Breakfast, brunch dishes for bustling holiday morning

By Susan McClanahan

When families gather together on Christmas morning to open gifts, it is so nice to have the casseroles baking in the oven. After gifts are opened, the breakfast or brunch casseroles are ready to be served.

I always have made a big breakfast for Christmas Eve, and our family enjoys a calm and relaxing meal together. Then the four of us sit down together and our children open and read all of our Christmas cards. As the cards come in the mail, it is hard to resist opening and reading them, but I love our time together as we read them together as a family and look at the pictures and talk about each family represented in each greeting card.

Today, I am sharing a few breakfast- or brunch-casserole ideas for you to use over the holiday season. This is only a start, as there are endless possibilities when it comes to breakfast casseroles.

I hope these recipes add much joy to your Christmas morning traditions.

Croissant and Salmon Breakfast Casserole

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 croissants, split, tops set aside and bottoms torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk until frothy and thoroughly blended.

Place the torn pieces of croissant bottom into a 9 x 13-inch nonstick baking dish in an even layer. Top the croissant pieces with the cooked onions and garlic in a layer, followed by layers of green onions, smoked salmon, Monterey Jack cheese, Swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese and dill. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Arrange the tops of the croissants over the casserole, pressing them down into the egg mixture to moisten.

Bake the casserole in the preheated oven until the croissant tops are browned and the eggs are set, about 50 minutes. Serve hot.

Bacon and Mushroom Hash Brown Breakfast

This tasty breakfast casserole takes just 30 minutes to assemble, then chills overnight and is baked the next day.

• 1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1 package (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup milk
• 12 eggs
• 1 package (2 lb) frozen hash browns, thawed
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Using slotted spoon, remove from pan to small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan. Add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms; cook 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, salt and pepper. In large bowl, beat milk and eggs with wire whisk.

Spray a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of hash browns in baking dish. Spread onion mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Spread remaining hash browns over top. Pour egg mixture on top. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover; bake 50 to 60 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center reads 160 degrees. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and the bacon. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, top is puffed and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes to set before serving.

Cranberry-Orange Nut Pancakes

• 2 cups biscuit baking mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Butter

In a large bowl, combine biscuit baking mix, milk, eggs and sugar. Stir in dried cranberries, pecans and orange zest; mix until well combined. Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter on griddle. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto hot griddle. Cook until pancakes begin to bubble and edges begin to set. Flip pancakes and cook 1 to 2 more minutes, or until golden, adding more butter as necessary.

Bacon and Cheese French Toast Bake

French toast doesn't have to be sweet! Savory flavors like cheese and bacon make a delicious pairing in this make-ahead French toast bake. This recipe calls for canned French bread that you bake. You could certainly use already baked bread from the bakery.

• 2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated crusty French loaf
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, crisply cooked, drained
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired

Bake 2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated crusty French loaf as directed on can; cool. Lightly spray 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cut cooled bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place half of the slices in even layer in baking dish.

In medium bowl, beat 8 eggs and 2 cups cold milk with whisk until well blended. Beat in 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle half of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup) over first layer of bread; refrigerate remaining half of cheese. Reserve 2 slices from crisply cooked bacon; arrange remaining cooked bacon slices over cheese in dish. Ladle half of egg mixture over bacon. Top with remaining half of bread slices in even layer. Ladle remaining egg mixture over top, making sure to soak each slice of bread. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, remove baking dish from refrigerator; let stand on counter while heating oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese (1 cup); crumble and sprinkle 2 slices cooked bacon over top. Return to oven; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

• 3/4 pound uncooked sausage
• Optional: 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to give the sausage more flavor
• 2 bell peppers, diced (any color; about 2 cups)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 4 slices day-old bread (whole wheat, white, sourdough, etc)
• 10 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Set a large skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Place sausage in the skillet and begin to break it up with a spatula or fork. Stir in the rosemary and brown the sausage, about 6-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a second skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. (If you have a skillet large enough to fit both the sausage and veggies, you can just add the veggies to the sausage that is browning.) Add the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onion, garlic and a sprinkle each of salt and pepper. Begin stirring and cooking the veggies down until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set sausage and veggies aside.

Generously grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Break the bread into pieces and place in the pan in an even layer.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Pour half of this egg mixture over the bread. Top with the sausage and vegetables, then with the remaining egg mixture and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top.

Cover casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, or up to one day. Allow it to come to room temperature before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the top is golden, edges are crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Serve as is, or with hot sauce. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave to your liking.

Make-ahead tip and freezing instructions: Obviously this is a make-ahead recipe. However, you can brown the sausage and cook down the veggies up to two days in advance; simply put the two in a storage container in the refrigerator until ready to use in the recipe. Also, you can freeze this breakfast casserole. Prepare, then cover the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, then bake as directed.

Notes: The onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese are key to great flavor! Don't leave them out. Instead of sausage, try browning ground turkey, ground beef, ground chicken, shredded chicken or ham instead. Vegetarians: You can leave out the meat. Just an extra cup (or so) of veggies in its place. Also, you can use shredded pepper jack cheese or mozzarella, smoked gouda, Swiss, or cheddar.

Overnight Country Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole

Everything you love about an all-American breakfast; eggs, hash browns and sausage, get packed into an amazing, cheesy casserole the whole family will enjoy on Cristmas morning.

• 1 package (16 ounces) bulk hot pork sausage
• 10 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 bag (20 ounces) refrigerated O'Brien hash browns (about 4 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Spray 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 8-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, Dijon mustard and pepper with whisk until mixed well. Stir in hash browns, 1 cup of the cheese and the cooked sausage. Pour mixture in baking dish; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 12 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dish from refrigerator, uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center is just set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake

This make-ahead French toast is so easy and perfect for brunches, holidays, special events, or just because. Arrange the bread in the pan, make the easy whisk-together liquid, pour it over, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. This recipe can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance before baking. Because bread dryness levels vary, baking times will vary based on how much or little of the liquid your bread soaks up. The French toast is firm and chewy on the outside, with a soft, tender, squishy interior. It stays softer overall than pan-fried French toast. The warming spices provide so much rich, wintery, cozy flavors, and in conjunction with the dark molasses, it's some seriously flavorful French toast.

• 1 long loaf French bread, sliced about 3/4-inch thick, about 24 slices (fresh, one or two-day old is fine)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (half of 1 stick)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (optionally use 3/4 cup if your bread is old or crusty/hard)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light, medium, or dark molasses (not blackstrap, too bitter)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
• Pinch salt, optional and to taste
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
• Ginger molasses maple syrup or regular maple syrup, for serving,

Line an 8 x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.

Add the sliced bread in three rows of about 8 slices per row, slightly overlapping. It will be a tight fit to get three rows in when bread is dry, but softens as it soaks up the liquid and you can rearrange it with ease, if necessary, after time has passed; set pan aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute (or use browned butter). Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don't scramble the eggs or curdle the milk.

Add the next 10 ingredients (salt optional), and whisk to combine. You can use the full amount of spices listed, but if you're more sensitive to spices, reduce them to taste, possibly halving all amounts.

Slowly and evenly pour mixture over the bread, gently separating the slices with your fingers, and pour liquid between the slices. It will seem like a lot, and it is, but most soaks in overnight.

Cover pan with foil to prevent refrigerator smells, and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight (or up to 24 hours) is better. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove pan from refrigerator while oven preheats.

Carefully spoon any pooled liquid at the bottom of the pan over the top of the bread, redistributing it and re-drenching any white patches or dry looking places. Bake for about 20 to 35 minutes, or until done. Baking times will vary greatly based on how much liquid did or didn't soak into the bread, how firm or soft bread was at the start and personal preference for doneness.

Optionally, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with butter and syrup, or your favorite French toast toppings, such as fruit or jam. French toast is best fresh, but extra will keep airtight for up to four days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in the microwave before serving.

Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup

(double or triple the ratios as necessary)

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons light, medium, or dark molasses, or to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste

Combine all syrup ingredients in a small bowl or serving pitcher and whisk until smooth. Warm syrup mixture in microwave for about 30 seconds, if desired. Pour over French toast casserole. Extra syrup will keep airtight in the refrigerator for many months.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

Oatmeal Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular old fashioned oats
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped (made 2 cups raw or 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1 ripe large banana
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Crunchy Pecan Topping:

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add in the peeled and chopped sweet potato. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Give the pot a quick rinse and add in the oats, milk and chia seeds. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

With a potato masher, mash in the cooked sweet potato and the banana into the pot. You may choose to leave some chunks for texture. Now stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg, vanilla and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook on low for another few minutes.

Make the crunchy pecan topping by mixing together the pecans, flour, butter and brown sugar with a fork until clumpy. Pour the oatmeal into a baker dish (4 cup, 8-inch casserole dish) and spread out evenly. Now sprinkle on the pecan topping.

Transfer the oats to a casserole dish (8-inch, 4-cup or whatever you have) and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. After 20 minutes, broil on low for a couple minutes, watching closely so you do not burn the topping. Remove from oven and serve. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Note: You can reheat the oatmeal in the microwave by mixing in a bit of milk. However, it is also good cold, straight from the refrigerator with a splash of milk.

Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole

This quick-to-prepare overnight casserole features French bread soaked in an eggnog custard. In the morning, simply pop it in the oven for a special breakfast perfect for Christmas morning.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups prepared eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Garnish with fresh blueberries and raspberries

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or two 8 x 8-inch baking dishes) with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and maple syrup; continue stirring as mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into prepared baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes over the brown-sugar mixture. Sprinkle bread cubes with cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in the eggnog and vanilla. Evenly pour this custard mixture over the bread cubes. Press down lightly on the bread to make sure it's all coated/soaked. Tightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.

Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and remove foil. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center of casserole is clean (and mostly dry) and top is puffy and golden brown. Serve with fresh blueberries and raspberries sprinkled over the top.

Apple Praline Baked French Toast

This elegant dish, with its soft, cinnamon-laced bread and bright pops of apple, can be prepped the night before, baked off in the morning, and then served upside-down to reveal a beautiful veneer of pecan praline.

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 6 cups cubed egg bread or good quality, soft-crusted white bread (1-inch cubes)
• 3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Coat two 9-inch round (and at least 2 1/2-inches deep) pie pans (or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish) with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugar and brown sugar. Divide butter mixture between prepared pans and tilt so that it evenly coats the bottom of each pan. Arrange pecan halves in an attractive pattern at the bottom of your pans. Cover and refrigerate pans.

Place bread and apple pieces in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture; stir until all bread and apples are coated.

At this point, you may cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before assembling and baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the bread and apple mixture over the pecan-praline layer. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden and puffed. If you used pie pans, allow to rest for 5 minutes before placing onto serving platters.

Note: You may chop the pecans or leave them whole. You may find chopped pecans are easier to cut and eat but whole pecans make for a nicer presentation, so you may choose to use a combination of the two.

Alternative: You can use challah bread for this recipe. About 11 to 12 ounces will give 6 cups of cubed bread. However, any soft-crusted bread, brioche, croissants, a loaf of white French bread, would be wonderful. You may tear the bread instead of cubing it, if that's easier.

Golden Delicious apples bake up softer than Granny Smiths, but feel free to use your favorite cooking apple. For extra decadence, half-and-half or heavy cream may be substituted for milk.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.