Bread Boats Make Your Brunch Extra Cheesy

You've slurped soup out of a bread bowl. Now how about making your next brunch extra cheesy with a bread boat?

Bread boats are made from a hollowed out baguette or sandwich roll, rather than a round peasant loaf. Fill them up with combinations of eggs, meat, beans, or cheese, making them a tasty hybrid of breakfast sandwich and brunch-time quiche.

When bread boats have eggs inside, the filling will be nearly identical to a quiche — except there's wonderfully crunchy toasted bread rather than pie crust to hold it all together. It's easy to modify the fillings to your taste, with hot or sweet peppers, cooked bacon or fresh vegetables, and your favorite cheeses. And -- huge plus -- most versions take less than 45 minutes to make. Here are five to try.

1) Southwest Egg and Cheese Boats

These individual sandwich rolls rock a spicy kick from both green chilies and Pepper Jack cheese.

Pro tip: Smoked paprika, included in this dish, is one of those spices you never knew you loved until you tried it.

2) Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stuffed Loaf

Crumbled bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and fontina cheese make this baguette a winner. Slice and serve to a crowd on Game Day.

Pro tip: If using frozen spinach, thaw first and squeeze out the excess water.

3) Sloppy Boats

Hollow out the rolls while the Sloppy Joe filling browns, then pop the boats into the oven until the cheese turns melt-y.

Pro tip: Try experimenting with different rolls like rye or whole grain.

4) Asian Chicken Salad Cups

Go into the light by tossing fresh herbs, sliced almonds and a quick ginger-sesame vinaigrette in this fun variation on Asian chicken salad served in King's Hawaiian Roll.

Pro tip: Chopped red bell peppers make this one extra eye-catching.

5) Traditional Mexican Molletes

Refried beans and shredded cheese are the base ingredients for this meatless Northern Mexican staple.

Pro tip: Serve Pico de Gallo on the side for spooning on top.

Final tip: If you don't want to snack on the pieces that you've cut out of the rolls, use this quick waste-free technique for toasted and seasoned bread crumbs to stash in the freezer and use in future recipes.

Try These for More Brunch-ready Updates on Quiche

Crazy Good Brunch Mashup: Cheesy Hash Brown Quiche

Crustless Quiche Gets a Delicious Upgrade