Christmas morning has always felt magical to me. Growing up, I remember leaping out of bed to wake my siblings, racing to our stockings, and spending hours around the tree.
I also remember gathering around the table for a wonderful breakfast spread—waffles, eggs, bacon…the works. Looking back, I have no idea how my parents did it. They were always fully present with us, yet somehow managed to get breakfast on the table without missing a moment of the fun.
Now, I’m entering that same season, with the joy and responsibility of hosting on my shoulders. It’s a role I truly cherish, but I also want to be present with my family for every bit of the celebration.
If you share that desire, I hope this Christmas menu helps. It’s filled with delicious, festive breakfast dishes you can make ahead of time—leaving you free to soak in the magic and celebrate the true blessing of the day
● 2 tablespoons brown sugar
● 1/4 teaspoon salt
● 1 cup milk
● 2 eggs
● 1 teaspoon baking powder
● 1/4 cup molasses
● 2 teaspoons ginger
● 2 teaspoons cinnamon
● ½ teaspoon allspice
● ½ teaspoon cloves
● 1 cup frozen cranberries
● 1 cup cane sugar
● 1 cup water
● Juice of 1 lemon
Method
1. Make the cranberry sauce
○ In a sauce pan on medium heat combine the cane sugar, and water
○ Pour in the cranberries and lemon juice
○ Stir with a wooden spoon constantly until thickened (30 minutes)
○ Once the sauce has thickened slightly turn off the heat
○ Let cool before serving or storing in the fridge
2. Make the waffles
○ Plug in your waffle maker of choice
○ In a bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger,
allspice, cloves
○ In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until combined
○ Whisk in the milk and molasses until combined
○ Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until completely combined
○ Ladle the batter onto your heated waffle maker and cook until slightly
browned and the batter is not wet in the middle (for my waffle maker it
took 2-3 minutes per waffle but this will vary)
○ Transfer the waffles to a warm oven to keep warm or let cool to freeze
overnight
*Serve the waffles with whipped cream, the cranberry sauce, and maple syrup. If
frozen, reheat the waffles in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
*Save some of the Sweet Cranberry Sauce for the Sweet Cranberry Prosecco Sip
Serves 8 or 4
● 1 teaspoon of sweet cranberry sauce (from previous recipe)
● Prosecco
● Frozen cranberries
Method
1. Spoon one teaspoon of sweet cranberry sauce into a champagne glass or flute
2. Top with prosecco
3. Drop in a few frozen cranberries
4. Sip!
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 1/2 white onion roughly chopped
● 1 1/2 cup shredded kale
● 1/2 teaspoon salt
● 1/2 teaspoon pepper
● 8 eggs
● 1/3 cup heavy cream
● 1 1/2 cups butternut squash chopped into thin pieces
● 1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese
● 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Method
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Heat oil in a cast iron pan on medium heat on the stove
3. Add onion and cook until softened or for about 4 minutes
4. Add butternut squash and cook 3 more minutes
5. Add shredded kale and let cook until the kale begins to wilt
6. Turn off the heat on the stove
7. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and the milk
8. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and shredded cheese
to handle the pan with oven mitts)
10. Pour the bowl contents back into the pan and then quickly place the pan in the
oven
11. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the frittata is set
12. Serve or let cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge
*Frittata can be reheated at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes
● Two apples (cut into cubes)
● Two pears (cut into cubes)
● Seeds from 1-2 pomegranates
● ¼ slivered almonds
● 1 tablespoon chopped mint
● Juice of 1 orange
● 1 tablespoon honey
Method
1. Toss the fruit together in a bowl with the orange juice and honey
2. Top with the mint and almonds
3. Serve immediately
*If you want to prepare in advance try chopping the fruit the day before and then
quickly combine before serving. To keep sliced apples and pears from turning brown
after slicing, soak them in a bowl of water with ½ teaspoon of salt for 5-10 minutes,
drain and rinse them lightly and then store them in an airtight container.
