Are you doing both breakfast and lunch items?

I do walnut stuffed french toast, bacon, sausage casserole, Spanish tortilla, raw fruit with pina colada dip, homemade cinnamon rolls, a ham, and muffins.

Well, it depends on how many you are expecting, their ages and food preferences and what other obligations you will have that morning.
I have served everything from eggs Benedict with a gooey pecan roll, to egg strata with ham and cloverleaf rolls and a sice of cinnamon sugar monkey bread.
For a big mob I make a scrambled egg casserole I call Italian eggs, because the person who gave it to me called it that.
Linda C

With our large family & crazy work schedules we've always done a brunch type meal for our Christmas celebration-- better probably to call it an all day browse & gab fest with a gift exchange. All ages from 2 mns to 67 yrs-- about 40 all told.

Menu varies as everyone contributes a dish but we ALWAYS have way too much food; ALWAYS have roasted fresh Polish sausage, a smoked or deep fried turkey, some type of breakfast casserole, fruit cup,several kinds of pastry-tarts-scones and Irish Coffee & Christmas cookies.

Thanks for your responses. It for a group of 6, ages 18 and up. I'm not much of a cook and will have the group staying in my house so would like to keep it simple...or perhaps something I can make ahead of time so I don't have to spend the whole morning in the kitchen. Sheshebop, can you tell me more about the french toast casserole - sounds interesting.

I like to do a couple of kinds of crepes, one fruity, one savory. Crepes are easily made ahead and filled that morning and kept warm in a chafing dish. Breakfast casseroles are good, assemble the night before, bake in the morning. I have one my MIL gave me with bread, pepper cheese, milk, eggs. I can find it if you like. A frittata is nice, too. Sausages and ham. Some kind of muffin or two. Fresh fruit salad with sour cream/orange dressing on the side. Several juices. Now I'm hungry for brunch!

here are a couple of tried and true recipes from friends of the forum covering both sweet and savory--

Nutty French Toast -- Krasna
Serves 6
12 thick slices of French bread
8 whole jumbo eggs
2 cups whole sweet milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons dark corn syrup or pure maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Place bread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Combine softened butter, brown sugar, and syrup. Spread over bread. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. You may cover with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent browning, or leave it if you like a nice crisp French toast.

COMPANY BRUNCH (serves 8) Ginger
5 sourdough English muffins, split
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked, drained & crumbled
12 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped green onions w/tops
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Arrange the muffins in a buttered 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle w/the Cheddar, Swiss cheese & sausage. Beat the eggs, milk, parsley & green onions in a bowl until mixed. Pour over the prepared layers. Chill, covered w/foil for 8-10 hours. Sprinkle w/the mushrooms. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.~~ NOTE: May substitute crisp-fried bacon or chopped ham for the sausage.~~

and i didn't expect to love this but now i know why it's an annual tradition in woodie's house--it's wonderful stuff!

CHRISTMAS POTATOES
 Â
2 pound package hash brown potato cubes, thaw, drain and pat dry
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (10-12 ounce package)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pint (16 ounces) sour cream
 Combine all ingredients in large bowl and put into greased casserole dish 9 x 13 inches (approximately).
 1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups crushed cornflakes
 Combine and sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
 woodie

i love barnmom's idea too--crepes are great! i was going to a breakfast pot luck last year and took a batch out of the freezer. the night before i had mixed together a 1# can of drained homogenized crab with some very finely chopped onion and a bit of oil and vinegar and salt and pepper and put that in a plastic container, and some butter/wine/lemon sauce in another. roasted some asparagus spears while the sauce was reheating and put some crab filling onto a crepe, added the asparagus, secured with a toothpick and put them onto a cookie sheet in the oven just long enough to take the chill off of them and topped with the sauce.

a platter of bright red berries would be pretty! debbie posted this recipe awhile back and i mixed the filling the day before i needed it and put it into a sandwich bag. i don't have a pastry bag so i just cut the tip off to use to fill the berries. she posted a pic and hers were much prettier than mine but they were GOOD!

Filled Strawberries (debbie 814)
6 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (I used a bit more)
12 strawberries
Whip 6 ounces room-temperature cream cheese on medium speed until slightly fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Trim tops and bottoms of 12 strawberries to level. Use a small melon baller to scoop out tops. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip with cream cheese mixture; pipe into berries until it brims over tops. Toast 1/4 cup sliced almonds in a 350°oven until golden-brown, 3 to 6 minutes; arrange slices over filling.
(recipe from Martha Stewart)

Since you said you're not really into cooking, here's a brunch dish that is so simple and absolutely never-fail. It's always a big hit, especially with guys.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Roll out a package of refrigerated crescent roll dough into a large rectangle. Place dough in dish, pressing gently with your fingers to seal perforations and spread dough so that it completely covers bottom of pan.

Cook 1 lb. bulk pork sausage until thoroughly browned, using a metal spatula to break it up. (You definitely want it 'crumbled' instead of in large chunks.) Drain excess grease, and then spread sausage evenly over dough.

Grate 2 cups Cheddar cheese; sprinkle evenly on top of sausage. (Use medium or sharp -- whatever y'all prefer.)

Beat 4 large eggs lightly by hand. Add 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 tsp. salt and a light sprinkling of pepper, to taste. Beat egg mixture well; pour evenly over cheese layer.

Bake, uncovered, for 18 minutes, of until 'set' in center. (In my oven, the suggested time is spot on. If you find it's still a little jiggly, keep in mind that 425 is a pretty high temp to cook eggs, so don't leave it more than an extra minute or two!)

Allow dish to sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

I forgot to say that this is much better when made with 'hot' sausage instead of 'mild'. Since you're not serving young children, it definitely shouldn't be too spicy for anyone -- just adds lots more flavor.

Haven't ever made it in advance, so I'm not sure if it would get soggy if refrigerated overnight. However, you could cook the sausage and grate the cheese the day before and that would make assembly a snap on Christmas morning. Just be sure to layer ingredients in the order listed or it won't taste quite as good for some strange reason.

sm

This is very good and can be made the day before. But I have no one listed as a credit for the recipe. I usually put the person's name in ()s in the title and when I got my new computer a few months ago and things were transferred somehow I lost all the info in ()s.

CrÃme Brulee French Toast

1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbl Corn Syrup
1 8-10 inch round country loaf or French bread or 1 Challah
5 eggs
1 1/2 Cup half and half
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 Tsp salt

1. Melt butter, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over moderate heat. Pour into 9 X 13 pan.~
2. Slice bread into 6 slices and place on top of the sauce in the 9 X 13 pan, press together to fit.
3. Whisk together eggs, half and half, Vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt.
JPour over bread.
4. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, until puffy and brown

Michelle

I just found this thread while looking for something else. I love brunch food! I'll be doing Christmas brunch and New Year's brunch so I'm looking for new recipes too.

Here's an easy favorite of my family.....................

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

2 lbs. package frozen Hash Brown potatoes, thawed
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onions
1 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage (breakfast or Italian style - I use Italian) or cooked bacon or ham
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 -10 eggs
3 cups milk
S & P to taste

Spray 9 X 13 dish with cooking spray. Mix potatoes and onions, salt and pepper together and place in pan. Then spread sausage on top, then cheese. Beat eggs and milk (S & P) together and pour over other ingredients in pan, cover and set in refrigerator overnight.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350*.

This is another real easy and good recipe from Chase/Sharon.

Sharon's Eggs

I made the neatest eggs for breakfast on Saturday. I got this recipe/idea from Canadian Living and would highly recommend it anytime you are trying to put a hot breakfast on for a large group. So simple.....

Spray a muffin tin (deep one works best) with cooking spray.

Warm the required number of small flour tortillas in the microwave or oven(optional - I skipped the pre-warming). Gently press a tortilla into each of the muffin "spots".

Crack an egg into each one. Sprinkle with chopped peppers, or green onions or sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with salsa on the side. I made 12 of these in one tin and they were great. This would be a great breakfast dish when you have a houseful of company.

I've made this before. So good! From Fine Cooking

Chocolate French Toast

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 ounce (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6-8 1-inch-thick slices of challah bread (stale is fine)
2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish (optional)
Fresh raspberries, strawberries, or sliced bananas, for garnish (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended and no cocoa lumps remain. Pour in about half of the milk and whisk until the mixture is a lump-free paste. Add the remaining milk, the eggs, and the vanilla. Whisk until well blended.

Arrange the bread in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish (or similar vessel) and pour the cocoa mixture over the bread. Turn the bread once to get both sides nicely coated. Poke each bread slice repeatedly with the tines of a fork to encourage the bread to absorb the batter. Let soak, turning every 10 minutes, until the bread is well saturated, 20 to 30 minutes.

Set a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter and spread to cover the pan. (If using a skillet, you'll need to cook the French toast in two batches, using 2 tablespoons butter for each batch.) Using your fingers and a large rubber spatula, carefully transfer the bread slices, one at a time, from the batter to the griddle. Cook until the underside looks browned and lightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. (Reduce the temperature if the slices are browning too fast) Flip and continue cooking until the slices are slightly puffed in the
center and are bouncy to the touch, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the French toast to plates and serve immediately, dusted with confectioners' sugar and fruit, if you like.

Brunches can be very low effort especially if you have access to a good bakery.

Either

A breakfast casserole of some type. We love Woodie's Overnight Breakfast Casserole. Covers all bases, eggs, meat and potatoes. The Creme Brulee French Toast is delicious and is made the night before too. With that I would serve sausages or ham.

Or

I do an egg dish of some sort. The one Woodie posted above works great for a crowd and doesn't tie you up making it. A frittata is another good choice. Again I would serve sliced cooked ham or sausages. Ham's easier, Canadian bacon is better, if you can find it.

Along with that I would serve:

Selection of fruits
Selection of breakfast breads like croissants and bagels
Selection of Muffins or Banana Bread, Date bread etc
Smoked salmon
Cream Cheese
Granola
Selection of juices
Coffee and tea.

Enjoy and please stop by and tell us how it went!

By the way Michelle, credit for the Creme Brulee French Toast goes to Woodie, at least in my records it does!