With all the excitement of Santa Claus, we really need to think ahead to a Simple Christmas morning menu. But what will we serve for breakfast?
We already have a big meal planned and in the works. The last thing we want to do is have everyone too full to enjoy it.
A Simple Christmas morning menu is simple. Offer a light fare. Make it a buffet. And make it delicious.
Need a few ideas? Try these:
Muffins
Everyone loves muffins. Make a single batch of three different types, to appease any picky eater. A light muffin can be as simple as Blueberry, Strawberry or Peach.
For a medium muffin, try something like a Banana Nut or Bran. These also fit into a bit ‘healthier’ category.
For a heavier muffin, but still delicious, we make Paradise Muffins. These consist of chopped ham or bacon and cheese mixed into the batter. They are savory and delicious.
For the buffet, place the different muffins into their own basket, and serve with butter.
Biscuits
These are our family’s go-to Simple Christmas Morning breakfast item. When we were younger, our main Christmas meal was Christmas Breakfast.
It was a hearty meal, too. Bacon, ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese grits and cheese biscuits. It was something we looked forward to.
For our ‘main’ Christmas meal, we had a simple fare. We set out a buffet of salads, homemade breads, turkey and ham, and made sandwiches. Of course, we had plates of sandwich fixings, including pickles, cheeses and other goodies.
But now, we have a ‘normal’ Christmas lunch, so we do not want to fill up at breakfast. So, everything on the Christmas Breakfast menu went to the wayside – except for the cheese biscuits.
Biscuits can go in a basket on the buffet. Add small dishes of jams, jellies and preserves, along with more butter.
A Little Bit Heartier
We love a good Breakfast Casserole. Ours consists of a blend of eggs, cooked sausage, cheese, grated potatoes, onions, bell pepper and seasonings. All of it gets mixed into a bowl, then poured into a 13x9x2” casserole dish.
To serve this on a Simple Christmas buffet, just cut the casserole into smaller pieces, such as 2” squares. My crew loves to top theirs with salsa, so add a small bowl to the buffet. Serve them on a platter that has been lined with a paper doily.
Yogurt & Granola – a Healthy Addition to your Christmas Menu
Another tasty and healthy item on your Simple Christmas Morning Menu can be bowls of yogurt, granola and fresh fruit.
Choose a plain, or vanilla flavored yogurt as a foundation. Folks can eat it plain or add granola and fresh fruit as desired.
It can be difficult or expensive to add fresh fruit to this menu. If you choose, just use frozen fruit that has been thawed and drained. To serve, place it in a bowl, and add a slotted spoon. There will still be a bit of fruit juice available, but it won’t make the yogurt thin and sloppy.
Sweet Rolls
Ah, probably one of the most favorite items on a Simple Christmas Morning Menu. If you make them yourself from your grandmother’s recipe, all the better. But for those of us who don’t have Grandmothers who baked, store-bought works just as well.
An ideal platter of sweet rolls has a good selection. Choose Napoleons, Fruit Danish, Cinnamon Rolls, Bear Claws and even donuts. The donuts themselves can offer a wide variety – cake, sprinkles, chocolate, plain, and even donut holes.
Find a large platter, and line it with a paper doily. Arrange the sweet rolls and donuts in an attractive manner. It will also be helpful to place a set of tongs beside the platter, for easy pickings.
Coffee Cakes for your Simple Christmas Menu
These are probably the easiest ones to have. The best part is you can make one ahead of time and freeze it. Remove the cake from the freezer the night before, and if necessary, heat it up in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
One thing I have learned about coffee cakes. Most all of them use cinnamon. Whether in the ‘swirl’, the ‘crumb’, or the cake itself, cinnamon is a main ingredient. There may be one out there that doesn’t use it, but so far, I haven’t found it.
However, the cake itself can be made with other ingredients. Some call for buttermilk, and some require sour cream. You can make them from scratch or start with a cake mix. There is also a recipe that starts with Bisquick.
No matter how you make them, though, they are delicious. Add one to your buffet, but if you find a recipe for one that does not include cinnamon, add it too, if you choose. (And please send me the recipe so I can try it, too!)
A Childhood Memory
When I was young, we occasionally took vacations to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where my mom’s family lived. My Great Uncle Earl would rise early in the morning, and head to a local German bakery.
There he bought bags of what he called ‘Hard Rolls’. These were always served at breakfast.
I loved them. For twenty years, I have tried every recipe I could find, every trick, every idea I could lay my hands on to reproduce these. To no avail.
But I do know they would make a perfect addition to any Simple Christmas Morning Menu.
If by some chance you are a German baker, or know someone who is, grab the recipe and make a batch of these for your breakfast buffet. Serve them with the butter and jam you have for the biscuits. And please – I am begging you! – share the recipe with me!
(Need Buffet ideas for a Christmas party? Be sure to get a copy of Have a Merry, Simple Christmas! It is full of Tips, DIY, Recipes and Ideas for a Christmas you can celebrate!)
Beverages
Beverages are very simple. Keep a pot of coffee on the stove. Offer pitchers of orange juice, apple juice or any other juice you know you and your family will enjoy. Also offer a pitcher of cold milk and one of water. This will cover every preference there is.
Another choice would be to have a thermos of hot chocolate, along with a bowl of marshmallows. Some folks enjoy a hot beverage but aren’t coffee drinkers. You can also keep a kettle of water simmering on the stove and offer a basket of tea selections.
There. That should cover every preference any family member could have.
The Finishing Touches to your Simple Christmas Morning Menu
For your Simple Christmas Morning buffet, all you have left to do is set up the plates and utensils. Because of all the chaos that ensues with seeing what Santa brought and opening gifts, my choice would be paper. Yes, you can use your Christmas dishes, but just know they still have to be washed and put away before the main Christmas dinner.
Opt for seasonal plates, napkins and utensils. There is also an abundance of cups you can use as well. You can choose Solo cups in seasonal colors, or plastic ones with Christmas scenes on them.
One thing I do suggest, though. If you serve coffee or other hot beverages, set out real cups. For hot beverages, this is just so much easier to handle.
Are you ready for Christmas morning? With this Simple Christmas Morning Menu, you are sure to please anyone and everyone in the house. And the best part is, it is also an easy way to offer visitors who stop by a delicious and fun repast before they move on to the next house they visit.
What do you serve for Christmas morning? Did you plan a Simple Christmas Morning Menu such as this? Please share with me what you do!
Check out Kathi @ Oakhill Homestead’s post for How to Make Yogurt at Home
Still have Christmas shopping to do? Let Annie at 15 Acre Homestead give you some organization tips for that! Organize your Christmas Shopping
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