On Christmas Morning my children and grandchildren arrive at my house to open presents and have brunch, it’s another family tradition started when the kids were young.

Our usual routine is orange juice and cocoa or coffee in the kitchen before we head over to the formal living room to distribute and unwrap gifts. This ritual takes at least 2 hours and I usually pop in to the kitchen to toss the egg dish in the oven during the last hour or so.

When the kids were younger we served a plated breakfast at the table, these days with in-laws and grandkids there’s just too many of us for a proper sit down breakfast, not to mention the unwrapping ritual takes us longer, so we set up a brunch buffet instead. Although times have changed the menu has not. I like to keep it simple and easy to prepare so I look for things I can prepare the night before and throw in the oven before brunch.

Our traditional menu includes:

Chile Relleno Torta

A delicious baked egg dish, I got the recipe years ago from Diane Mott Davidson’s book “Dying for Chocolate”. For recipe click here!

I serve this with fresh warm tortillas, salsa, and sour cream on the side.

Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast

I love French Toast! But this is one of my favorites simply because like the name says I can make it the night before, Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast recipe from Carl’s Bad Cravings. For recipe click here!

Unlike my usual French Toast which I basically cook on a griddle this one is placed in a pan overnight and baked in the oven in the morning. Perfect when hosting a lot of people!

Crepes

Who doesn’t love crepes? I know you may think it’s hard to make, but you can make them the night before. That’s right the night before or early in the morning before everyone arrives. Crepes don’t have to be served hot at all. Just be sure you separate each crepe with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.

You can fill crepes with sweets like these Strawberries & Creme Crepes filled with Reisling Marinated Strawberries and Mascarpone cream; or savory things like ham and cheese; or just drenched in butter and sprinkled with sugar, that’s my favorite!

Here’s a quick recipe for my crepes, you can mix it up the night before and make them in the morning!

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Crepes

Ingredients:

2 Cups Milk

4 Eggs

3 Tbs. Butter, melted

1 Tbs. Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1 1/2 Cup flour, sifted

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to make heat crepe pan and spray with non-stick oil

Pour some batter on the pan and spread thin.

Cook each side about 2 minutes or until lightly brown.

Remove from heat and fill or stack with parchment paper in between crepes to prevent them from sticking together. Fill when ready.

Dutch Baby

Another favorite and a crepe alternative is a Dutch Baby , I love them! You just mix the batter in your blender, bake it, then top it. Click here for the recipe!