Christmas Morning

In honor of Mommadods' Blogarhythmz reaching the 12,000 hit mark and the ushering in of the holiday season, here is a recipe for my family's Christmas morning favorite.

We celebrate a lot of holidays around our house.  It does not take much for us to declare a reason to hug and give presents.  For us, Christmas is very food-driven—there are smells and tastes that my family associates with the joy of the season.  For many years after we were married, my husband had to find his way “home” to his mother’s house to partake of her special Swedish Tea Ring—a labor of love that involved making an impossibly large batch of sweet bread dough.  Some of the dough was fashioned into a cinnamon-rolled, icing-dripped delight for Christmas morning, while the rest was made into buns on which we later made turkey and ham sandwiches. 

Eventually, as my husband and his four brothers each married and had families of their own, the five Dodson boys came to prefer a holiday morning with their own kids in their homes.  I confess I have always found the early morning giggles of little kids infectious.  I love to listen for the first child to awaken, followed by the pitter-patter of feet as one runs to wake the other up.  There is an expectant energy while they crawl down the stairs silently to survey the spoils.  They know never to touch a thing; everything is taken in its time.  Before the first gift is opened the stockings must be revealed, and before that can happen the dishes of a celebratory breakfast must be cleared and stacked.   It is a ritual that builds on expectation, assuring that each gift has its moment, appreciated for the thought that went into selecting it and the appreciation that must be expressed.  In our house, only one gift is opened at a time.  Each member of the family is presented with a package from the array of gifts, watching while first the youngest, and then the next oldest, and the next, tears the wrappings.  We go in rounds like this, one gift per person at a time, until nothing remains.

For all these reasons, breakfast must be assembled easily, but substantial enough to cause us to linger.   It must be worthy of the day, yet it must hold its own against what comes next.  I am challenged to create a spread that gets the kids involved in the joy of being together, causing them—although only momentarily—to forget about the consumer excess that awaits.  This is why I have put Christmas breakfast into a gift box of sorts, scrambling the main ingredients of a full and lavish spread into a simple casserole that can be prepared the night before.  Before even a mouse is stirring, I sneak into the kitchen and fire up the stove, slipping the 9 x 13 baking pan into the oven and setting the timer that will later call the gang to the table.  In the 45 minutes it takes to cook, I can have a hot shower, boil water for the coffee and hot chocolate, and pull out the fresh fruit I cut up the night before.  To compensate for the nostalgia of Gram Arlene’s Swedish tea ring, I used to procure Cinnabons from the one store left in New England.  Now that it’s gone, we resort to Pop n’Fresh’s own version that features the Cinnabon flavors.  It’s not really a substitute; some things just can’t be replaced.

Christmas Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb of bulk sausage (or uncooked breakfast sausages removed from their casings)  I love a variety called “Maple Syrup sausages” that I can get fresh in my local market. 

6 eggs, beaten slightly

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

3-4 slices of bread cut into cubes (white, challah, or even whole wheat will work) 

2 cups of grated cheese (I like sharp cheddar, but Monterrey Jack also works.  Don’t be afraid to blend cheeses together according to your tastes.  My kids do not like Swiss cheese, but a blend of Swiss and parmesan would give this a quiche-like flavor.)

The night before, grease 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or spray with non-stick spray.

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage.  Drain well on paper towels and break up into crumbly pieces.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk.  Blend in salt, pepper, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.  Add the bread cubes and stir (I leave the crusts on because it will soften overnight.  If you prefer not to use the crusts, use 4 slices rather than 3).

Pour the entire mixture into the 9 x 13 baking pan and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake pre-assembled casserole on middle rack in oven for about 45 minutes until puffy and golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Cut into squares and serve while still warm.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

Leftovers may be refrigerated and reheated in the oven of microwave.