MAKE-AHEAD CHRISTMAS MORNING
We've got sweet AND savory options for a stress-free breakfast by the tree!
Christmas day is just around the corner, and you’ve probably got your traditional holiday dinner in order, but maybe not Christmas morning? We’ve got you. Subscribe below, if you haven’t already. FALALALALA and all that!
WHAT’S 4 DINNER: BREAKFAST!
TWO MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST BAKES FOR A STRESS-FREE CHRISTMAS MORNING
AU: Nobody wants a big production on Christmas morning… chances are you were up all night wielding an Allen wrench to help Santa put together that adorable-yet-suprisingly-intricate toddler kitchen set, leaving a full night’s sleep last on Santa’s list.
EK: Isn’t that the truth…and it’s also a morning to savor, and that means it should be easy! This year, make life easy on yourself and make 2 strata or casseroles the night before and all you have to do is pour the juice, make the coffee and bake the casseroles.
My sweet stuffed strata is made with cinnamon raisin bread and is “stuffed” with sautéed apples and dried cherries. I love adding a layer of fruit between the bread and custard layers because it’s breaks up the l bread. If this recipe seems like bread pudding for breakfast, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. :)
And, if you are a fan of eggnog, I highly recommend subbing the milk for eggnog!
AU: That sounds incredible! My savory Hash Brown Breakfast Bake uses (thawed) frozen hash browns, instead of bread, and it’s packed with country-style breakfast sausage, onions, peppers, green chilies and cheese. It’s my take on what a proper Texas lady with a perfectly-teased coif would drop off at a friend’s house for Christmas before running to Neiman’s. Now where’s the hairspray? The higher the hair…
ELIZABETH’S SWEET STUFFED FRENCH TOAST STRATA
EK: Dessert First so to speak…this is so easy to make but eats like you spent all morning/day making it! Traditionally, these breakfast casseroles are baked in a 9 x 13 style pan, but I love baking the stuffed French toast in a round enameled cast-iron gratin dish or a large round baking dish. It needs to be at least 3 quarts and not larger that 4 quarts and any shape will work.
The first thing that I do is spread the bread out on a sheet pan to let it get “stale." Then I stack it and cube it. You don’t have to be too precise, I usually cut each stack 4 times lengthwise and 4 times crosswise to get my cubes.
Next, I sauté the apples and let them cook for a few minutes with the lid on the pan to steam a little—you don’t want to overcook them. Once they are beginning to get soft, I add the dried cherries and let them plump in the apple juices. You could do this step a couple of days in advance.
Assembly is next, a layer of bread cubes, the fruit filling, another layer of bread cubes and then the liquid custard is poured over the whole thing. The secret to this strata is letting it sit overnight in the refrigerator so it can absorb all the custard. Then, bake and enjoy!
STUFFED FRENCH TOAST STRATA
This sweet strata is like a big stuffed French toast casserole. I layer cinnamon raisin bread with sautéed apples and dried cherries but you can use any of your favorite fruit like pears, blueberries, and peaches in the summertime. If you use dried fruit, make sure to plump it up in hot water or other liquid before using.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of (stale)* cinnamon raisin-bread, cut into cubes
8 ounce package cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
8 eggs
2 cups half and half
½ cup milk—if you like eggnog, you can substitute eggnog for the milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon grated cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Zest of a lemon
Fruit Filling:
3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced and sauteed in butter with a touch of cinnamon and sugar until soft
1 generous cup dried cherries
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a 3-4 quart casserole pan with butter—you can use a 9x12” Pyrex as well.
Cut bread into cubes and set aside. *Chances are your bread is fresh, you can make it “stale” by setting it out uncovered for a couple of hours before you make the strata.
In a small heavy-duty saucepan with a lid, sauté apples in 1-2 tablespoons of butter, add a tablespoon of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir to mix and put the lid on the pan for about 2 minutes or until the apples start to soften and release some of their juices. Add the dried cherries and stir. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on so the cherries re-hydrate, a.k.a. get plump. Set aside.
To Assemble: In the prepared pan, place half of the bread cubes. Top with the sauteed apples and dried cherries and then the remaining bread cubes. Set aside.
With a blender, puree the cream cheese, eggs, milk, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest until well combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over bread and fruit. Using a spatula, slightly press layers down to moisten all the bread. I also poke small spoon in between the layers to make sure all the bread on the bottom is covered. Pour as much liquid as will fit—this is the custard and the more, the better. You may have a little left over depending on the size of your casserole dish. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove plastic wrap and bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 60-70 minutes or until the center appears to be set and the top is golden. Since every oven bakes a little differently, set a timer for 35-40 minutes so you can see how it is baking. If you stick a knife in the center, it should come out dry and clean. If you have a streak of liquid on the knife, then it isn’t done yet. It will also puff up and be taller than the baking dish. Remember, the deeper your dish, the longer it will take to bake.
Let stand for 10 minutes. Note: This is very important as it need to cool down and set up a little before digging in! Pour maple syrup over top and serve.
ANTHONY’S SAVORY HASH BROWN BREAKFAST BAKE
AU: Like Elizabeth’s breakfast casserole, it can be made in advance, so there’s no heavy lifting on Christmas morning… but here’s a bonus: there’s no bread, so you don’t have to soak this one overnight.
AU: Brown the sausage, sauté the veg and let them cool (this is very important) before assembling in a greased casserole dish. Then just let the whole thing hang out in the fridge ‘til you’re ready to bake it on Christmas morning!
ANTHONY’S SAVORY HASH BROWN BREAKFAST BAKE
This casserole reminds me of a classic Southern recipe you’d find in an old Junior League cookbook, and is very much something that our neighbors would bring over as a Christmas surprise. Leaning on frozen shredded hash browns, instead of bread… the key to success is making sure you really let the casserole “rest” before slicing into it. If you want to gild the lily, it would be great with a side of warm biscuits, waffles, or toast.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 pound bulk hot pork breakfast sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
10 eggs
1 cup half-n-half or whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (30 oz) bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
1/4 cup sliced scallions or chives for garnish
Kosher salt & Black Pepper
METHOD
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook sausage until no longer pink, 5-8 minutes. Remove cooked sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon, and drain off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan (alternatively, if there’s not enough fat, add olive oil to equal about 2 tbsp. of total fat in the pan).
Add diced onion and red bell pepper to pan and sauté until the onions become translucent and begin to brown at the edges. This is also the time to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and lift off any fond from browning the sausage. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add drained green chiles, return sausage to the pan, and season with the mixture with kosher salt and black pepper, to taste. Let the entire mixture cool to room temperature before assembling the casserole.
Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Squeeze thawed hash browns to ensure most liquid has been expelled. Scatter hash browns evenly on bottom of casserole dish. Mix 1 cup of shredded cheese with the cooled sausage-and-vegetable mixture, and spread evenly over hash browns.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, half-n-half/milk, Dijon mustard, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper with a whisk. Pour mixture over baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake: Heat oven to 350°F. Remove dish from refrigerator while oven preheats. Uncover casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 55 - 65 minutes at 350°F or until center is just set. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the eggs to fully set. Garnish with sliced scallions or chives, if desired.
SANTA’S SPIRITED COFFEE BAR
DRINKS: DIY Boozy Coffee Bar What could be more fun than a DIY Coffee Bar?! Coffee with an Extra Shot of boozy cold-brew spirits or Irish Cream (think Baileys) or my favorite newcomer, Five Farms Irish Cream from County Cork. It’s a fun and unexpected addition to any coffee occasion! You can read more about how Elizabeth does it here.
NEW PRODUCT ALERT! ELIZABETH’S BAMBOOZLE HOME COLLAB
EK: Those who know me, know that I love cool tools, gadgets and kitchen equipment of all kinds. I’ve been making tools that solve problems that home cooks have for more than 15 years. I recently teamed up with Bamboozle Home, some of you may know them from their bowls and counter-top composter all made from sustainable bamboo. We got together last year and created a Prep ‘N Serve set that I’ve wanted for myself for many years. It’s a colorful set of trays and bowls that nest for easy storage, and can be used for both mise en place and serving.
EK: It’s particularly useful for transporting food to and from the grill, and in Anthony’s case, for making those fabulous backyard pizzas when you have to have all your ingredients ready to go ASAP. For a limited time, subscribers to #Whats4dinner can get a 20% discount by using this code Whats4PrepOffer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed designing it! And, if you buy one, let me know what you think and what you’d like to see us add to the collection!
AU: Wishing you a very, very Merry Christmas! We’ll have some fun New Year’s Eve/Day ideas for you next week!
EK: Here’s to the Holidays! Thank you all for joining Anthony and me as we cook together, from coast to coast! We can’t wait to share more with you next week and in the new year! And, let us know what kind of things you’d like to see us do—we love special requests! Happy Merry everyone!! Cheers!