Christmas Brunch ideas needed!

[trodman]

I'm having a Christmas brunch with 4 other girlfriends on Sunday, Dec. 5th and was wondering if anyone had any great meal ideas? Or if you have any favorite dishes that would work for brunch?

Thanks!
Tracie

[KelLeg]

One thing that I love and I bet a bunch of ladies would love is Monkey Bread. It is a little bit time consuming, so you could do make-ahead cinnamon rolls. There are lots of great CL recipes.

Besides that, I would do some type of egg casserole. There are lots of these two. Do a search and you will find people's favorites. Then, I would add a fruit salad and maybe some type of veggie--either salad, or asparagus or green beans.

Good luck.

[Chocolate Rose]

Our traditional Christmas brunch is an egg/sausage casserole, hash browns, Orange Blossoms (Mimosas), muffins or bread, and maybe fruit.

There are so many ways you could go with a brunch. Do you want to stick with breakfasy type food or maybe a salad or ...?

[valchemist]

I made this last year and it was a huge hit, so I will make it again this year.

SMOKED SALMON AND POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Hot-smoked fully cooked salmon is flaky in texture and fragrant with alder smoke. This dish can be completely assembled and chilled one day before baking.

2 cups (lightly packed) 1/2-inch cubes French baguette with crusts
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 pound hot-smoked salmon fillets, skinned, flaked into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill

4 large eggs
1 cup half and half
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Additional sour cream
Capers
Fresh dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bread on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 5 minutes, then cool.

Butter 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add potatoes. Stir to coat and arrange in single layer. Cover and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to medium-high, and cook until potatoes are lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently mix in bread, salmon, chives, and minced dill. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend well. Pour custard over potato mixture in dish. Let stand 15 minutes, occasionally pressing bread into custard. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole, uncovered, until custard is set, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and top with additional sour cream, capers, and dill sprigs; serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.


Bon Appétit
December 2002

[Kiwismommy]

I'm not exactly sure where I got this recipe from but it always receives rave reviews. I will admit that it really doesn't fall into the category of "Heart-healthy", but in moderation it works. I also make this up a day ahead without any problem. Serve this with a fresh fruit cocktail, freshly squeezed Orange Juice, toasted whole wheat bread, or bagels and some homemade Strawberry Jam.....yum!

BACON ‘N’ EGG LASAGNA (12 Servings)

1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ to 1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
4 cups milk
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
12 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
2 cups (8oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels reserving 1/3 cup of the drippings. In the drippings, sauté onion until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Spread ½ cup sauce in a greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Layer with four noodles, a third of the eggs and bacon, Swiss cheese and white sauce. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

[MISSINDI]

I'm having a pre-Thanksgiving brunch this weekend and posted my menu here:

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66243&highlight=brunch

in addition to my recipe for a Hashbrown Egg Bake. Hope this helps!