Holiday Brunch

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays with these do-beforehand brunch suggestions.

Overnight Blueberry-Pecan French Toast

Ingredients:

nonstick spray
1 baguette, cut into 20 1-inch slices
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup brown sugar
vanilla to taste
nutmeg to taste
1 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preparation:

Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and arrange the baguette slices in a single layer in the dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, three-fourths of the brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Cover and chill the mixture overnight. There will appear to be a lot of moisture when the mixture goes into the refrigerator, but it will all soak into the bread.

Just before baking, sprinkle the remaining one-quarter cup brown sugar, pecans and blueberries over the bread. Bake the dish in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with maple syrup. For an added treat, heat the syrup with blueberries and have blueberry-flavored maple syrup.

Ingredients:

2 tubes of crescent-roll dough
6 slices prosciutto or ham
6 slices provolone cheese
one 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, dried and halved
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick
4 oz. cooked Italian sausages, or other cooked meat
one 4-1/2 oz. can chopped black olives
2 oz. fresh basil leaves

Preparation:

Unroll the crescent dough and press the two sheets together. Lay the combined dough sheets over a large loaf pan and gently press into place, leaving the ends lapped over the sides. Create layers of filling with two slices of prosciutto, then two slices provolone, pepper halves, yellow squash slices, sausage slices, black olives and basil leaves. Repeat the layers a second time and then a third time if there is room.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 1 Tbs.
6 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, divided
1 cup pecans
6 oz. baby spinach
pomegranate seeds

Preparation:

Combine the quarter-cup sugar with one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of vinegar in a frying pan and place over medium heat until the syrup bubbles, around one minute. Toss in the pecans and mix to coat. Stir the nuts for about four minutes or until toasted and evenly coated. Be careful not to burn them.

Place the sugared nuts on a foil sheet that has been coated with nonstick spray and carefully separate them. Cool completely. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining brown sugar, oil and vinegar. Place the spinach in a large salad bowl and coat with the dressing. Top with pomegranate and nuts and serve.

Ingredients:

1 box cornbread mix, made according to instructions
5 oranges, halved and hollowed out

Preparation:

Fill the orange halves half-full and place on a baking pan. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the corn muffin is golden and firm.