5 Mouth Watering Holiday Brunch Recipes

Holiday time seems to be a bustle of activity, from visits to Santa, shopping from store to store, and pageants and concerts galore. In addition, we seem to spend much more time cooking and following recipes, than any other time of year.

Not to mention, that the month of December seems to host a myriad of parties, dinners, lunches and more. So recipes need to be plentiful, as well as quick and easy to follow. Nobody wants to waste time in the kitchen.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is our Christmas Day brunch at my mother's house. First, I absolutely love brunch. What other meal can you whet your palette with the delicious flavors of maple syrup and breads and then combine them with steaks and seafood? Brunch has something for everyone.

So why not make life a bit easier and try some of these quick, mouth-watering brunch recipes.

Cheesy Sausage Strata - A delicious addition to your brunch. This recipe calls for sausage but you can try out other meats too!

You will need:
½ pound of pork sausage
½ pound of Mozzarella cheese, grated
2 cups of bread cubes
4 of eggs
1 ½ cups of milk
½ teaspoon of salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

What you do:
Begin by greasing a 10-inch pie plate or a 9-inch square baking dish. Brown the sausage in a skillet, then crumble; set to the side. Take bread and spread over the bottom of the baking dish, top with sausage and grated cheese. Place eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg into a bowl and beat. Pour over cheese and sausage. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Recipe makes 6 servings.

Yummy Breakfast Casserole - A true family favorite recipe! It will take easily to any brunch and is hearty and filling.

You will need:
1 can of crescent rolls
1 pound of sausage, cooked and drained
fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ pound of Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
6 eggs, beaten
1 can of cream of onion soup

What you do:
Line a 13x9 inch casserole dish with the rolls, sealing the perforations. Cover the crescent rolls with sausage, mushrooms and half of the cheese. Mix eggs with soup and pour over the casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Chill the entire dish overnight. When ready to cook, bake at 350° for 1 hour. You can also use ham or bacon in place of the sausage. Recipe makes 9-12 servings

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast - This is one of my newest brunch acquisitions, a recipe that I will make all year round, not just on holidays.

You will need:
1 loaf of French bread
3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips
5 eggs
1 1/3 cups of milk
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of sugar

What you do:
Begin by cutting the bread into 6 slices, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a knife, cut 2 inch long slits in one side of each bread slice, cutting 3/4 of the way through the bread. You are creating a pocket. Spoon 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips into the pocket of each bread slice. Press to seal it closed. Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar in medium bowl. Next, spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with vegetable spray. Place filled slices into prepared baking dish. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread, carefully turn pieces over, spooning mixture in pan over top bread. Cover pan with plastic wrap, refrigerate several hours or overnight. Bake uncovered at 400°, 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. You can serve this with whipped cream and maple syrup if desired. This recipe can also be made using butterscotch, cinnamon, or toffee chips as well. Add what your imagination allows! Yummy! Recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Hash Brown Casserole - A very traditional brunch recipe, popular and passed around often.

You will need:
1 pound of ground beef
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 24 ounce package of frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 10-3/4 ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 2.8 ounce cans of French fried onions

What you do:
Preheat your oven to 350° degrees. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with vegetable oil. In a heavy skillet or frying pan, cook ground beef with salt until browned, stirring until finely crumbled. With a slotted spoon, drain excess fat and transfer the beef to a large bowl. Add the thawed potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese and the chopped onion. Mix it well. Spread into the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Top with French fried onions and bake 15 minutes more, or until bubbly. Let stand for at least ten minutes before cutting and serving. Recipe makes 9-12 servings.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake - Not exactly your typical holiday brunch recipe but absolutely delicious all the same! Try this recipe for Christmas brunch and you will be glad you did.

You will need:
2 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1/2 cup of molasses
2 eggs
1/3 cup of butter
1/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of sugar

What you do:
You will need to grease the bottom and all four sides of a baking dish. When greasing the sides, grease only halfway up. Set baking dish aside. Next, stir together 1 cup of the flour, the brown sugar, the baking powder, the cinnamon, and the baking soda. Then add the pumpkin, molasses, eggs, butter, and ginger. Beat together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until completely combined. Should be about 45 seconds. Beat on medium to high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the remaining flour; and continue beating for 2 minutes or until mixed. Pour the batter into the baking dish.

To make the topping, stir together the walnuts and the sugar. Then sprinkle it evenly over the batter in the pans. Bake at 350° degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake IN the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan. Cool thoroughly on the wire rack. Recipe serves 6-8 servings.