot for the job. Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Drop one egg into each silicone cup, place them on the trivet, and lower it carefully into the Instant Pot. Set it to pressure cook on high for 2-4 minutes. When the time’s up, release the pressure manually. Open the lid and check for doneness – the egg whites should be cooked, and if you give the pot a little jiggle, you should see those yolks dancing a bit. If the egg whites need more time, cover the pot for an extra minute or two; the residual heat will finish the job. Lift the trivet and delicately scoop out those perfectly poached eggs. If you find they are very wet you can blot them with a paper towel.

Now let’s assemble your eggs benedict:

5. Now that everything is ready, let’s assemble the Eggs Benedict: Begin by slathering a bit of the hollandaise sauce on top of the English muffin. Then add the peameal bacon on top of each slice, followed by the poached egg, and top it with more hollandaise sauce. To garnish, you can use fresh chives, paprika, or cayenne pepper. That’s it! Go impress everyone

Recipe Notes:

Important: Cooking times can vary from Instant Pot to Instant Pot, even with the same brand and model. For first-timers, aiming to avoid hard-boiled eggs, kick off with a cautious two minutes. If that falls short, troubleshoot using my suggestions. On your next round, you can experiment with three minutes for that perfect poach. Happy cooking!

Substitutions:

1.Bacon Alternatives: Sub in regular bacon, prosciutto, slice of ham, or another cold cut of your preference if peameal bacon (Canadian bacon) is not available.

2. Gluten-Free Option: Opt for gluten-free English muffins to make this recipe suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.

3. Salted vs Unsalted Butter: I have made using salted butter and unsalted butter. Results are very similar, but obviously, the version using unsalted butter needs a little bit more salt. Just taste it once the sauce is done and adjust it to your preference.

3. Toast: Use another kind of bread, like a slice of toast instead of the English muffin

4. Vinegar: apple cider vinegar can be substituted by white wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Troubleshooting:

Runny Egg Whites:
- If egg whites are too runny after pressure cooking, cover, and steam for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Hollandaise Too Thick:
- Add a splash of warm water and blend again for a smoother consistency.
How do I prevent English muffins from getting soggy?
- Toast them before assembling the eggs Benedict to maintain their texture

Equipment

1 Instant Pot
1 Air Fryer
1 baking sheet
1 Blender or Immersion Blender