Christmas Breakfast: My Favorite Meal

What does your family do for Christmas breakfast?

I love to cook, I really do.  And I’ve had this crazy idea that the more I cook and the more lavish of a meal that I cook, the more I show my family I love them.  For years, my husband has been trying to get me to make Christmas breakfast simple, but he never quite succeeded.  When we were first married, he tried to get me to just buy a can of Pillsbury orange rolls.  That lasted for about ten years but we haven’t had any of those for a long time.  I just can’t help it.  Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and there’s so many wonderful recipes to choose from. Who wants canned food on Christmas?

I think breakfast is our family’s favorite meal anyway.  When I married my southern bred husband, he introduced me to a whole new section of breakfast cuisine.  In spite of its cholesterol choking capabilities, biscuits with sausage gravy is a family favorite.  I justify making it by using skim milk in the gravy and sneaking a couple of tablespoons of whole wheat flour into the biscuits.

I’ve discovered I can make the biscuits and the gravy the night before.  Then on Christmas morning, all I have to do is toast the biscuits in the toaster oven and warm the gravy in the microwave.  Sure, it isn’t quite as good but hey, the family is thinking about the presents, right?

Somehow I just don’t seem to have the time for what I really like to make – homemade cinnamon rolls.  Christmas Eve services at the church where my husband pastors is the highlight of our holiday celebration so by the time we come home from that, I don’t have much energy left to do anything too elaborate.

Another favorite is Sausage Egg Bake.  I can quickly put that together the night before.  Just as the family wakes up, I’ll stick it in the oven.  We then have enough time to check Christmas stockings, read the Christmas story and do the finishing touches on breakfast.  We eat, and then open the rest of the presents.

Here are my recipes for homemade biscuits and sausage gravy:

 Biscuits Supreme

2 cups alll-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp salt

1/3-1/2 cup shortening

2/3 cup milk

Stir together the dry ingredients.  Cut in the shortening.  Add the milk all at once and mix well till dough clings together.  Knead gently ten strokes on a floured surface.  Pat out dough with your hands to ½ inch thickness.  Cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter or cut into wedges like scones.  Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 till golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

Sausage Gravy

1/2 pound mild sausage

2 cups water

2/3 cup powdered milk

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

In large iron skillet, fry sausage till brown.  Drain grease into a 2 quart saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Add flour and seasonings; stir for 1 minute.  Meanwhile reconstitute milk by adding milk powder to water; stir well.  Add milk slowly to butter mixture in saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Add cooked sausage,

Over the years, God has had to work hard on my attitudes about food at holidays.  I’ve had to remember that food is only a tool, only a part of the entire celebration, that the focus is Jesus Christ, not the food. Every year breakfast cools while my husband reads the Christmas story, I have to remind myself every year that Christ taking on human flesh so that he could atone for the sins of the world was far more important than a lavish breakfast. I know that sounds like a well duh, but for me it has been a struggle.  That’s why I wrote the story, “The Christmas Gift” that will be included in the anthology, Christms Treasures: A Cellection of Short Stories..  Jen, in her quest to make the perfect Christmas breakfast and plan the perfect day has to find out the hard way what makes a perfect Christmas.

You all know me well enough, I don’t have to give my bio but in case you are new to Grace on Parade, I’ve been writing and publishing since 1986.  I’m working on writing my third novel.  I’m so excited and proud to be included with the group of writers represented in Christmas Treasures: A Collection of Short Stories.  We will be announcing soon when and how you can get your own copy of this wonderful anthology.  In the meantime, keep checking back at Grace on Parade for more holiday food stories and recipes.