Holiday Brunch

[amccomb]

Every year, I make a big brunch on the morning after Thanksgiving and on Christmas morning.

Normally, I make an egg dish some sort, potatoes of some sort, something sweet...sometimes a fruit salad or scones, and always biscuits and gravy.

I prefer things I can make ahead, so I tend to do strata-type dishes for the egg dish and things like coffee cake, sweet potato cinnamon rolls, or bread pudding for the sweets. For the potatoes, I've done different hashes and potatoes roasted in duck fat (which I think I'll do ahead this year).

Does anyone have any festive, delicious, impressive ideas that are easy to do or make ahead? What about drink ideas beyond coffee, cocoa, and OJ? We've done mimosas and bloody marys, too. Yum!

[Ling]

I would do the Pichet Ong pate choux recipe (they can be baked, then frozen until needed) with some sort of smoked fish/cream cheese filling. Or turn them into gourgeres and stuff with any number of items.

At a recent party, a local Egulleter made his own brioche, then wrapped it around really nice sausages (from Oyama in Vancouver) as an upscale take on sausage rolls. It was delicious! You can serve those with a variety of chutneys and mustards.

[rjwong]

Mulled cider in a crockpot.

I think you can make crepes ahead of time, freeze them and when you're ready, warm them up and improvise ...

[amccomb]

I like both ideas!

However, I know my friends and family are not fish fans. What else could I stuff the pate choux with?

Any ideas for the crepes?

What about for a "dessert" that doesn't require individual attention like crepes might?

[chezcherie]

for the pate choux--sauteed mushrooms, bound with mascarpone, cream cheese or creme fraiche.

for the crepes, stack and fill between layers with dulce de leche...do ahead, no individual attendtion required!

[Curlz]

I made a terrific strata for T-Day breakfast this year...my own variation on a Cooking Light recipe. Trust me, it didn't taste light! I used italian bread, a mix of portabello and button mushrooms w/a little thyme butter + olive oil, chicken apple sausage, and shredded gruyere. The family is still talking about it...

If you'd like the exact recipe, PM me--not sure it's 'legal' for RecipeGullet since it's based on a CL recipe.