I should be further along in this plan, but I am right now making plans for our Christmas Day brunch. The only food for certain that I'll make is an almond-filled pastry that I make every year. Otherwise I have no plans.
So what do you usually do for Christmas Day breakfast or brunch? If you used to make a big breakfast or brunch, what did you do then? Does anyone have a make-ahead recipe for a breakfast casserole? Two of us go light on bread products and other starches. Any suggestions for low-carb breakfast dishes? Will you serve any fresh fruit? Who here uses their crockpots to do overnight breakfast dishes?
Even if you can't offer suggestions that would meet my needs, I do want to hear what you all are planning or have often done in the past for Christmas breakfast or brunch. Don't we all like to hear what others have on their holiday menus?
I can't wait to read your breakfast and brunch menus.
My sons come over on Christmas morning, and we exchange gifts. Sometimes we have a breakfast casserole with eggs, hash browns, sausage, and cheese. The sausage can be cooked ahead, and everything else is put into a casserole and baked until the eggs are done in the morning. But usually, it's something simple like cereal. Occasionally, we'll have pastry. But breakfast/brunch is not a big deal.
ReplyDeleteAfter we exchange presents, everyone starts working on the dishes we'll be taking to my FIL's house, where we'll be celebrating with my husband's family. Each of us makes a couple of things for dinner there. We do what we can ahead, but not everything can be done that way. Among other things, we usually sign up to bring appetizers, so we know we won't starve until the meal is served around 3 or 4. We do easy things like chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, veggies and dips, and fruit like grapes and Clementines. Over the years, we've learned not to let the people who always show up late volunteer for the appetizers. :)
Our Christmas day would look different if we didn't go anywhere, but we have been going to my husband's house for Christmas for decades.
Hi Live and Learn,
DeleteThat's really nice that your family has this long-standing tradition with your husband's family. And I love that you bring the appetizers. No chance you'll have rumbling tummies waiting for the main dinner that way. Thanks for sharing what you do.
Every Christmas I make my grandmother's recipe for homemade donuts and then fry them and kids frost with thick homemade white frosting, chocolate frosting or glaze. We also have sausages (a rare treat) and whatever fruit was on sale. This year it's looking like fresh pineapple as our discount store had them $1 each. This breakfast has been a tradition for almost 24 years! One of the best parts of Christmas morning is that donut breakfast together. As I have so many kids allergic to eggs I don't make breakfast casserole but I hope you find an excellent one to try. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda,
DeleteThat's such a lovely tradition to make your grandmother's donuts every year. You're making memories for your children to take with them into their own families some day.
Mmmm, fresh pineapple sounds delicious. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas together.
I have typically made cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast, but I'm not sure I can pull it off this year. I may purchase some. My son will be arriving home on Christmas eve, and I'm hosting a family open house that afternoon, so I won't have much time to pull anything else together. I find that I'm starting to choose simplicity more than I did in the past.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to a recipe that I have made in the past: https://therecipewell.com/cottage-cheese-egg-bake/#recipe Mine calls for flour, but this one doesn't, which I think might be better for your needs. I hope that this is helpful!
Hi Kris,
DeleteWhat's the menu for your family open house this year? Have you done that as a Christmas Eve dinner in the past?
Good luck figuring out what to do about the cinnamon rolls.
Thank you for the recipe link. I'll check that out!
I'm doing a charcuterie-ish open house--cheese, salami, crackers, probably a veggie tray and maybe a fruit tray, maybe some cookies. All finger foods. We've done a variety of things for a meal in the evening, but that isn't working out for us this year. I don't have the bandwidth to pull off a meal, so I'm choosing the easy peasy option.
DeleteI forgot that you can't have cottage cheese. Oops.
Back in the day when I could eat anything, we would have Pillsbury orange rolls and homemade fruit salad for breakfast, in anticipation of children seeing what Santa brought, and a big dinner in the afternoon. Then snacky things/sandwiches with leftover meats for anyone who was hungry again later.
ReplyDeleteNow, it's just the 2 of us and we'll likely have our everyday breakfast of hard boiled eggs, baby carrots, Canadian bacon, and oatmeal/overnight oats with blueberries. Grown children determine the way the rest of the day goes.
Jo
Hi Jo,
DeleteI remember Pillsbury Orange Rolls. Do they still make those? When I was in middle school and took Home Ec, one of the recipes we made were scratch orange rolls. Yum, they were so good.
Actually, your everyday breakfast with you husband sounds pretty good to me. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with your family, Jo.
A dish that comes to mind for you is Ham and Bananas Hollandaise. I tried it for the first time when living in South Africa as a foreign exchange student in the seventies. It's basically a slice of deli ham wrapped around a banana (secured with toothpicks) and you place them in a greased dish and pour the hollandaise (or cheese sauce) on top and bake. I see some retro recipes for this dish online, one source being McCalls's 1873 Great American Recipe card collection. I guess it was a crowd pleaser here and abroad!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this before. Ham and Bananas sound interesting. I can see how those flavors would go together. Wow, you were an exchange student in SA! That sounds like an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing that recipe idea.
DeleteOops 1973!
ReplyDeleteMy family likes those ham-Swiss sliders at breakfast. I make them up ahead and freeze them. I make the topping and freeze as well, all steps that make it easy. Just thaw and heat that morning. I usually make some sort of egg based breakfast casserole or a crustless quiche that I also can make ahead. And yes, fruit to go with it.
ReplyDeleteWe will be leaving to go to my mother’s later Christmas Day. We always have ham. I’m taking sides that I can make ahead-restuffed potatoes, green beans and maybe either a pineapple casserole or fresh pineapple. I may make a pie and will take cookies. I’ve got to get busy!
Hi Lynn,
DeleteI've never made those sliders, but I see them everywhere online. They look tasty and easy. A crustless quiche sounds like a possibility for us. Thank you for your suggestions.
Will all 4 generations be together at your mother's on Christmas? It sounds like you have some great dishes to bring (and very portable). Wishing you a lovely Christmas with family, Lynn.
Forgot to mention: Occasionally, I make an overnight French Toast casserole. Not low carb, but pretty tasty and a favorite of my daughter’s. I’ve read of an Eggs Benedict casserole that I would like to try at some point-maybe New Year’s breakfast with leftover ham!
ReplyDeleteHi again, Lynn. I used to do overnight French toast that was pretty popular with my family. Yum, an Eggs Benedict casserole sounds delicious.
DeleteI'm also careful with breads/starches, especially because gluten-free versions often have less fiber than wheat-based versions and I eat a moderate-carb diet in general. But!!! For Christmas, I usually make gluten-free cinnamon rolls because it's Christmas. However, I will most likely have a protein shake before having my cinnamon roll just so as not to send my blood glucose on a wild roller coaster ride. Christmas dinner later will be more balanced so I don't worry too much about this treat on Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteHi Cat,
DeleteI'm glad you'll be making yourself some cinnamon rolls that you can eat. I hadn't thought about the less fiber in GF versions. Enjoy your cinnamon roll on Christmas, Cat!