I’m getting my house ready for our guests that will be visiting this holiday season, and I’m feeling so festive! I’m excited to cook a bunch of meals for them, especially this Holiday Brunch Menu!
This year, we are hosting Christmas at our house and we are going all out…even with brunch on the big day! However, I didn’t want to be slaving away for hours in the morning, so I’ve planned out a whole menu where all but one recipe can be made the night before!
Watch my YouTube video by clicking on the image below!
My Holiday Brunch Menu for 2019
On our brunch menu, we have my Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole, Oven-Baked Hashbrowns, Maple Bacon, and a refreshing Citrus Fruit Salad! Everything apart from the Maple Bacon can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight to bring out on the big day. You can even make my Oven-Baked Hashbrowns a few weeks before and freeze them, then cook from frozen! Even better!
Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole
If you’re looking for the perfect recipe to serve for brunch this holiday season, this Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole is it! I really like to make the casserole the night before so that I can simply wake up and bake it in the oven…and I get to enjoy the holiday morning!
While this Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole is definitely an indulgent treat, I like to add a bit of healthy alternatives, such as turkey sausage and seasonal leeks. Turkey sausage is a lot leaner than regular pork sausage and compliments the richness of the dish perfectly. A pop of fresh chives also helps to brighten up the recipe and make it extra delicious!
Oven-Baked Hashbrowns
Hashbrowns are a delicious treat to serve for a fancy breakfast or brunch. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen, then just bake as needed!
I use russet potatoes in this recipe due to their high starch content. The starch in the potatoes help to keep the hashbrowns together and not fall apart! Forming the patties in advance and baking them in the oven (rather than frying) helps cut down on time and labour for making these delicious potato treats.
Maple Bacon & Citrus Fruit Salad
Maple Bacon
For my Maple Bacon, simply place the bacon strips on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove it from the oven, baste with as much maple syrup as your heart desires, then bake again for another 5-10 minutes. The maple syrup will get nice and sticky and add a wonderful flavour to the bacon, This sweet and salty side will go perfect with the other recipes!
Citrus Fruit Salad
For my Citrus Fruit Salad, simply segment some oranges, a ruby red grapefruit. Add in some chopped kiwi and give everything a toss and you’re good to go! You can get this fruit salad ready the night before, and just store in the refrigerator overnight until you’re ready to eat it! This salad is so refreshing and is a great side to serve with these other hearty recipes!
Get the Recipes!
Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf stale white bread cut into cubes (approx. 6 cups)
- 1 leek white and light green parts only, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 turkey sausages
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh chives chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 2 cups milk 2%
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Next, add the sausage and leeks. Break up the sausage into small pieces and cook until the sausage is fully browned and the leeks have softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside for now.
- Add the cubed bread into the casserole and top with the sausage and leek mixture. Toss everything to combine and set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add the eggs, salt, pepper, chives, cheese and milk and whisk everything until fully incorporated.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly into the casserole dish, making sure to coat all the bread. If needed, press the bread down into the egg mixture using the back of a wooden spoon.
- Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
- *Note: You can bake the casserole after assembling, just wait at least 20 minutes for the bread to absorb the egg mixture, and bake as normal.
- To bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the casserole, covered in aluminium foil, into the center of the oven. Bake for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, remove the foil, increase the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. You will know it is fully cooked when you don't see any liquid when you press into the center of the casserole.
- Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then garnish with extra chives. Serve warm and enjoy!
Oven-Baked Hashbrowns
Ingredients
- 3 cups russet potatoes grated
- 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes grated
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Fill a large bowl with water and set aside.
- Grate the potatoes on the side of a box grater. Add the grated potatoes to the bowl filled with water and let the potatoes soak for 5 minutes to release their starch.
- Drain the potatoes into a colander and press out any excess liquid. Squeeze the grated potatoes between your hands to remove as much excess water as possible and then add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, flower, salt, pepper, scallions, and cayenne pepper into the potatoes and then mix everything to combine. The potato mixture will be sticky from the flour and egg, which will allow you to form them into patties.
- Scoop 1/3 cup of the potato mixture and place it onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Press the potato mixture together into a tight patty and repeat for the remaining potato mixture. You can also form it between your hands before placing it on a parchment-lined baking tray as well.
- Once all the patties have been formed, drizzle each of them with some vegetable oil.
- Place the hashbrowns into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping the hashbrowns halfway through cooking. Once they are done, they will be nice and golden brown and crispy.
- Serve warm with some extra salt and some ketchup to dip. Enjoy!
