20 Easy (And Usually Cheesy) Brinner Recipes

Keep these easy brinner recipes — ranging from quick ricotta pancakes to homemade maple pork sausage and egg sandwiches — in your back pocket for those times when you're craving breakfast for dinner and the local diner is closed.

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Photo By: Kate Mathis

Cheesy Chorizo Frittata

Whip up a flavorful and hearty frittata for dinner and reheat it the next morning for breakfast. This two-for-one dish is packed with slightly spicy, smoky flavor from chorizo — and with lots of cheese.

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chorizo Frittata

Fried Egg, Avocado and Brie Panini with Jalapeno Chimichurri

Upgrade the standard breakfast sandwich by griddling it like a grilled cheese with melted Brie, creamy avocado and a spicy, garlicky jalapeno chimichurri sauce.

Get the Recipe: Fried Egg, Avocado and Brie Panini with Jalapeno Chimichurri

Breakfast Burritos with Mocha-Rubbed Steak, Green Eggs and Chocolate BBQ Sauce

When you want to change up Mexican night, elevate the gas-station breakfast burritos of your past with smoky chocolate-and-chile-spiced steak and barbecue sauce.

Get the Recipe: Breakfast Burritos with Mocha-Rubbed Steak, Green Eggs and Chocolate BBQ Sauce

Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

Bagels and lox are great and all, but a creamy and cheesy quiche topped with smoked salmon and arugula salad is a great new way to enjoy the classic combination at dinnertime.

Get the Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

Stuffed-Potato-Skin Skillet Hash with Fried Eggs

Baked potatoes become an edible bowl for homemade maple pork sausage, tender mushrooms and bell peppers. Just pierce that egg yolk for an instant sauce.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Potato Skin Skillet Hash with Fried Eggs

Breakfast Pizza: Pizza A Colazione

When in doubt, add eggs — putting an egg on almost any dish can turn it into brinner. Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos add pancetta and eggs to a classic margherita pie for their take on breakfast pizza.

Get the Recipe: Breakfast Pizza: Pizza A Colazione

Avocado and Egg Scramble

Avocado toast or eggs? Now you don't have to decide. Combine buttery avocados with simple scrambled eggs for quick and easy brinner on the fly.

Get the Recipe: Avocado and Egg Scramble

Fried Chicken and Bacon Waffles

Take chicken and waffles to the next level by mixing bacon into the batter for a surprisingly salty crunch.

Get the Recipe: Fried Chicken and Bacon Waffles

Motor City Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits gets a Mediterranean makeover with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes and Greek sausage.

Get the Recipe: Motor City Shrimp and Grits

Ed Koch Stuffing

Justin Warner transforms a bagel with cream cheese and lox into a wacky casserole fit for morning, noon or night. He opts for everything bagels, but you can sub in any of your favorite flavors.

Get the Recipe: Ed Koch Stuffing

Sausage Gravy

Turn the heat up on traditional sausage gravy with a zesty Cajun spice rub, and then smother buttery biscuits with it.

Get the Recipe: Sausage Gravy

Laura's Sausage-and-Apple Hash

Spicy Italian sausage is balanced out by the sweetness of apples and maple syrup in this easy, 30-minute hash. Pile it high on top of waffles or pancakes, or eat it alongside a plate of eggs.

Get the Recipe: Laura's Sausage-and-Apple Hash

Simple Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs

Two shortcuts ensure Mexican breakfast-for-dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes or less: jarred tomatillo salsa and rotisserie chicken. Even though two of the main ingredients are store-bought, the base of the dish is homemade corn chips, fried up in butter in a flash.

Get the Recipe: Simple Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs

Croque Madame

Croque madame, girl — you need to make this fancy French take on a ham, egg and cheese sandwich ASAP.

Get the Recipe: Croque Madame

Veggie and Creme Fraiche Frittata

Get your greens in with a loaded frittata, packed with tender zucchini, wilted spinach and a hint of Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: Veggie and Creme Fraiche Frittata

Savory Cheddar-Jalapeno Waffles

Get the flavors of a spicy jalapeno popper in Kelsey Nixon's cheddar waffle, and take things to the next level by using them as the bread in a breakfast sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Savory Cheddar-Jalapeno Waffles

Ricotta Pancakes

Crisp-edged, fluffy ricotta pancakes will fly off the griddle, ready to be doused in maple syrup. A little zing from lemon zest goes a long way.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Pancakes

Breakfast Sandwiches with Homemade Maple Sausage, Egg and Cheese

Fast-food establishments' rubbery precooked eggs and frozen sausage are no match for Kelsey's homemade maple pork patties and a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches with Homemade Maple Sausage, Egg and Cheese

Mole-Rubbed Steak and Eggs with Chocolate Stout Beurre Blanc

A trio of Mexican chiles in the mole-inspired steak rub fires things up, but the dish get sweetened up a little with a chocolate-stout beurre blanc.

Get the Recipe: Mole-Rubbed Steak and Eggs with Chocolate Stout Beurre Blanc

"Before Breakfast" Sausage Casserole

Prepare this sweet-and-spicy sausage and hash brown breakfast casserole the night before and just pop it in the oven when you get home from work. All of that cheese is the perfect way to end the day.

Get the Recipe: "Before Breakfast" Sausage Casserole