The Most Iconic Breakfast Foods In America

It's important to do breakfast right, and that's pretty easy with the number of American favorites so good that they can honestly be enjoyed any time of day. Every American is familiar with a stack of pancakes or bacon and eggs paired with a slice of buttered toast, but there's a lot more to be found in various regions of the country. Reflecting a history of innovation, local culinary traditions and immigrant influences, these breakfast foods represent the many ways in which Americans start their morning.

You know them and you love them, but did you know hash browns originated in New York City restaurants in the late 19th century? This tried-and-true side continues to be popular at diners and fast food chains throughout the country. Hash browns are made by cutting, dicing, ricing or shredding potatoes and then pan-frying them, sometimes even adding chopped or diced onions. Here's how to make your own restaurant-style hashbrown casserole.

Coffee cake isn't actually flavored with everyone's favorite morning pick-me-up, but rather it's meant to be eaten alongside a cup of joe or tea. A delicious crumb cake covered in granules of cinnamon, coffee cake can sometimes feature sour cream to give it a nice, tart taste. Test your skills by making this country apple coffee cake that won the Pillsbury Bake-Off Content in 1984.

While johnnycakes have their roots in indigenous North American cuisine, the modern johnnycake — cornmeal batter that's been fried on a griddle or in a skillet — originated in Rhode Island. The cornmeal mixture, which is sometimes sweet, is made with yellow or white cornmeal, salt and either hot water or milk. Typically eaten like pancakes with butter and syrup, they're also often eaten for lunch or dinner with potatoes or rice. Try this easy recipe at home. 

Beignets trace their roots back to ancient Rome, but the modern French-style treat is a deep-fried choux pastry that's a popular breakfast item in New Orleans, brought to the city by French colonists in the 18th century. Best eaten fresh and hot, the New Orleans beignet is typically served with powdered sugar on top, and it's the official state doughnut of Louisiana. These tender, sugar-dusted beignets will transport you back to the French Quarter.

Any dish made with canned meat may be easy to poo-poo at, but then there is corned beef hash. A mix of diced potatoes, onions and salty, cured corned beef, this dish is a simple yet classic breakfast throughout the world. Topped with an egg and served with a side of toast, this seemingly lowly food turns into a chef's favorite. This recipe is great for pepper lovers.

Avocado toast has been one of the top food trends of the past decade, but people in California's Bay Area have been eating it since at least the late 19th century. Avocado, a fruit with many benefits, is mashed and spread on toast along with some salt, pepper and a bit of lemon or lime juice. Endlessly customizable, you can top off your avocado toast with a fried egg, roasted tomatoes, microgreens, feta cheese or whatever else tickles your fancy. Add yogurt for an extra protein boost.

Taylor ham, or pork roll as some prefer to call it, is a pork-based processed meat considered an iconic New Jersey food. As such, New Jerseyians often replace the bacon in the BEC with this local meat in a sandwich that is also sometimes known as the Jersey Breakfast. A taylor ham, egg and cheese specifically features a fried egg and American cheese and is served on a bagel, English muffin or hard roll, popularly topped with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, lettuce and tomato. Daring eats can even try pomegranate mascarpone.

First brought to New York City by Jewish immigrants from Poland, the bagel conquered America as a quintessential breakfast food. One of the most classic ways to enjoy a bagel, particularly in New York, is topping it with lox (brined and smoked salmon) and cream cheese. For the full experience, add on a slice of tomato, capers and red onion. If you're not a big breakfast fan, cream cheese and lox fries exist, too. 

While you could make toaster pastries at home, they're generally better from a box. Who hasn't grabbed a Kellogg's Pop-Tart or Pillsbury Toaster Strudel in the morning? These thin rectangular confections come with many different icings and can have all sorts of fillings, such as chocolate, strawberry or cinnamon. You could even fill one with pumpkin. Generally designed to be popped in a toaster or heated in the oven, they can also be eaten cold.

Originating with the Pennsylvania Dutch and known as a mid-Atlantic food, scrapple is mash made out of pork scraps and trimmings, wheat flour, cornmeal and spices, such as thyme, sage and savory. Typically cut from a loaf, slices of scrapple are then pan-fried and can be served plain or eaten with all sorts of sweet and savory condiments like jelly, ketchup, honey, mustard and apple butter. Like any other breakfast food, you can also eat your scrapple in a sandwich or deep-fried.

Cinnamon rolls originated in Scandinavia, but Americans love this sweet, doughy cinnamon treat. The rolled pastry is filled with sugar and best served warm with icing on top for dessert or cream cheese for breakfast. Cinnamon roll retail chain Cinnabon has gained popularity throughout the world, but you can also easily make some fresh at home with the help of a ready-made tube from the grocery store. You can even try to make them from scratch. 

Also known as pull-apart bread or Hungarian coffee cake, monkey bread is a very sweet and sticky pastry made of pieces of cinnamon-sprinkled dough that are picked apart to be eaten. A popular treat at fairs and festivals, monkey bread has its roots in the Hungarian Jewish immigrant community. The smell is sure to drive you crazy when you bake the treat at home.