What are your Christmas mornings like? Do you have a tradition? Do you just dig in and amaze yourself with the bounty? Or, do you savor it slowly, one gift at a time? Do you take time to eat, or just munch on the goodies your find in your stocking (including the orange at the bottom)?
I'm not going to go into our whole tradition, but I will boss you a little and tell you to take time to eat a good breakfast on Christmas morning. This is what we do... feel free to copy.
After we go through our stockings we take a break and head into the kitchen for a nice breakfast. We always have breakfast casserole (which turns into lunch and dinner as well) and cinnamon rolls (Thanks to Mrs. Rhoades). We wash it down with milk and/or orange juice. So yummy. We sit and talk and get excited for the rest of the day. And the best part is, I only have to get up about 10 minutes before the boys to make this happen. I just put the food in the oven first thing, then enjoy the stockings and Santa gifts until breakfast is ready. Yum Yum!
Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole
1 lb breakfast meat cooked and drained - bite size (I like Little Smokies cut into thirds - I can do this a couple days ahead if I want)
8 slices uncrusted bread - torn into smallish pieces (about 9 pieces per slice)
8 eggs
2 Cups milk
2 Cups shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack is best)
The night before, mix the sausage and bread, and about 1/2 the cheese in the bottom of a GREASED 9x13 pan. Mix the eggs and milk and pour over the bread and meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight.
In the morning bake for 45 min - 1 hour at 350 degrees. ( Check center to make sure it is done and not soupy). Let cool for about 10 minutes.
This is delicious served with tomatoes, and sliced fruit. Also, you can add diced onions to the egg/milk mixture if you want --- so yummy!
Mrs. Rhoades Cinnamon Rolls
The night before Christmas put the number of rolls desired into a greased pan with some space between them (to let them rise). Cover and put in fridge. In the morning, if not raised enough put on counter top. When fully raised, bake, frost and eat!!! (Good for a late morning snack if they are not ready when the cassarole is done. This has happend to us a few times, just depends on the temperature and how quickly they raise).
Sounds simple, doesn't it. It is and it is one of the traditions we look forward to. I think it just helps us all slow down and be happy and thankful for what we have, instead of anxiously opening gifts hoping we got what we wanted.
What are your Christmas morning traditions? Please share!
9 comments:
This is awesome. We made this casserole for Christmas morning 2 years ago and it was perfect, we are going to do it again this year and I am hungry just thinking about it. Maybe I'll make it next Sunday too!
I like the idea of stopping after stockings to eat. I am going to suggest this to Jason and if he's down with it, it will become a new tradition. I like that it would put a pause for visiting and reflecting on the day in the middle of the christmas morning bonanza.
I love this recipe. Now that our kids are older we open stockings and a Santa gift and then we have breakfast. But when our kids were young - we opened all the gifts before eating.
Then we open our presents, one at a time. It takes forever.
I love this casserole. It is so simple and so yummy!
We always get a box of cereal in our stocking (those little ones) and have it with our orange and casserole.
One year Santa brought my sisters kids fruits from all over the world! How fun! He must have picked them up on his travels that night. Cool. My other Sister's Santa often brings granola bars and breakfast snacks. :) (I'm all for less JUNKY TOYS in the stockings.) One year my children each got their very own box of Fruit Snacks. It was the thing they told people about!
You guys do the orange at the bottom too? My husband looked at me like I was crazy when he found the orange the first time...
We do the santa and stockings first, and then snack on our stocking loot, the orange, cashews, candy, and jerky for breakfast while we take turns opening our gifts, one at a time. Usually lasts until 11 AM....
I have tasted this delicious casserole from Kristen, and can vouch that it is fantastic! I really like it's "make-ahead" feature, so that the morning of is easy, and satisfying.
Yummy!
During December baby jesus is not in the manager, so on Christmas morning we come down and set up in front of the presents is the nativity with baby jesus in the manger. "Look! He came!" When I was little we could go through our stocking until my grandma got there (she always took forever!). Then we opened presents one at a time taking turns in doling them out. It takes a while, but it's fun to enjoy other people's pleasure. My Mom would cook for three months before christmas (OK not three months, but a long time) and we'd have a table loaded with food to eat on all day.
In my fam now we do a modified version of the above. I like the casserole idea a lot. This is the first year of true awareness for our little guy so it will be interesting to see how our traditions evolve.
Never really liked our traditional Christmas breakfast: Welsh rarebit, without the rabbit. Basically toast, tomato and a coarse cheese sauce. Weird, eh? I guess I kind of like it now. But how strange to have a Christmas breakfast where your kids complained and made jokes every year.
I'm guessing this breakfast casserole this year in CA? I volunteer Emily make it.
Joe - would it have been better with the rabbit?
I always smile when I see in the comment section, "Joe said..."
I love your comments. I will make the breakfast casserole this year, but we will need two pans, so maybe Emily can make one of them.
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