Merry Morning Christmas Brunch Recipes

By Southern Living
Photo: Charles Walton IV; Styling: Buffy Hargett

With these festive Christmas brunch ideas, you can serve up the holiday breakfast of your family’s dreams. Prepare them in advance so, come Christmas morning, you can relax and celebrate. These Christmas breakfast recipes deliver hearty and rich flavor, perfect for enjoying with family and friends over a crackling, merry fire. Our list of Christmas brunch recipes includes crowd-pleasing favorites that are sure to satisfy. From spicy breakfast enchiladas stuffed with sausage and cheese sauce, to fresh winter fruit skewers with a dense rum drizzle, these holiday breakfast foods make our mouths water all year long. We’ve found a way to make cheese grits even more decadent, by adding slices of bacon and flavorful tomatoes to the classic Southern side dish. For a sweet and quintessentially Southern Christmas day brunch dessert, we’ve topped our cream Cheese Danishes with sweet-heat pepper jelly. Complete your Christmas day brunch with liqueur-infused hot chocolate or a citrusy tipsy spritzer. Set your table, and let the holiday merriment begin!

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Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Don't even think about spending Christmas morning flipping pancakes. Instead, turn them into a bread pudding-like casserole. Prepare the recipe at least eight hours ahead so the pancakes absorb the egg-and cream-mixture. 

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Sausage-and-Cheese Grits Quiche

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Sausage-and-Cheese Grits Quiche

Make this crustless quiche in a springform pan for a pretty (and sliceable) presentaion. Cook the cheese grits and sausage up to two days in advance; bake the quiche the morning of the brunch.

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Country Ham Hash

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Country Ham Hash

Get a head start on this side dish by chopping all of the vegetables a day in advance. Store the potato cubes in water to prevent browning, and pat them dry with paper towels before adding them to the skillet so they will cook up nice and crisp. 

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Christmas Sunrise

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Christmas Sunrise

To create the drink's layered "sunrise" look, slowly pour the tangerine juice over the back of a spoon into each glass. This will keep the juice from mixing with the red cranberry-syrup mixture. The syrup can be made up to two days in advance.

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Citrus Salad with Granola

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Citrus Salad with Granola

Fix both components in advance: The coconut-and-pecan granola can be prepared up to three days ahead, and the fruit salad and vanilla yogurt can be made up to one day ahead.

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Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon

Season the bacon a day ahead so it can absorb the rub. 

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Romaine with Creamy Olive Dressing

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Romaine with Creamy Olive Dressing

Mix the dressing a day in advance, and refrigerate until ready to use. 

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Tex-Mex Breakfast Enchiladas

Southern Living

Recipe: Breakfast Enchiladas

Associate Food Editor Mary Allen Perry likes the make-ahead ease of this best-loved sausage breakfast casserole recipe.  Prepare the recipe, without baking, and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and bake as directed - in just an hour, you’ll have what reviewers call “the best tasting breakfast casserole ever eaten.” Serve with Mexican toppings such as salsa, avocado slices or guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, and pico de gallo.

Tip: Make the Cheese Sauce before scrambling the eggs so the sauce will be ready to add at the proper time.

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Skewered Fruit with Rum Drizzle

Photo: Charles Walton IV; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Skewered Fruit with Rum Drizzle

Surround the platter of Skewered Fruit with Rum Drizzle with fresh strawberries, currants, and pears.

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Hot Tomato Grits

Recipe: Hot Tomato Grits

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Pepper Jelly Danish

Photo: Charles Walton IV; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Photo: Pepper Jelly Danish

Reader Martha Foose uses a locally produced honey-infused pepper jelly; we added honey to regular pepper jelly for a similar taste.

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Hot Chocolate with Almond Liqueur

Photo: Charles Walton IV; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Hot Chocolate with Almond Liqueur

Serve hot chocolate with sugar cubes, chocolate chunks, candy-coated chocolate pieces, and biscotti.

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Rudolph’s Tipsy Spritzer

Photo: Charles Walton IV; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Rudolph’s Tipsy Spritzer

When you need a festive holiday cocktail, look no further than this easy spritzer made with orange juice, lemon-lime soft drink, cherry juice, and vodka. If you want a non-alcoholic beverage, just leave out the vodka and add more orange juice or soft drink.

Step-by-Step Video: The Drink that Keeps Rudolph's Nose So Red

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