Perhaps your family is re-thinking their Christmas dinner plans this year. You may be traveling, you may be eating a meal at several family's homes, or you simply want to cut costs this year by eliminating a big sit-down dinner. Planning to share a Christmas brunch may suit your plans this year for any or all of those reasons.
If you are considering your family's budget, big sit-down dinners tend to be more expensive than even the nicest brunch. The menu for a big dinner will normally include a large meat main course, numerous side dishes, and many fancy desserts and candies. The beverages served during a formal sit-down dinner in the evening will typically include fancy drinks, wine, and after dinner drinks. In other words, a big dinner can add up to a lot of money.
If your family needs to trim the Christmas budget, travel to more than one household for dinner, or leave early in the day for another location, celebrating together with a brunch instead of dinner may help solve your dilemma. Let's take a look at how we can host a brunch that is not only convenient, but fun, frugal, and delicious.
Brunch Casserole - There are many variations of this meal-in-a-pan, so you are sure to find a recipe that is quick and easy to make and serve. Some are made with potatoes, such as hash browns, or even bread cubes, then sausage or ham, egg, green pepper, and cheese are added to form a complete meal. This is normally refrigerated overnight and ready to cook in the morning.
Skillet Dish - A skillet meal is very easy to prepare quickly and with relatively little fuss. There are many recipes to choose from, like this familiar favorite, a Frittata. This is typically a skillet of fried rice or potatoes with a variety of meats and vegetables added. Then eggs are poured over and the Frittata is cooked without stirring until the eggs firm up. Cut into wedges right in the skillet and serve just as it sits. Use a nice cast iron pan for a pretty and homey appeal.
Muffin Tin Meal - Make individual little pot pie style dishes by forming a crust in the muffin tin with some refrigerator biscuits. Mix up some egg, hash browns, cooked sausage or bacon, or any other breakfast foods you like, and fill the cups. Bake them and serve them warm. These are not only cute and delicious, but you can make a variety so everyone can have something a little different.
Omelets - The only reason I hesitate to recommend omelets for brunch is that they can be time consuming for the host. If you decide to make omelets, you'll need to have an assortment of fillings available, and that will take some preparation time. And, after all the preparation is over, you will have to stand at a stove whipping up the omelets for your guests. If your set up is such that you'll be stuck away in the kitchen while your guests are mingling in the dining room, this may not suit your plans. However, if you have an open concept kitchen and will do most of the entertaining and dining right there near the stove, then it may work out well for you. It all depends on how much cooking you want to do while your guests are there.
When you start planning your menu, be sure to include a variety of foods. A brunch usually involves a lot of little nibbling and lots of mingling, so some 'walking around' type food is in order. Don't forget a nice tray of fruit and even some cheese would be nice. Have plenty of coffee and tea ready and waiting. Pitchers of milk, water, and juice should be readily available. Don't bother with pie or cake, and definitely not fudge or other candy. You may have guests who are headed to "round two" and they don't want to stuff themselves. But, a plate of pretty Christmas cookies will always be appreciated.
With just a few ideas for a simple brunch menu, you can put together a nice meal for Christmas. It's all about spending time with the people you love and not spending your hard earned money on a big fancy dinner. Enjoy your brunch!
At FreeQuickRecipes.com you'll find lots of simple Christmas dinner ideas and recipes to help you plan your holiday menu.
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