Each holiday season, hours are spent toiling away in the kitchen to make the perfect dinner. This year, how about giving the day’s other meals their due?
Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean more hours in the kitchen.
Enter the time-saving beauty of make-ahead brunch. You won’t have to roll out of bed hours earlier in the morning, bleary-eyed and grumbling about your preference for sleep (if you’re anything like us). This meal can be put together the day – or even two, for some – beforehand and then popped into the oven when you and your family are ready to enjoy.
Whether you’re partial to salty or sugary, here are our top picks for delicious meals that won’t mess up your mornings.
SAVORY:
Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding with Sausage and Gruyère
Recipe from Soup Addict
Yield: 6 servings
What you need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 medium/large fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 links sweet Italian sausage, skin removed and crumbled
3 leeks, chopped and separated with white and light green parts only
8 ounces mushroom mix (cremini, shiitake, oyster, porcini)
3 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
6 cups cubed country bread (1-inch pieces)
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1 loosely packed cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
What you do:
1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium until shimmering. Add the chopped sage leaves and saute until just crisp. Spoon them out of the pan (leaving the oil behind) and set aside on a plate.
2. Add the remaining oil, sausage and leeks. Cook until the sausage begins to brown. Add the mushrooms, then cover skillet with a lid or foil.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have given off their liquids, the sausage is browned and the leeks are soft. Season with salt and pepper, give another quick stir, then remove from skillet and set aside to cool almost to room temperature.
4. In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, dairy and a big pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in the bread cubes until completely coated, followed by the mostly cooled mushroom mixture and the cheese.
5. Transfer to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the fried sage leaves over the top, cover the dish with foil and refrigerate until needed.
6. When ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the edges are set (the center will still be a bit wobbly) for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes more. Serve warm.
SAVORY:
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Souffle Casserole
Recipe from FoodieCrush
Yield: 8-10 servings
What you need:
1 1/2 loaves white bread
2 pounds ground ham
1 pound medium cheddar cheese, grated
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon parsley
OPTION: Add thinly-sliced green bell peppers for a veggie boost!
What you do:
1. Prepare 9-by-13-inch pan with softened butter. Tear slices of bread into 1-inch pieces and cover bottom of pan with bread, fitting tightly.
2. Layer half of the ground ham over bread, then layer half of the cheese over the ham.
3. Add another layer of bread slices, then ham and then cheese. Finish with a final layer of bread.
4. In a 1-quart measuring cup, mix together eggs and milk. In a small bowl, take 1 tablespoon of egg-and-milk mixture and mix in mustard until smooth. Add into quart measuring cup and mix well.
5. Add parsley and pour over casserole, evenly distributing wet ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes, or until eggs are set. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
SWEET:
Baked Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast
Recipe from Damn Delicious
Yield: 8 servings
What you need
For the toast:
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-count) package King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls, cubed
For the crumb topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
For the cream cheese filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
What you do:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Set aside.
2. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.
3. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Pour half of the pumpkin puree mixture evenly over the top.
4. Spread cream cheese filling in an even layer. Top with remaining bread cubes and pumpkin puree mixture to completely cover the filling.
5. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. To make the crumb topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
8. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread cubes, then place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Serve immediately, sprinkled with pecans and confectioners sugar, if desired.
SWEET:
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Buns Recipe from The Kitchn
Yield: 10 servings
What you need
For the buns:
2/3 cups whole milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the bowl
1 large egg
1/2 cup sweet potato purée, from 1 roasted sweet potato
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface, if necessary
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
3-5 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
What you do:
1. To prepare the dough, in a small pot, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. Watch closely to ensure that the milk doesn’t boil over.
2. Remove from the heat and add the butter to the pot to melt. Add the mixture to a small bowl and let it cool to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. (It should be warm to the touch, but not too hot.) Add the egg and sweet potato purée and stir to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a buttered bowl, cover it, and leave it in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
5. To prepare the filling, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
6. Butter a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 12-by 11-inch rectangle. Spread the 3 tablespoons of butter evenly over the surface and sprinkle with the reserved filling.
7. Tightly roll up the dough and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife, cut the roll crosswise into 10 equal pieces. Set them in the pan with the topping, spirals facing upward. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let them rest until the dough has almost doubled again, about 1 hour to 90 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown and puffed and a thermometer inserted into the center reads 185 degrees Fahrenheit, about 20-25 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt together until smooth. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is the desired consistency.
10. Let buns cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then frost. Let cool slightly before eating.
Cook’s Note:
If you’d like warm buns for breakfast, follow the recipe through the first rise, then fill and shape the buns. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, a few hours before you plan to eat, let the chilled buns come to room temperature and double.