Three Ways to Get a Hot Christmas Breakfast on the Table With Minimal Effort

The season of joy is here, and we all need as much holiday magic as the world will provide right now. Whether you’re a diehard Christmas fanatic—or you’re just happy to have a few days off work—this series will help you pick the perfect presents, playlists, meals, and activities to make it the Best Christmas Ever.

If you are the kind of person who stresses about serving a memorable spread on Christmas morning, let me remind you that your family and guests likely won’t care how much time you put into what you make, so long as there’s something to munch on after the presents have been opened.

As what you serve is less important than sitting down to a meal together, if you’re short on time or energy, it's totally fine to put in less effort. Here are three options for an easy Christmas breakfast, depending on how much you have left to give.

Cinnamon rolls are an aromatic treat

Face it, breakfast can ever only be the second most exciting thing about Christmas morning. Lean into that realization, and serve an extremely simple breakfast of cinnamon rolls.

In cases like this, origin of goods doesn’t matter: Whether you pop them out of a can from the grocery store or you grab a panful from a local bakery, your family is only going to remember the smell wafting through the house as they warm in the oven, and the patience they had to muster while you iced them. Serve alongside coffee (or hot cocoa for the kids) with some festive peppermint whipped cream on top, and everyone will have enough energy to power through the rest of the present pile.

Pancakes or waffles can be served with a spread

Pancakes or waffles are a fantastic family breakfast because it’s hard to find someone who isn't a fan, and everyone at the table can customize them to their liking. To keep it simple, start with pre-made mix—there are no awards for starting from scratch—or at the very least, mix the batter for your preferred recipe the night before, and keep it in a pitcher in the fridge so it's easy to pour. If you’ve got a waffle maker, waffles can be an easier option, since you can keep them warm and crisp in a 250ªF oven as you’re making them. Otherwise, pancakes can also be kept on a low heat in the oven (I suggest 200ªF) to keep them warmed through.

The key to pulling off a pancake or waffle Christmas is to serve them alongside a comprehensive spread—think sliced fruit, syrups, jams, and soft butter—so people can enjoy them how they like. You can, of course, do all this prep yourself (preferably the night before), though if you don't mind outsourcing the work, this is precisely why yours grocery has that section with all the gorgeous, out of season pre-cut fruit. (Don’t forget to put out some chocolate chips, too.)

Make this breakfast casserole the night before

If you are hell bent on making some Christmas magic in the kitchen, you can't go wrong with a breakfast casserole. It will be as impressive as a quiche with none of the risks of failure, and the recipe is super flexible and can be modified to fit your guests.

Easy Christmas Morning Casserole

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of torn up croissants

• 14 eggs

• 1-1/2 cups of half and half

• 1 cup of grated cheese of your choice

• 1-1/2 cups of mix-ins (see recipe for details)

• Oil or Pam to grease the pan

Start by greasing a 9x13 pan with vegetable oil on a paper towel of vegetable oil spray. Layer the croissants (the dryer the better) in the bottom of the pan. Grocery store croissants are a good choice for this—they’re fluffy enough, but not so good that you'll feel like they're going to waste. (You don’t exactly need them to be café fresh to serve their purpose in a casserole.)

On top of this layer you will pour your egg mixture, but first, it's time to customize it with your mix-ins, which can be altered to suit your guests' taste. I recommend cubed ham, since you can purchase it already cooked, but you can also crumble up some cooked bacon or sausage. For veggies, consider mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, and tomato. While some of these can go in fresh, like the tomatoes, most of them should be sautéed before they go into the egg mixture, which you can do with a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add your ingredients of choice to the eggs and make sure everything is well-mixed, then pour over the croissants. You can leave the pan in the fridge overnight. In the morning, let it rest on the counter for about 20 minutes. Once it has come to room temperature, cover it with foil and pop it in the oven 375ªF for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes and cut to serve. It will taste like you put a lot more effort into it than you did, which is what I call a Christmas miracle.