Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise (Printable)

A classic brunch dish of poached eggs and Canadian bacon atop toasted English muffins with hollandaise.

# What You'll Need:

→ Eggs Benedict Base

01 - 4 English muffins, split and toasted
02 - 8 slices Canadian bacon
03 - 8 large eggs
04 - 1 tablespoon white vinegar
05 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Hollandaise Sauce

06 - 3 large egg yolks
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm
09 - Pinch of cayenne pepper
10 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley, optional

# Steps:

01 - Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer. In a heatproof bowl set over the simmering water without touching, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice until slightly thickened. Slowly drizzle in melted butter while whisking constantly until the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Remove from heat, season with salt and cayenne pepper, cover and keep warm.
02 - Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook Canadian bacon slices until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side. Keep warm on a plate.
03 - Fill a large saucepan with water, bring to a gentle simmer, and add vinegar. Crack one egg into a small bowl, swirl the simmering water gently, and slide the egg into the center. Repeat with remaining eggs, cooking in batches if necessary. Poach for 3 to 4 minutes until whites are set but yolks remain soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
04 - Place two toasted muffin halves on each plate. Top each half with one slice of Canadian bacon followed by one poached egg. Spoon generous hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with chives or parsley if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Hollandaise feels fancy and intimidating until you realize it's just three ingredients and a little heat awareness—suddenly you're the friend who makes restaurant-quality brunch.
  • Poached eggs seem impossible until they're not, and once you nail them, you've got a party trick that actually impresses people.
  • Everything can be prepped separately and assembled in seconds, so you can actually sit down and enjoy breakfast with the people you cooked for.
02 -
  • Hollandaise breaks when the temperature goes wrong—too cold and the butter won't incorporate, too hot and the yolks scramble; keeping everything warm but not hot is the difference between silky sauce and broken grease.
  • Never let poached eggs cook longer than 4 minutes unless you want a hard yolk, and always swirl the water before sliding the egg in or you'll end up with wispy, feathered whites that look less elegant.
  • If your hollandaise does break, start fresh with one egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the broken sauce—it's like hitting reset, and it actually works more often than you'd think.
03 -
  • Warm your plates in a 200-degree oven for five minutes before you start—cold plates will cool the hollandaise and make the eggs less luxurious faster than you'd think.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, you can prep the hollandaise 10 minutes ahead and hold it over warm water with a cover, then poach the eggs in two batches so each plate comes together fresh and steaming hot.
  • For a vegetarian version, sauté fresh spinach with garlic or use sliced avocado instead of bacon—the hollandaise does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise and makes any version feel indulgent.
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