Christmas Breakfast
By Marcia Passos Duffy
Printer-friendly version
Have you given any thought to what your family will eat Christmas morning?
If you’re like most people, a Christmas breakfast plan may never make it to your
“to do” list – especially if you’re cooking for a houseful of people for an early
afternoon feast.
If you’re lucky, an unceremonious bowl of cereal is the usual fare. And by the time
your Christmas turkey rolls out of the oven, your family is starving, cranky and
running only on candy, cookies and adrenaline.
This year, with a little planning, you can make an easy and hearty breakfast that
will keep your family going until the “big” meal. These recipes can be made ahead
on Christmas Eve (okay, you’re busy enough on the 24th, but these are quick!),
refrigerated and quickly prepared on Christmas morning.
Yankee French Toast Soufflé
1 loaf day-old French bread
1-2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cut French bread into 1 inch pieces and butter each side. Squeeze slices (fitting
tightly) into greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and egg
yolks. Add milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with
nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. Serve with
warmed maple syrup. Serves 8 – 10.
Make Ahead Oatmeal for a Crowd
For the ultimate comfort food try this make-ahead versions of an old favorites:
5 cups rolled oats
2 ½ cups milk
4 eggs
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 cup raisins or currants
1 teaspoon all spice
Sugar and cinnamon to taste
Mix together all ingredients except sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and pour
into an un-greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. IN the
morning, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle top
with sugar and cinnamon before serving. Serves 8 – 10.
Apple Cobbler in a Crock-pot
4 medium apples, peeled and sliced
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups granola
Pinch of salt
Put apples in a crock-pot. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and turn on crock-
pot to “low” and leave on overnight (about 8 hours). Serve topped with whipped
cream.
Serves 4- 6.
Versatile Baked Eggs Breakfast
One loaf French or Italian bread
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped cubed ham (can be omitted for a vegetarian dish)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
15 eggs
3 cups milk
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of one of the following: spinach or mushroom, or zucchini or broccoli (or
whatever vegetable you have in your refrigerator) cut into small pieces.
1 dash of Tabasco sauce
One pinch of crushed pepper flakes
Topping: ¼ cup sour cream, Parmesan cheese
Tear bread into small pieces (about 1 inch). Layer bread pieces in a greased 9 x 13
pan, loosely packed. Sprinkle onions, ham, cheese, and other vegetables you
choose to use. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, Tabasco, pepper
flakes until frothy. Pour mixture over bread mixture and cover with aluminum
foil. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let stand at room temperature for ½
hour. Bake with aluminum foil still on the top of the pan in preheated 350 degree
oven for 45 minutes until eggs are almost set. Remove from oven and remove foil.
Spread a thin layer of sour cream (about ¼ cup) on top of casserole and sprinkle
Parmesan cheese on top. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15
minutes or until browned. Serves 8-10.
Holiday Eggnog French Toast
For a quick on-the-spot French toast using ingredients you’re sure to have on hand
Christmas morning, try this Holiday Eggnog French Toast.
1 1/2 cups of Eggnog
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
½ loaf whole wheat or white bread.
Confectionary sugar (optional)
Fresh strawberries (optional)
Oil spray to prevent sticking
Mix together eggnog and nutmeg. Dip bread in mixture and cook on a hot griddle
or frying pan greased with pan spray. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar and top
with fresh strawberries. Serve with warm maple syrup. Serves 6-8.
Farmer's Breakfast Casserole
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, 24 oz. bag
3/4 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Ham, or Canadian-style bacon, diced
1/2 cup Green onions, sliced
4 Eggs, beaten
12 oz Evaporated milk, canned
1/8-teaspoon salt
Make Ahead (day before)
Grease a 2-quart square-baking dish. Spread the potatoes evenly in the bottom of
the dish. Sprinkle with cheeses, ham, salsa and green onions. Combine the eggs,
milk, pepper, and salt and pour over the potato mixture in dish. Cover and
refrigerate. To serve, bake, uncovered at 350°F for 40 to 45 or until knife inserted in
center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Optional, add extra
shredded cheese to the top during the last 15 minutes of baking. Serves 6.
About the Author:
Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer and the publisher of The Heart of New
England, a free weekly online magazine. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter and
get a New England recipe every week! Click here.
By Marcia Passos Duffy
Printer-friendly version
Have you given any thought to what your family will eat Christmas morning?
If you’re like most people, a Christmas breakfast plan may never make it to your
“to do” list – especially if you’re cooking for a houseful of people for an early
afternoon feast.
If you’re lucky, an unceremonious bowl of cereal is the usual fare. And by the time
your Christmas turkey rolls out of the oven, your family is starving, cranky and
running only on candy, cookies and adrenaline.
This year, with a little planning, you can make an easy and hearty breakfast that
will keep your family going until the “big” meal. These recipes can be made ahead
on Christmas Eve (okay, you’re busy enough on the 24th, but these are quick!),
refrigerated and quickly prepared on Christmas morning.
Yankee French Toast Soufflé
1 loaf day-old French bread
1-2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cut French bread into 1 inch pieces and butter each side. Squeeze slices (fitting
tightly) into greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and egg
yolks. Add milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with
nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. Serve with
warmed maple syrup. Serves 8 – 10.
Make Ahead Oatmeal for a Crowd
For the ultimate comfort food try this make-ahead versions of an old favorites:
5 cups rolled oats
2 ½ cups milk
4 eggs
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 cup raisins or currants
1 teaspoon all spice
Sugar and cinnamon to taste
Mix together all ingredients except sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and pour
into an un-greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. IN the
morning, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle top
with sugar and cinnamon before serving. Serves 8 – 10.
Apple Cobbler in a Crock-pot
4 medium apples, peeled and sliced
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups granola
Pinch of salt
Put apples in a crock-pot. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and turn on crock-
pot to “low” and leave on overnight (about 8 hours). Serve topped with whipped
cream.
Serves 4- 6.
Versatile Baked Eggs Breakfast
One loaf French or Italian bread
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped cubed ham (can be omitted for a vegetarian dish)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
15 eggs
3 cups milk
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of one of the following: spinach or mushroom, or zucchini or broccoli (or
whatever vegetable you have in your refrigerator) cut into small pieces.
1 dash of Tabasco sauce
One pinch of crushed pepper flakes
Topping: ¼ cup sour cream, Parmesan cheese
Tear bread into small pieces (about 1 inch). Layer bread pieces in a greased 9 x 13
pan, loosely packed. Sprinkle onions, ham, cheese, and other vegetables you
choose to use. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, Tabasco, pepper
flakes until frothy. Pour mixture over bread mixture and cover with aluminum
foil. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let stand at room temperature for ½
hour. Bake with aluminum foil still on the top of the pan in preheated 350 degree
oven for 45 minutes until eggs are almost set. Remove from oven and remove foil.
Spread a thin layer of sour cream (about ¼ cup) on top of casserole and sprinkle
Parmesan cheese on top. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15
minutes or until browned. Serves 8-10.
Holiday Eggnog French Toast
For a quick on-the-spot French toast using ingredients you’re sure to have on hand
Christmas morning, try this Holiday Eggnog French Toast.
1 1/2 cups of Eggnog
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
½ loaf whole wheat or white bread.
Confectionary sugar (optional)
Fresh strawberries (optional)
Oil spray to prevent sticking
Mix together eggnog and nutmeg. Dip bread in mixture and cook on a hot griddle
or frying pan greased with pan spray. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar and top
with fresh strawberries. Serve with warm maple syrup. Serves 6-8.
Farmer's Breakfast Casserole
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, 24 oz. bag
3/4 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Ham, or Canadian-style bacon, diced
1/2 cup Green onions, sliced
4 Eggs, beaten
12 oz Evaporated milk, canned
1/8-teaspoon salt
Make Ahead (day before)
Grease a 2-quart square-baking dish. Spread the potatoes evenly in the bottom of
the dish. Sprinkle with cheeses, ham, salsa and green onions. Combine the eggs,
milk, pepper, and salt and pour over the potato mixture in dish. Cover and
refrigerate. To serve, bake, uncovered at 350°F for 40 to 45 or until knife inserted in
center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Optional, add extra
shredded cheese to the top during the last 15 minutes of baking. Serves 6.
About the Author:
Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer and the publisher of The Heart of New
England, a free weekly online magazine. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter and
get a New England recipe every week! Click here.
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