There’s juice, eggs, French toast, cheese toasts, jams, and even mochas! So, what exactly is it about these recipes that turn everyday foods into “Portuguese breakfast” foods? In a word, the answer is usually spice! Portuguese dishes have a lot of herbs, zest, and spice. It’s those things that take these “normal” breakfast items and catapult them into “extraordinary” breakfast items. You’ll see a few more exotic dishes on this list, as well, but don’t jump straight to them and overlook those recipes that look more common. I’ll bet there’s something about all of these that you’ll enjoy.
1. Portuguese Baked Eggs with Cheese and Toast
You’ve probably had eggs for breakfast a thousand times in your life, but you’ve never had eggs quite like these. Smothered in three different cheeses, at least four different peppers, and a spicy tomato sauce, these eggs are a whole new experience. The garlic, onions, and an array of herbs and spices make them even more incredible, and you’ll find yourself wanting them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2. Portuguese French Toast
Unlike fried French toast, Portuguese French toast is baked in the oven. As a result, it’s crispier than the French toast you may be used to eating. In typical Portuguese style, they also jazz it up a little by adding orange zest to the egg mixture. It adds the perfect hint of zestiness to the overall sweetness of the dish.
3. Portuguese Sweet Bread
There’s something about homemade bread that just makes me warm and happy on the inside. I love to make it; I love to share it, and I love to eat it. This Portuguese sweet bread is a favorite of mine. It’s delightfully sweet and light. It also smells incredible. When it comes out of the oven all soft and warm, it’s hard not to sit down with a stick of butter and devour the whole thing. Perhaps more importantly, especially if you’re taking this bread to a get-together of some kind, it’s also beautiful. The braid puffs up perfectly, leaving you with something that looks as good as it tastes.
4. Papas (Portuguese Porridge)
All you’ll need to make this warm, thick, and sweet porridge is about 15 minutes and five ingredients that everyone has in their kitchen – milk, sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. If you can boil, whisk, and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top, then you can make this hearty breakfast with no trouble at all.
5. Portuguese Prune and Orange Juice
This is another no-cook recipe with easy-to-follow instructions that you can make in about 15 minutes. All you’ll have to do is mix prune pulp, orange juice, honey, and mint leaves together in a large pitcher, then pour it over ice. If you want to add a couple of mint leaves to the top as a cute garnish, you can. It’s a little thicker than orange juice and a bit more tart, thanks to the prunes. If it’s too bitter for your liking, add a little extra honey to the mix.
6. Portuguese Style Mocha
If you like to start your mornings off with something strong and sweet, this is the beverage for you. It contains espresso, cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. Depending on how you make your espresso, all you need to make it is a mug, a microwave, and something used for stirring. There are no frothers or fancy cappuccino makers required!
7. Portuguese Galao (Latte) Recipe
For this morning beverage, you will need a frother, though a whisk will do in a pinch. All you’ll have to do is grind your espresso, heat your milk on the stove, froth it, and add it and the espresso to your mug. The whole process takes about 6 minutes, and it’s a delicious, caffeinated way to start the day.
8. Papo-Seco (Portuguese Bread Rolls)
These Portuguese bread rolls are an excellent alternative to toast or biscuits for those mornings when you’re tired of eating the same old thing. Plus, you use a folding technique to make them, so you don’t have to break your back trying to knead the dough. When finished, these have light, fluffy middles surrounded by warm, crispy outsides.
9. Portuguese Tosta Mista (Ham & Cheese Melt) Recipe
Portuguese tosta mista puts a more herby twist on the classic ham and cheese breakfast sandwich. They taste best when made with the papo-seco rolls mentioned above, but you can fix them on any type of bun or bread roll. Stuff the middle with plenty of ham and cheese. Then cover the bread rolls with a beaten egg and oregano. It’s the oregano that makes all the difference. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.
10. Portuguese Fig Jam
For this recipe, you need a couple of pounds of figs, a half-cup of sugar, and a single cinnamon stick for spice. Simply peel the figs and throw everything into a saucepan. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it’s done, trash the cinnamon stick and leave the jam to cool. It’s perfect with morning biscuits or with crackers. Refrigerate any leftover jam in a sealed glass jar.
11. Portuguese Pear Jam
Portuguese pear jam is made almost exactly like Portuguese fig jam. The difference is, you’ll add pears and a bit of liquor to the saucepan to make this sticky sweet jam. Otherwise, everything else is just the same.
12. Broa De Milho (Portuguese Corn Bread)
Broa de milho is a sourdough cornbread that probably doesn’t look like any cornbread you’ve ever seen. It’s brown, fat, and full of cracks. Also, it’s scrumptious. Despite the cracks in the outside, once you slice it open, the inside is so beautifully smooth, it almost doesn’t look real. You can prepare it in under 30 minutes, but it takes a few hours for the dough to be ready, so factor in at least 3-and-a-half hours for it to set and rise.
13. Bolo do Caco (Sweet Potato Bread)
This is one of those unique breads that’s both savory and sweet and somehow pulls it off perfectly. The bread itself is made with white sweet potatoes, which are, true to their name, sweet. If you want them to have that authentic burned look, cook them in a cast-iron skillet. That’ll also help them crisp up as they should. Once they’re done, you’ll smother them in homemade garlic butter, which adds the savory element. I don’t know any other way to describe these except to say they’re fantastic.
14. Pao De Deus
The literal translation for the name of this Portuguese bread is “bread of God,” and if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about it, I don’t know what could. My family jokingly refers to this bread as “manna,” the biblical food that kept the Israelites alive after they fled Egypt, because it’s so good that they claim they could eat it every day. The inside is soft and fluffy, and the outside is covered in an amazing coconut crunch crust. Eat it for breakfast, or serve it for dessert. Either way, it’ll be a hit.
15. Portuguese Breakfast with Fruit
I love this breakfast dish because it’s gorgeous, and it’s surprisingly healthy. Although the recipe calls for papayas or pineapples, you can use whatever fruit you like best. You can even mix and match them! Aside from the fruit, all you’ll need is yogurt, honey, your favorite seeds, and four tablespoons of cornflakes (or muesli). When it’s finished, you basically have a really lovely, sweet, and fruity breakfast parfait. Click on a star to rate it!
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