Breakfast For Dinner Recipes When You're Craving Diner Food

Popular opinion: Breakfast for dinner is better than dinner for dinner. If you've been daydreaming about fluffy, buttery pancakes all day, nothing beats walking into a diner after the sun goes down and smelling that sweet-scented aroma from big stacks smothered in melted butter and maple syrup, straight off the griddle. And unlike at home, there are so many toppings you can get creative with: You could add Nutella for a dollar extra, tell the server to pile on the whipped cream with abandon, or visit that trendy place for walnuts and honey with some fresh, Insta-worthy berries. Heck, it's your dinner, so might as well order some of your favorite ice cream on top of your stack and call it breakfast for dinner and dessert.

But it's not every night that you want to change out of your cozy loungewear and leave the house–or that you're able to, for that matter. But what to do when you're craving your favorite diner food for dinner? Well, we here at Mashed have been in that situation, and so, we've put together a few of our very best recipes for having a diner-style breakfast-dinner during those stay-home-and-relax kind of nights.

Bring the diner vibes to your own cozy kitchen with crepes, copycat Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole, and so much more — straight out of your favorite late-night haunts. Besides being an easy-to-make meal, you and yours will be so surprised and happy with this fun menu that breakfast for dinner might even become a weekly tradition. So bring on the French toast sticks, complete with all the toppings, and welcome some foodie fun to your night. Good evening, breakfast — we're so happy to see you.

What was more fun on a Friday night than hopping in the car and heading to IHOP for a good old-fashioned stack of buttermilk pancakes before the movies or after your little brother's recital? If you're missing that old IHOP, or if you just want to stay safe and cozy, you can prepare your own copycat IHOP buttermilk pancakes right at home — all in less than 20 minutes.

You likely have all of the basic ingredients right in your pantry: an egg, all-purpose flour, buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt to bring this sweetness to life. According to Mashed recipe developer Jake Vigliotti, IHOP gets their pancakes right by giving them a perfectly fluffy consistency. Fluffiness is crucial, because the crevices in the cakes soak up all the buttery, syrupy goodness you put on top of them. And the best part of this recipe is, with only eight minutes of prep time and nine minutes of cook time, they'll be ready to stack up high and serve in just about no time.

Be sure to pull out any extra things you'd like to add — whether you're craving fruit or something chocolatey — and get ready for a sweet escape right to the comfort of your own couch and TV.  Switch it up each week and consider also adding bananas and walnuts, or cranberries and orange zest. You can even add pistachios — or even lavender butter, if you're feeling artisanal. It's always fun to experiment, and it will make each breakfast-for-dinner night something extra special to look forward to.

You may be thinking crepes are a little too complicated for making at home. Think again, because Mashed has a crepe recipe that's not only a sinfully delicious choice for dinner, but it's also really quick and simple to whip together. The only ingredients you'll need are three eggs, flour, milk, butter, and salt.

After gathering up your ingredients and mixing up the crepe batter, you'll cook your crepes on a non-stick pan — they'll be ready in just 20 minutes of your time. 

For dressing them up, try picking up some cannoli filling at your local supermarket or bakery for a real treat. You could also prepare something really unique like pistachio pudding filling, or lemon and honey-drizzled ricotta. Another way to switch your crepe recipe is to make a fresh fruit drizzle for over the top with blackberries or strawberries or sliced peaches. Or for an instant classic, just top it with some Nutella and imagine you're in Europe. Be creative, because the sky's the limit. After all, this is your breakfast-for-dinner treat.

Whether you head to the diner for a midnight treat or to grab your favorite booth for breakfast, nothing beats ordering a classic omelet and making it your own. And you can create that comforting vibe at home by whipping out your frying pan, eggs, butter, chives, salt, and pepper. 

Our classic omelet recipe is quick to prepare, and you can easily switch up the added extras to include whatever you have on hand and enjoy eating. Whether you opt for pesto and gouda, spinach and feta, ham and Swiss cheese, or asparagus and goat cheese, the sky is truly the limit with this meal. If you'd prefer to keep things strictly cheesy and combine a few of your favorite cheeses, that's a great choice, too! Make your omelet eggs-actly the way you want it to be.

And hey, you're at home and don't have to drive, you're even welcome to complete this dinner with a bloody Mary or a mimosa. It's basically mandatory, because after all, it is breakfast for dinner.

This cheesy, creamy copycat Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole (say that five times fast) is sure to be a hit with your loved ones as it transports you to good times at family brunches. 

It's made with hash browned potatoes, milk, soy, wheat, gluten, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, flour, half and half, butter, and spices. Better yet, this meal is quick and easy to put together and a tasty side to any style eggs, or even the ultimate topping to your breakfast-for-dinner burger. (In fact, we have an amazing copycat recipe for a Five Guys burger, if that's what you're craving tonight. It's topped with cheesy goodness and will be the best combination with your hash browns.)

This breakfast-for-dinner idea takes comfort food to an entirely new level. Face it: Hash browns go with just about everything. So, do it up for extra yumminess. And don't stop at the burger. While you're at it, we also have a recipe for copycat Cracker Barrel biscuits that'll round out your Cracker Barrel kick. Just don't forget the apple butter.

Our recipe for copycat Burger King French toast sticks is fun to make and even more fun to devour. These dangerously tasty sticks can be dipped in a big cup of maple syrup to be enjoyed at any time. You can even give everyone at the table their own personal dipping bowl, with a side of extra cinnamon sugar, just 'cause.

All you need to prepare these delights are five ingredients: Texas toast, whole milk, egg yolk, and cinnamon sugar. Our recipe makes enough for one serving, but you can totally double or triple the recipe. When you're done and ready to serve, sprinkle your crispy French toast sticks with confectionary sugar, and top them with some berries to make a picture-worthy plate for a few snaps before you dig in. This is sure to become an all-time dinnertime favorite.