Brunch is both the best and worst meal to eat at a restaurant. While it’s great to sip on a Bloody Mary while someone else makes some eggs for you, standard brunch fare is also fairly straightforward .

This must also bother my brother-in-law, Bill. Recently on a weekend trip to Chicago to visit, I emerged from the guest bedroom, very disheveled and slightly hungover from the night before, to find that Bill had not only been up for hours, but also made a trip to the grocery store to get the makings for chorizo hash and homemade biscuits, recipes courtesy of Serious Eats. His wife Cheryl and I took on the hash, and Bill conquered the biscuits. My husband Steve stayed out of the way.

Though I was initially skeptical of an ambitious Saturday morning project, I’m glad we did made brunch at home. The meal was great, and I learned a new technique for boiling potatoes to make sure they are extra crispy in the hash.