Sarah DiGregorio

This savory oatmeal is reminiscent of cheesy grits: very creamy and rich with little bits of crisp bacon. An egg on top is terrific if you like your lilies gilded.

Polenta is often used as a neutral carb canvas for a rich sauce or braised meat, but here the creamy ricotta-and-spinach-enriched polenta is the centerpiece, with a simple little tomato salad on top for freshness. An egg on top is great, but optional.

Slow-cooking a "roast" chicken yields moist, juicy meat but flabby skin—the easy fix is to run the carved chicken under the broiler to crisp the skin before serving.

This festive, spiced toddy starts with a black tea base. English breakfast tea is especially good with the black pepper and star anise, but Earl Grey would be nice, too.