It's almost time for the BIG Show..Santa Claus is coming to town!
Santa's arrival brings chaos, especially if you're hosting this year, with houses full of family and crazy kids.
Don't worry..I've got a full day of easy recipes that won't make you lose your mind (at least over the cooking portion).
To the Recipes...
Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole
First off, we're starting with breakfast and brunch recipes. This Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole is new to the blog and so yummy. It's a savory casserole with buttery croissants, sausage, eggs and lots of cheese.
This one takes 15 minutes to prep, then pop it into the oven for 40 minutes. It will feed 6 people easily without any other food, or 8-10 people if you're making more food to pair it with.
The Video
βFor more of my most popular breakfast/brunch recipes, check out these recipes:
βBrioche French Toast Casserole (super popular & tiktok viral with 5 minutes to prep. I don't suggest making it until morning of Christmas.
βBacon Gruyere Egg Bites (Starbucks Copycat recipe & a fantastic way to get everyone eggs at one time)
βEgg Ham Hashbrown Casserole (Great the day after Christmas too with leftover ham)
βCrescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls (For my sweet lovers)
βBroccoli Bacon Quiche (One of my favorites for brunch)
Lunch
On Christmas, we skip lunch because we typically eat a giant breakfast, then move onto dinner about 4 p.m. Between breakfast and dinner, we snack, and it's mostly on these Bacon Cream Cheese Rolls. They're also a fantastic appetizer!
For more of my favorite Christmas Appetizers, check out these:
βSlow Cooker Rotel Dip (great because it's slow cooked and stays warm in the crockpot)
βMini Cocktail Meatballs (these are my most requested appetizer to bring to our Christmas Eve party. They do take a bit of time to make because the meatballs are homemade and small, but they are so good)
βRanch Oyster Crackers (can be prepped a day or two ahead & great for snacking)
βSpinach Artichoke Dip (A classic & pretty easy to prep)
βGarlic Butter Baked Brie (Another classic that looks elegant, but is super easy)
Dinner
Next up is the main event! I don't go as crazy for Christmas dinner as I do for Thanksgiving. There's too much going on during the day and I usually have family over for most of it. Plus, I always host breakfast/brunch. One person can only do so much.
This year, I'm making this Double Smoked Spiral Ham on the Traeger. I love ham for Thanksgiving because it's already cooked, and I love adding it to the smoker to add flavor and get it out of my oven for side dishes.
This ham has a pineapple glaze, which I highly recommend using instead of those weird powdery packets. What even is that? π¬ Even if you're cooking the ham in your oven, you can use this glaze.
For really easy side dishes try these:
βCheesy Potato Hashbrown Casseroleβ
βCreamy Stovetop White Cheddar Mac and Cheeseβ
βCrack Green Beans (in a brown sugar soy sauce)
βHot Honey Brussels Sprouts
βWinter Kale Pomegranate Saladβ
(I'm only making a few of these side dishes *usually potatoes and green beans, and I always make these soft dinner rolls from Sally's Baking Addiction, who is basically the OG of baking food blogs.)
Cocktails & Drinks:
For a really easy drink idea, make this non-alcoholic Christmas punch recipe. It takes 5 minutes and the raspberry sorbet makes it taste so good! You can also serve a bottle of rum, or vodka beside it in case adults (21+) want to add a shot into their glass.
The festive ice cubes are really fun to make with just cranberries, rosemary and oranges. Make them a night before, so they have time to freeze.
For more Christmas cocktails, try these Pomegranate Vodka Cocktails, Apple Cider Martinis or Warm Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktails (you triple or quadruple this one and put it in a crockpot for a cozy vibe).
Dessert
I'm not going to lie to you, dessert is the last of my worries on Christmas. People are sugared out from cookies, fudge and candy from their stockings. I like to have things prepped ahead, like extra cookies, Reindeer Chow, or this hot chocolate dip, just in case anyone needs a sweet. However, I'm not making anything for dessert on Christmas. It ain't happening.
Oh my, that was a long email, haha! I hope everyone has a fabulous Holiday season with friends and family. Remember to take a moment and enjoy the day. It's supposed to be fun, even though we're adults with responsibilities (what a drag) π
I'll be back in your inbox before the New Year with a fun and easy New Year's Eve appetizer.
Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking!
xoxo~Tara with Simply Made Eats
β
β
β