Christmas morning is always a feast for the senses. The smell of the tree, the hum of holiday music, and now the rich and welcoming smell of a fresh-out-of-the-oven casserole. It’s the cozy breakfast, often with make-ahead potential, perfect for feeding a crowd of any size, big or small. From a citrus and maple French toast casserole to a ham and cheese strata with a twist, here are 20 breakfast casseroles to make and serve at this year’s Christmas brunch.
Join me on a journey to the past, to a simpler time. You were a kid, coming home from school. First thing you did after dropping your book bag on the floor was pour yourself a glass of milk and pull the blue package of Oreos out of the cupboard before your parents caught you. Back then, of course, the Oreo formula had only a few variations, and you stuck to the classic: Vaguely vanilla crème sandwiched between chocolate cookies. It did not occur to you in your wildest dreams that this cookie recipe could ever be improved upon. It seemed — and probably still does, to your adult brain — perfect.
And yet, we find ourselves in an era when Oreo is absolutely dead set on remaking the Oreo in almost every flavor combination it can reasonably (and to be honest, sometimes unreasonably) translate into cookie form. The latest flavor? Carrot cake.
When it comes to celebrating the holiday season, and particularly Christmas, there are two types of households. One type opts for decorating their home with stately, minimalist touches — preferring white lights, silver bells, and multiple matched red and gold glass ornaments hung from a fresh seven-foot Douglas fir.
The other type of household goes 180 degrees in the opposite direction, choosing a style I like to call “Yuletide Game Show Chic,” and if you’re wondering what I mean by that, well, it can be summarized quite nicely in a new holiday cake offered by Sam’s Club.
When you go to your local Starbucks in the morning to pick up your coffee before heading into the office, do you ever think to yourself, “I wish this was fancier,” or “I wish I could bring a date here”? I seriously doubt that the thought has ever crossed your mind, and yet Starbucks has answered questions we didn’t even know we wanted answers to, and in the most epic way imaginable: The coffee company has opened a three-story cafe complete with a lounge, cocktail bar, and a fully stocked Princi bakery.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but everyone’s favorite vegetable is currently being recalled over E.coli concerns. According to USA Today, a California farm that was connected to the recent romaine lettuce recall is now recalling red-leaf lettuce, green-leaf lettuce, and cauliflower.
In a statement released by Adam Bros. Farms of Santa Maria, CA, the farm explained that they were issuing the recall “out of an abundance of caution” and that no illnesses have been reported thus far in connection with these vegetables. “The recall was initiated after it was discovered that sediment from a reservoir near where the produce was grown tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Filtered and treated water from the reservoir may have come in contact with the produce after it was harvested,” the farm goes on to explain.
Better safe than sorry, right?
Between busy days at work, school, or home, we know just how difficult it can be to get balanced, satisfying meals on the table. That’s why we’re big on meal prep. We strongly believe that setting aside time to plan and prepare your meals in advance can make a big difference — and set you up for the best possible week ahead.
And that’s why we’re launching Kitchn’s Meal Prep newsletter!
You told us how much you loved our limited-run Power Hour newsletter earlier this year — so we’ve built something even bigger and better for you. Our new ongoing Meal Prep newsletter will set you up with everything you need to cook well for the days ahead.
That’ll include brand-new start-to-finish meal plans in the format you already know and love, with step-by-step instructions, easy-to-follow photos, a full grocery list, and (of course) fast, easy, and delicious recipes. We’ll also share our newest gear essentials, supermarket shortcuts, and our very best cooking tips — all to help you master all things meal prep.
A bowl of Puppy Chow is like a bag of classic potato chips: Once you start snacking, it’s impossible to stop. Every time I say I’m going in for my last bite, my hand, as if I no longer have control over it, finds its way back into the mix.
I know I’m not alone in this obsession. Put Puppy Chow out at any holiday gathering and it will always be the first thing to go. Pack it up as a party favor and you’ll be crowned hostess of the year. But the very best Puppy chow has a few tricks up its sleeve that you won’t find on the back of the Chex cereal box. Here’s how to make the very best batch that I guarantee will impress even the most discerning Midwesterner.
Help from kids in the kitchen has so many benefits: It includes the whole family in meal prep, teaches useful skills, develops early interests in food and healthy eating, and eases the stress of keeping little ones entertained while you work (the work is the entertainment!).
While the ol’ kitchen-chair-turned-backward setup worked just fine for me in the ’70s, today there are a slew of helpful platforms specially made to bring small children to kitchen counter height. And don’t worry — they’re as cute as they are safe.
There’s often a lot happening on Christmas Day, which makes it really tough for the designated cook to get Christmas dinner ready. More often than not, they have to forgo at least part of the gift-giving, carol-singing, and brisk-walk-in-the-snow-ing that everyone else is merrily enjoying. Unless, of course, they plan carefully and get the bulk of the meal done ahead of time. Here are several recipes to help with that, from beet-pickled deviled egg appetizers to creamy panna cotta for dessert.
Martha Stewart’s entire existence seems like a fairy tale. She rides around her farm on her horse snapping pictures of her pet peacocks like the queen that she is, presumably in between sending texts to Snoop Dogg. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but aspire to her level of carefree bossiness.
Of course, Stewart’s power only grows during the holiday season, when she can truly flex her cookie-decorating and table-setting skills. When she recently posted a picture sitting on Santa’s lap in what looks like a fur stole, holding a glass of wine, I knew that the Christmas vibe had officially been set. This holiday season, we need to all try to enjoy ourselves as much as Martha Stewart clearly is.