Festive Brunch Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated October 06, 2020
Blaine Moats

Celebrate any special occasion with our recipes for brunch casseroles, muffins, coffee cakes, quiches and more.

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Tomato-Zucchini Strata

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Swiss cheese, plump tomatoes, tender zucchini and herbs flavor this rich breakfast bake. Bonus: You can make it a day ahead and bake it in the morning.

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Sausage-Apple Dutch Baby

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Why fry sausage separately when you can cook it right into the pancake? That kind of ease is just one reason we love this sweet-and-savory Dutch baby pancake. The batter's quick, and in the 15 minutes while it bakes, you can whip up the maple-glazed apple topping.

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Gingerbread Waffles with Hot Lemon Curd Sauce

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The B&B Southmoreland on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, shared their recipe for spicy waffles.

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Pork ‘n’ Pippins Quiche

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Round Barn Farm Bed and Breakfast and Bread in Red Wing, Minnesota, served this sweet-and-savory quiche with a dollop of sour cream and seasoned, broiled tomato halves on the side.

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Chocolate-Kissed Monkey Bread

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Caramel, chocolate and cinnamon give this monkey bread a delicious flavor. Be sure to get the large flaky biscuits for easy shaping.

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Blueberry Surprise French Toast Casserole

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Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this casserole, which gets a generous topping of blueberry or maple syrup. The recipe comes from Turkey Run Inn at Turkey Run State Park in east-central Indiana.

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Patsy's Egg Casserole

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A Midwest Living® editor credits her mother-in-law, Patsy, for creating this easy sausage-and-cheese brunch recipe, a popular food at family holiday gatherings. You can make it the day ahead and put it in the fridge overnight.

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Darling Clementine Mocktail

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No offense to the classic mimosa, but not everyone wants to booze with their brunch. Enter the Darling Clementine, a tart, fizzy, deliciously pink, nonalcoholic alternative to classic morning cocktails.

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Mini Egg Pastries with Bearnaise Sauce

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The Cold Spring Inn in Hubertus, Wisconsin, served these elegant brunch pastries with cinnamon rolls and fruit. The herby bearnaise sauce is a bit fussy to make compared to purchased hollandaise sauce, but you'll notice a real difference in flavor.

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Swedish Tea Ring

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Sprinkled with chopped red and green cherries, this tender, walnut-filled pastry is a perfect treat for Christmas morning.

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Fruit and Nut Granola

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At Abilene's Victorian Inn in Kansas, guests might eat this granola with milk or layered in a parfait with yogurt and fruit. We love how the recipe lets you customize the nuts and fruit to your taste.

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Swedish Lemon Pancakes

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A delicate crepelike pancake folds like an envelope around tangy lemon curd in this pretty brunch dish from Abilene's Victorian Inn in Kansas. The whipped sour cream topping is a breeze to make.

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Stuffed Croissant Breakfast Strata

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The combination of croissants, bacon and cheese create an indulgent make-ahead treat for breakfast or brunch. Croissant pieces fit into the baking dish like a puzzle.

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Lazy Morning Cinnamon Rolls

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Pizza dough is the secret shortcut in this 45-minutes-and-done recipe. It doesn't yield a fluffy Amish-style roll, but rather a breakfast treat with a toothsome chew, like the love child of cinnamon buns and garlic knots. 

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Lazy Morning Sausage Pie

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Lyndy Ireland cooks up breakfast favorites such as this classic biscuit mix recipe for her guests at Triangle Ranch in western South Dakota. She tops the Sausage Pie with refreshing salsa.

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Maple Butter Twists

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These breakfast rolls are a family tradition with Jean Haviland of Carroll, Iowa. "My mom made these rolls with a maple-cream filling every Christmas-and still does!" she says. "Mom always makes extra and freezes them for later. They're great for breakfast or any time of day!"

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Finnish Baked Pancakes

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This recipe (link above) comes from the Poplar Creek Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast on the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, Minnesota. The traditional big pancake has been adapted into a lighter version: puffed pancakes. Poplar Creek also serves up a delicious Stuffed French Toast, flavored with cream cheese, apricot preserves and pecans.

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Sausage Polenta with Nestled Eggs

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Green chiles and shredded cheese lend Southwest flavor to this hearty breakfast casserole that you can prepare the night before and bake in the morning.

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Easy Huevos Rancheros Casserole

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Cumin, garlic, and fresh cilantro season eggs and potatoes in this quick and easy casserole. Garnish with salsa and sour cream.

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Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata

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This brunch recipe comes from Carol Mortensen of Flossmoor, Illinois. "This goat cheese, artichoke and smoked ham strata is our favorite brunch dish," she says. "The best part is preparing it the night before to bake in the morning."

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Egg 'n' Bacon Breakfast Casserole

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South Dakota chef Doug Hanson shared this make-ahead recipe from his grandmother. "You can't go wrong with eggs, cheese and bacon," he says.

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Classic Challah

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Minnesota blogger Molly Yeh often twists her challahs into simple spirals. This recipe—adapted from her cookbook Molly on the Range ($32.50, Rodale)—makes four small loaves, perfect for freezing or sharing. (Slightly stale challah also makes dreamy French toast.)

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Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake

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We put together our favorite coffee cake ingredients for this holiday recipe: chocolate, butter, sour cream, pecans and coconut. It's worth the indulgence!

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Spicy Brunch Lasagna

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This hearty brunch casserole features Italian sausage, purchased Alfredo sauce, hash browns, mozzarella cheese, oven-ready lasagna noodles and cottage cheese.

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Spinach Quiche a la Goldmoor

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An easy-to-use frozen spinach souffle makes this quiche's eggy-sausage filling easy to prepare. The recipe is from the Goldmoor Inn near Galena, Illinois.

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Gingerbread-Sour Cream Muffins

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We took a traditional holiday dessert ingredient -- gingerbread -- and turned it into a muffin. Crystallized ginger tops off these treats.

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Sunrise Smoothies

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Not only are smoothies great-tasting—they're good for you, too. Try this one with a sliced strawberry garnish.

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Melty mallows

For a party accent or Christmas Day treat, serve cocoa with marshmallow dippers in a festive mug.Dip purchased or homemade large marshmallows into melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies. To dress up your mug, wrap felt around it, cut out a notch for a buckle and use a mini candy cane as the clasp.

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Snowy snacks

For an edible holiday party display, create a winter wonderland doughnut tree by attaching doughnut holes to a 18-24" foam cone.Cover the cone in plastic wrap first, then start at the bottom and use toothpicks to attach doughnut holes to the foam. Continue until you reach the top.

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Morning Pecan Casserole

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A crunchy, pralinelike layer tops this easy, make-ahead brunch dish with raisin-bread strata and pieces of sausage patties.

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Creamy Butter-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate

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We can't resist a good sticky roll—especially if it's this easy to make. Starting with frozen bread dough, we added brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and chocolate chips. When you turn it out, it makes its own gooey topping.

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Cheese Blintzes

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Some blintz recipes have you cook the stuffed crepes again, but we streamlined the recipe. Serve for brunch or as a dessert.

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Kringla breakfast cookies

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Rolling and shaping these Scandinavian breakfast cookies is a fun and creative family bonding activity. Just don't get too carried away with flour, which can make the breadlike pastries tough and dry.

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Cream Cheese-Filled Breakfast Pancakes

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Topped with fresh fruit and wrapped around a rich cream cheese filling, these crepelike pancakes add color and flavor to any special-occasion breakfast or brunch. The recipe comes from the Artists Colony Inn in Nashville, Indiana.

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Herbed Egg-Potato breakfast

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You can assemble the cheesy Herbed Egg-Potato Bake (recipe link above) up to two days ahead and refrigerate it. Serve with Sugared Bacon-Wrapped Smokies sausage and warm Cranberry Apple Crisp.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com