National Eggs Benedict Day

It’s National Eggs Benedict Day! Eggs Benedict is a breakfast dish made with two toasted English muffin halves topped with poached eggs, bacon or ham, and tangy Hollandaise sauce.

Many people claim that they invented Eggs Benedict. According to one story, in 1894 a Wall Street broker named Lemuel Benedict went to the Waldorf Hotel to find a cure for his hangover. At the hotel restaurant he ordered buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and Hollandaise. The restaurant chef Oscar Tschirky loved the dish so much that he added it to the menu and named it after Mr. Benedict.

Another account comes from a man named Edward P. Montgomery. In 1967 he wrote a letter to The New York Times Magazine claiming that he'd discovered the true inventor of Eggs Benedict. Montgomery’s note contained a recipe created by Commodore E.C. Benedict before his death in 1920. Montgomery received the recipe from his mother who was an acquaintance of the Commodore.

Regardless of where the recipe for Eggs Benedict originated, it is now considered a classic. Enjoy this delicious dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner today to celebrate National Eggs Benedict Day!