Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict

Thank you to Jones Dairy Farm for sponsoring today’s post for Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict! We thank you for supporting the brands that keep us going.

We have put a twist on everyone’s favorite brunch item – eggs benedict! Our Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict swaps out an English muffin for a cheesy, crispy hash brown waffle base. We top it with citrusy smashed avocado, hickory-smoked Canadian Bacon and a cheesy green chile-infused mornay sauce. Brunch heaven!

Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict

When I first tried eggs benedict many many years ago, I truly didn’t think the classic version could get any better. The pairing of a perfectly poached egg with a toasted English muffin, salty Canadian Bacon, and rich hollandaise sauce is pretty near perfection. One would think to change the composition of such perfection would result in overindulgence or worse, disaster, but guys it does get better. So much better. 

Our tex-mex version of eggs benedict – Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict is our new favorite in town, and he’s here to stay. We swap out the toasted English muffin for an ridiculously crispy, cheesy hash brown waffle. I mean, a cheesy HASH BROWN WAFFLE.

We then top classic Canadian Bacon with a generous dollop of smashed avocado and a perfectly poached egg. The final touch instead of traditional hollandaise is a generous dousing of a sharp cheddar and chile-infused cream sauce that will leave you weak in the knees. 

Trust me guys, this updated classic is the dish that is going to up your brunch game to levels you weren’t even sure you were capable of. And is there a better time in this world to be up to par on your at-home brunching skills??

The Components

Waffle hash browns

While English muffins have proven time and time again they are the perfect vessel to showcase eggs benedict, swapping out the spongy nooks and cranny muffin for crispy-on-the-outside cheesy hash brown patties proves to be much more exciting and arguably, more delicious. 

Because hash browns can often lack the crispiness we all crave, we opt to use refrigerated hash browns (no soggy frozen taters here). And because we want them as crispy as can be, we also take the extra step of wringing out the excess moisture from them if there’s any. 

When recipe testing, I tried to just throw caution to the wind and scoop the hash browns in the waffle maker alone to save on extra ingredients and prep, but that proved to be troublesome. The hash browns did indeed become crispy thanks to the lack of moisture, however, they fell apart immediately. After some trial and error, I found the key is to bind the potatoes together with a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese, egg, and just a touch of flour. 

Canadian Bacon

Even if we are deviating away from the classic preparation of an eggs benedict, there are a few things that must remain: 

1. There must be a sauce, and today that’s in the form of a green chile mornay (more on that later).
2. There must be poached eggs. 
3. And there MUST be Canadian Bacon. 

I can swap out the English muffin. I can get creative with the sauce, but salty Canadian Bacon stays.

Today (and every other day) we are using Jones Dairy Farm Canadian Bacon. Why? Because it’s the best. Their Canadian Bacon is naturally smoked over hickory chips, giving it a lovely smoky flavor I love, and happens to pair perfectly with our (also) slightly smoky green chile mornay sauce. Another bonus? This lean cut of meat is made from center-cut pork loin which not only gives us 10 grams of protein in each 3 slice serving, but keeps the meat 97% fat free. Visit their website to find it in a store near you.

Green Chile Mornay Sauce

Traditionally, eggs benedict is served with hollandaise sauce. An Uber-rich sauce made with just egg yolks, butter and lemon juice. Today, however, we’re changing things up with a twist on a classic mornay sauce.

If you’re not familiar, a mornay sauce is actually a milk-based sauced that’s flavored with cheese. It’s thickened with a little bit of butter and flour and has a lovely, velvety-smooth texture. You can use any kind of cheese, but for today we’re going with an extra-sharp cheddar. We also add in a whole can of diced green chiles. 

Avocado

In keeping with the “tex-mex” theme we have going on here, I thought a little bit of smashed avocado would be the perfect compliment to all the other ingredients. We keep things pretty simple with just avocado, lime juice, and a little bit of salt. If you want to use store-bought guac, that’s also a great option. 

Eggs

Another must in eggs benedict are eggs, specifically poached eggs. I love my egg yolk gel-like, and the whites cooked all the way through. 

Let’s make Green Chile Avocado Eggs Benedict

Cook the hash browns. . These could not be simpler to put together. Throw the hash browns, 1/2 cup cheese, egg white, 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Mix until combined.

Take a little bit of the hash brown mixture and form it into a small patty. Nestle four of the patties into the four parts of the waffle maker, pushing it out to the corners. Press down to make them compact. Shut the waffle maker and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Be sure to check at 10 minutes, so they don’t burn. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. 

Make the mornay sauce.  Heat the butter in a medium saucepan, when the butter melts, whisk in flour. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in milk, making sure there are no lumps. Add some salt and black pepper. Whisk again. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened. Turn the heat down to low and stir in remaining ½ cup shredded cheese and green chiles. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over a low heat.

Smash the avocado. There’s not much to this! Add the avocado to a bowl, smash with a fork and season with lime juice and salt. 

Heat the Canadian Bacon. You really don’t HAVE to heat the Canadian Bacon up as the residual heat form the hash browns, eggs, and mornay sauce will heat it. If you like a little crispness to your Canadian Bacon, gently heat each slice in a dry pan. 

Poach the eggs. Ok, so most people are notoriously afraid of poaching eggs, but it’s so easy! Crack one egg into a small bowl or ramekin. Stir the vinegar into the water. Use the edge of a wooden spoon or spatula to make a circular motion in the water. Gently add the egg into the water. Use the spoon or spatula to spoon the egg white over the egg yolk. Repeat with three more eggs. Cook the eggs until the yolk is just set, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the eggs out. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining four eggs.

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Make sure to get all excess moisture out of the potatoes. This will ensure the hash browns get nice and crispy during the cooking process! If you do have to use frozen hash browns for any reason, but sure to thaw them completely and then squeeze them of all excess moisture. 
• Use any cheese you want for the mornay sauce and the hash browns. We used sharp cheddar, but aged gruyere, or a smoked gouda would be delicious as well. 
• Season to taste! Make sure to season the avocado and the mornay sauce. 

Can I prep Green Chile Avocado Benedict ahead of time? 

Yes! To a certain degree. 

• Make the mornay sauce ahead of time. Make the sauce from start to finish, cool completely and store in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat the sauce in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between each until the sauce is hot. 
• You can poach the eggs up to one day in advance. Make them as instructed, but undercook them by about 30 seconds to a minute. When you’re ready to serve, fill the same pan with water. Bring to a simmer and slide the egg in. It should heat up in a about 1 minute. 
• While I’d recommend making the hash browns near the time you’re going to serve them, you could make them ahead of time. Reheat them in the oven at 325 degrees until crisp. 

Other great brunch items you’ll love! 

• Our blueberry stuffed French toast is a crowd pleasure and perfect for the brunch attendant with a sweet tooth.
• Our Ultimate Quiche is rich and so delicious.
• This Broccoli and Cheddar Strata is a make-ahead dream and perfect for feeding a large family.

Pretty things/Tools Used in Today’s Post

• We love this waffle maker. Makes perfect waffles and waffle hash browns every time! 
• I love to use a pan like this to poach eggs in. It’s shallow and you can poach multiple eggs at once. If you’re nervous about poaching eggs, you can also use this poacher.