2025-02-26T14:32:02Z Read in app I love making easy recipes in my air fryer, like baked potatoes. Cavan-Images/Shutterstock This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? I'm a chef who uses an air fryer for everything from breakfast to dinner.The compact countertop appliance offers an ideal way to make egg bites, potatoes, and cauliflower.I've also found simple recipes for air-fried cheesecake and French toast.I trained as a chef and have worked in kitchens from Scotland to Sydney and Toronto to Martha's Vineyard.With all that experience, I still think air fryers are one of the best kitchen hacks. I've tested a few varieties, but I usually find myself going back to my small, single-basket, 5-quart air fryer.If you're looking for quick, easy snacks and meals, I keep coming back to these seven essential air-fryer recipes. A sweet, salty breakfast sandwich is a brilliant start to any day.I put a bit of an Irish twist on my breakfast sandwiches. Aefa Mulholland One of the most requested air-fried items in my house is based on a breakfast I cooked in Dublin that led to a half dozen dirty pots and pans. Luckily, for this recipe, all I need is my air fryer and two ramekins.Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and cup of chopped onion to a ramekin and mix well. Oil a second ramekin and crack an egg into it.Slice a bun and put it face down next to both ramekins in the air-fryer basket. Place a few strips of bacon on a rack above the egg.After three minutes, flip the buns, add sliced cheddar, and cook for about seven minutes or until egg and bacon are to your liking.Pile the onions, egg, and bacon onto the bun and serve with sliced tomato or tangy Irish Ballymaloe relish.Anyone can throw together eggy breakfast bites they're that easy.I like a lot of cheese on my egg bites. Aefa Mulholland I've adapted one of my favorite frittata recipes from the blog Every Little Crumb into a quick and easy air-fryer breakfast.It has Mexican-inspired flavors and is made with eggs, cheese, cilantro, black olives, cherry tomatoes, pickled jalapeos, and red onion.Basically, I halve the written recipe and pour the mixture into oiled silicone muffin cups that are super easy to clean and fit nicely in my air-fryer basket.Air-fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes, and you have a tasty, portable breakfast.I can make fantastic French-toast fingers in minutes.I slice up the bread to fit more in my air-fryer basket. Aefa Mulholland I love Nigella Lawson's doughnut French toast, and it's even easier to make it in the air fryer.She recommends soaking the bread in a mixture of eggs, milk, and vanilla extract for at least five to 10 minutes. Then, I slice the bread into fingers to fit more in my air-fryer basket and cook them at 375 degrees for four to six minutes on each side.If your toast seems to be drying out, try spraying the basket with some oil before cooking.Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar for an extra decadent breakfast.Air-fried cheesecake is one of my go-to desserts.Mini cheesecakes are cute and delicious. Aefa Mulholland One of my all-time favorite air-fryer desserts is the cheesecake recipe I found on Eating Well. It's super quick and easy, and you end up with cute bite-sized treats.Start by crumbling up some graham crackers (gingersnaps and shortbread also work great) and combining them with sugar and butter.Then, mix the cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla extract, egg, sugar, and lemon zest and divide it into muffin cups on top of the crumbly crust.Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and put the mini cheesecakes in for eight to 10 minutes. Chill in the fridge for an hour and serve with compote, fresh fruit, or jam.Twice-baked potatoes are twice as delicious in the air fryer.I like the extra crispiness of twice-baked potatoes. Aefa Mulholland The cooking time for baked potatoes can really depend on the type of air fryer you have. It takes a little experimenting for example, when I used a larger air fryer, I had to cook them at a higher temperature for longer.In my 5-quart basket, I air-fry my potatoes at 400 degrees for 45 minutes before scooping out the insides, mashing them up with toppings, and refilling the spuds.Then, they go back in for about five minutes. The second baking brings out extra crispiness to the potato skin and extra creaminess to its insides.The blog Cooking with Coit has a great basic recipe for the flavorings. I serve those spuds with classic toppings like bacon, more cheese, or coleslaw.I've also had success with adding a teaspoon of gochujang paste to the mash and topping it with kimchi and green onions.Sweet, sticky, crispy Buffalo cauliflower is the perfect snack or side.I serve my Buffalo cauliflower with dipping sauces. Aefa Mulholland I can whip up cauliflower Buffalo "wings" in less than 30 minutes.I've tried tons of different recipes, but I've settled on one from the blog Love and Lemons. Using an air fryer shortens the cooking time, and they still come out extra sticky and delicious.Quickly whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and water to make a batter for the cauliflower florets. Once they're well coated, they can go in the air fryer at 450 degrees for eight to 10 minutes.Take the cauliflower out, brush the florets with Buffalo sauce (bottled or homemade), and pop them back in for another eight to 10 minutes.Serve with ranch, blue cheese, more Buffalo sauce, or all of the above.Irresistible caramelized bananas are super simple.I like my air-fried bananas with ice cream. Aefa Mulholland One of the simplest things I've made in an air fryer might also be my favorite: caramelized bananas.I particularly like a recipe from the blog Girls Who Eat. It's really as simple as slicing a banana in half (or slices or chunks), brushing both sides with oil, ghee, or butter (I like coconut oil), dusting both sides with brown sugar and cinnamon, and popping them in the air fryer at 370 degrees for three to five minutes per side.If you're short on time, slightly ripe bananas tend to cook faster and caramelize splendidly.I also like adding ground cardamom and a dash of nutmeg to my cinnamon-sugar mixture and serving with ice cream.