Make this easy brunch recipe and invite your friends and family

By CNN Newsource

Published November 15, 2025 8:00 AM

By Karla Walsh, CNN

(CNN) — The sound of your morning alarm may not inspire you to think “party time!” But if you ask Dan Pelosi, with the right recipes and a bit of planning, morning can be one of the best times to host.

A party doesn’t require decorations, dancing or even a specific time of day, explained Pelosi, a New York-based recipe developer, cookbook author and food personality.

“My kind of party is one where we’re sitting down at a table and I’m sharing time with people who are important to me,” said Pelosi, who grew up in a bustling Italian American household with food and people ever present.

The morning is an ideal time to entertain because it’s unexpected, feels more casual than dinner, and allows you to try hosting gatherings that feel cozy, approachable and chic. So instead of fighting over a reservation at a buzzy brunch spot, invite your crew over (slippers and all) and take a cue from Pelosi’s Breakfast for Dinner lineup — one of 16 themed menus in his new cookbook, “Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day.”

“When mom made us breakfast for dinner, I imagine her secretly thinking, ‘This is easy. I don’t have the energy, so I’m just going to make pancakes,’” said Pelosi, who is known as “Grossy Pelosi” on social media. But for him, as a kid, “breakfast for dinner felt like the ultimate treat.” It still does.

To allow his pals to indulge in a generous dose of nostalgia, too, Pelosi tested and perfected recipes for make-ahead-friendly, big-batch riffs on the classics. No short-order cooking is required for his Raisin Walnut French Toast, Scallion Cheddar Hash Brown Patties, or Diner Omelets for a Crowd (recipe below).

Plus, you can hit “snooze” a time or two, since you can assemble almost everything the night before. All that’s left to do is wake up, bake the brunch dishes according to the recipe instructions, pour yourself a mimosa or cup of coffee, and welcome your guests with a smile.

Have you never hosted at your home before? “Just do it!” Pelosi said. “You do not have to be perfect.” And you don’t have to go it alone, he added. “Ask people to help with things that you’re a little insecure about. For example, I listen to horrible music on my own. Before the day of, I know who’s going to create the playlist, and it’s not going to be me!”

While Pelosi swore the recipes in his book (including the egg dish below) are no sweat to re-create, he affirmed that even if you do make a mistake, your gathering can still be a success.

“Just jump in and see what happens. You can always just order pizza,” Pelosi said with a laugh. “Just get people in the room!”

Dan Pelosi’s Diner Omelets for a Crowd

No need to stand over a skillet pumping out individual omelets for each waiting diner. Instead, try Pelosi’s remix that coaches you through how to prep fully loaded omelets for a half dozen people in about 30 minutes flat.

“One of my favorite recipes in this book is the Diner-Style Omelets for a Crowd,” Pelosi said. By following his surprisingly speedy formula, “you’ll only have to shout ‘order up!’ once. The cheese stays melty, the broccoli remains crisp, the sausage is juicy, and the eggs are wonderfully fluffy,” Pelosi wrote in the book’s introduction.

If you’d like to get a head start the evening before, build the omelets, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring the omelets to room temperature before baking to melt the cheese.

Serves 6

Prep time: 22 minutes

Bake time: 8 minutes

Total cooking time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 large eggs
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, crumble the sausage into small pieces. Cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the sausage is browned, about 6 minutes. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and wipe out the skillet.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk 3 eggs with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the skillet and blanket with ⅓ cup cheese. Cover and cook undisturbed until the top is just set and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide the omelet onto a cutting board and let cool while repeating this process with 3 more eggs and another ⅓ cup cheese. While the second batch cooks, top the omelet on the cutting board with ⅔ cup of the sausage-broccoli mixture. Roll it up tightly and nestle it, seam side down, into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat the assembly line, melting more butter in the skillet after every other omelet, to make six rolled omelets in the baking dish. Blanket the top with the remaining 2 cups cheese.
Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and all the omelets are warmed through. Serve immediately.

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