Brunch

A great way to entertain at this time of year is brunch. Whether on Christmas morning with family or on a Sunday with out-of-town friends, it's usually an easier time to get on everyone's almost full calendars during the holiday season. You can serve an easy buffet of fruit and baked goods (muffins and quick breads and coffee cakes) supplemented with a couple of hot dishes like the recipes below. With a pot of hot coffee and a couple of pitchers of fruit juices, you're set. For an extra festive occasion, serve Bloody Marys or mimosas (sparkling wine and orange-or even cranberry or pomegranate-juice) in flutes and toast the holidays.

Sausage and Egg Casserole
1 pound cooked and drained sausage
12 eggs
3 cups milk
6 slices bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onions
Salt and black pepper

Beat eggs and milk together in large bowl, then add bread and sausage. Stir in peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate overnight. (You can't skip this step!)

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

You can top with salsa when you serve if you'd like.

French Toast Casserole with Strawberry Sauce
1 loaf challah (or French) bread, cubed
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces
6 large eggs
4 cups half and half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 10 ounce jar strawberry preserves

Arrange hald of cubed bread in a 9 by 13 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cream cheese pieces and top with rest of bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs, half and half, melted butter and maple syrup. Pour over bread mixture, pressing bread cubes slightly so they absorb bread mixture. Cover and chill for at least eighy hours.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes.

To make sauce, heat sliced strawberries and strawberry preserves over low heat for three or four minutes. Serve sauce over French toast.