Holiday Brunch Menu Ideas

Hosting a holiday brunch? These vegetarian-friendly ideas—savory, sweet, and festive—will impress everyone at the table!

On a very active Adventist recipe swap social media group there was a last-minute request for ideas for a Christmas brunch, an innovation for busy families that have to get back to jobs, or are splitting their holiday time between relatives' homes. They are basically geared to be vegetarian, but might include eggs and dairy (ovo-laco vegetarian, possibly the most active dietary choice of Adventists worldwide.) 

Who doesn't enjoy an informal but delicious brunch? (Firefly image)

 1. The first person sharing on the online group about Christmas breakfast stated that their family had a tradition of Blueberry coffee cake and Christmas fruit punch

Here is a recipe for Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake (in lieu of the above blueberry coffee cake):

Serves 17.

2 cups Sugar

⅔ cups Vegetable Shortening

3 Eggs

1 ¼ cup of Milk (dairy or nondairy)

4 ¼ cups of All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tablespoons Baking Powder

1 ¼ teaspoons Salt

5 ⅓ cups frozen blueberries 

Topping for the Above: 

⅛ cup of Butter (dairy or nondairy)

¾ cup Brown Sugar, packed

¼ cup Flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

TO MAKE THE COFFEE CAKE:

1. Cream together the shortening and flour.

2. Add eggs

3. Mix in milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and blueberries.

4. Spoon into a 9” x 13” baking pan. Lining with parchment makes it easier to clean up.

5. Mix the topping together and sprinkle across the unbaked coffee cake.

6. Bake at 375F for 45 to 50 minutes.

7. Serve warm.

2.One family has “a breakfast charcuterie board while the kids open presents and then a Christmas brunch a little later. Breakfast foods are never a bad idea.” (Firefly image.)

3. “This year we're doing Chili, cinnamon rolls & fruit

We change it up a little every year” Firefly image.

4. "I use in steps: homemade pizza dough, salsa, scrambled eggs, crumbled up a roll vegetarian sausage (Prosage is a vegetarian sausage product made by Worthington food company), then I sauté with onion, pepper and spices of choice, put over scrambled eggs, top with cheese of choice, bake and enjoy!” This brunch host also likes to include other breakfast items such as "oatmeal, Prosage and scrambled eggs, a selection of nice fresh fruit and some delicious desserts”. (Note: Firefly pizza image seems to include bacon-- it would be Stripples or some other vegetarian bacon on an Adventist breakfast pizza😜

5. And for a lighter Brunch for those who enjoy just a holiday-themed smoothie (or maybe a "smoothie bar"), here are some ideas from Smoothiemoves.com -- just scroll down under the recipe for the mandarin orange smoothie for links to other vegan holiday smoothie recipes.

The first four brunch ideas above are gratefully borrowed from Best Adventist Recipe Swap on Facebook.