Christmas morning is a time when we have a lazy start to the day. Once the coffee and tea have been made, we explore what Santa may have brought (we traditionally exchange our family-given presents Christmas Eve after dinner) and when we’re ready, your Dad and I head into the kitchen to get breakfast ready.

Menu:

• Coffee / Tea / Orange Juice / Mimosas
• Beignets
• Link Breakfast Sausage
• Fruit Salad

It took many years to get to a Christmas morning menu that works so well for us. Let’s break it down:

Beignets: The beignets are the star of the show here, and understandably take most of the effort. I make this easier by making the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Then, when I am ready, I roll out the dough, cut, and deep fry them in batches. Once fried, you need to coat these doughnuts in powdered sugar. This is best as a two-person job, and your oldest brother was happy to be my partner in this endeavor each year. Now that he has married and is with his wife’s family Christmas morning, he’s handed this role to you, and you did a great job this last year! I love that we’re creating a fun memory together in this way.

This is one of those holiday traditions that we created ourselves – this is not what either your Dad or I grew up with. I don’t remember when we started making these Christmas morning (it was before you were born). There is something about putting that platter of fresh doughnuts, piled high and covered in powdered sugar, like a snow-covered mountain, that just says “this is special.” We all look forward to this breakfast, and I think people would be upset if I changed it at this point!

Fruit Salad: The beignets are a big treat (we try to keep the sugar carb count low in general) so we attempt to redeem ourselves a bit by making sure we have fresh fruit on the table.  A fruit salad is easy to prep the day before – and even easier if you buy it ready-made from the grocery store. If you go that route, take a quick look to be sure any larger fruit is cut into bite-sized pieces; stores sometimes leave melon chunks that are just a little too big to eat politely, and it’s nice to avoid needing to cut fruit once it’s already on your plate. Christmas morning, or any time really, you don’t want to make it awkward or difficult for anyone at the table. 

You can choose your favorites for your salad. My mom used to serve a citrus salad for very special breakfasts, which combined orange and grapefruit sections (membranes removed) with bright red pomegranate seeds sprinkled throughout. I love her citrus salad, but have found trying to recreate it on Christmas morning a little too difficult if I am making beignets. Sometimes you have to prioritize!

Sausage: For an easy source of protein, I like to get breakfast links and brown them on the stove top, then put them into a baking dish and let them finish in the oven while I make the beignets. Once the beignets are done, I can easily put them, the warm sausages, and fruit salad on the table at the same time. I used to make my mom’s quiche recipe, which can be made ahead of time, but found that it put too much pressure on the real estate in my refrigerator. With all the dishes and ingredients and leftovers, it was too much!!! I can, however, easily find space for a package or two of sausage links, and they can even be stored in the freezer if needed (just allow additional time for thawing/cooking).

Beverages are self-explanatory, and served from the table. We like to include mimosas (each can mix their own to their liking), but have also done hot chocolate (the adults may have added some extra “holiday spirit”) or a holiday punch. It all depends on what we think we will enjoy and is fairly easy on the day.

This is a morning where it is so much better when everyone plays their part in getting breakfast ready. You can assign roles according to each person’s skill level and interest – like Mimosa Master, Fruit Salad Manager, Child Minder (a VERY important role when you have little ones), and/or Table Designer (they make sure the table is set, with a place designated for each dish, etc.). 

In the end, you really just need to get people fed, and it’s nice if you can make it a little bit special and memorable. Remember that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is a bit of a marathon in our family. We haven’t been in a position where we can trade off responsibility for each meal like some families do, so I’ve developed this menu to be one that is manageable and a happy part of our celebration. 

That said, this menu – this tradition – isn’t sacred. We may decide to change it up because we’re bored or it doesn’t serve us as well as it used to. You may choose to create your own thing someday – build a vibe that’s all your own. And that’s ok.