Presents wrapped. Tree decorated. Stockings stuffed. What else? Don’t forget that on Christmas day most restaurants and markets are closed so it’s smart to plan your family’s brunch recipes menu ahead of time so that you don’t get stuck ordering Chinese food for breakfast. Especially since everyone always seems to wake up that morning with a ravenous appetite. So what are some easy ways that you can get holiday-creative and spice up this year’s breakfast offerings?
WebMD’s Elaine Magee suggests giving your regular breakfast foods a holiday twist. “Whipped butter for your biscuits becomes orange butter when you blend in orange marmalade,” says Magee. “Or, make holiday cream cheese by blending light cream cheese with cranberry-orange or cranberry-raspberry sauce.” Here are 10 hearty brunch recipes perfect for Christmas Day that will keep your family feeling warm and satiated on a winter day relaxing at home.
1. Maple Bacon Quiche
Give me a quiche please. Not the one you plant on the lips, but a sweet and savory one like this quiche that melts in your mouth. Here, sautéed onions are deglazed with maple syrup so that even lovers will fight for the last piece.
Read Related: Weekend Brunch Menu for New Year’s Day
2. Gingerbread Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk-Rum Caramel Syrup
Yes, this recipe is sinful, but hey, Christmas comes only once a year. You’ll need ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin puree in a can, molasses, vanilla extract, butter and a very good dose of a pirate’s favorite beverage: rum.
3. Steak and Eggs Benedict
This Christmas morning upgrade to your typical Eggs Benedict dish consists of substituting filet mignon for ham and béarnaise sauce for the traditional hollandaise. Don’t worry, the English muffins remain untouched.
4. Sausage Cheese Muffins
With five simple ingredients such as ground pork sausage, all-purpose baking mix, shredded Cheddar cheese, condensed cheese soup, and water, these savory muffins will get everyone out of bed a little too early perhaps to enjoy them while they’re piping hot.
5. Orange and Pomegranate Overnight Oats
If you and the family want to sleep in and have a hearty, yet healthy breakfast ready when you open your fridge, these overnight oats owe their popularity to their ease. Just soak them in the fridge on Christmas Eve in few jars with your favorite milks (almond, soy or cow’s) and add fresh oranges and pomegranates.
6. Mushroom Spinach Baked Eggs
This easy to prepare hearty brunch dish gets its volume from the potato bread that forms the base of the baking dish. Just grill up some white mushrooms, onion, baby spinach, layer it on the bread, crack an egg onto each piece of bread, pour milk evenly over the top and sprinkle plenty of Gruyere cheese on top. Bake until the egg whites are set for about 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Banana Nut French Toast
If you are trying to find a special-occasion, yet still easy French toast dish, this is it. Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg in a medium bowl, and set aside. Combine bananas, dark-brown sugar, and toasted walnuts in another bowl. Lay out slices of bread and top each slice with the banana mixture and warm in the oven.
8. Raspberry Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd
Before adding butter to your skillet, place raspberries, flour, ricotta, milk, eggs, lemon juice, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Serve with champagne mimosas. Top with raspberries to garnish.
9. Mexican Breakfast Casserole
This casserole will please big eaters and may fill them up until breakfast the next day. First cover your casserole with chiles, top with sausage mixture, tortilla quarters and cheese mixture. Repeat layering and then pour the egg mixture over the ingredients. Refrigerate overnight. Bake until bubbly and golden brown.
10. Potato-Quinoa Cakes with Smoked Salmon and Beets
If you want to knock them out with healthy gourmet brunch these potato cakes chock full of quinoa gives this dish an extra chewiness. Lay them on an elegant bed of smoked salmon and beets and serve with mimosas.
Photo 6 courtesy of Food Network.com.
