40 Festive Brunch Recipes

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.

Tomato-Zucchini Strata

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.

Sausage-Apple Dutch Baby

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

Gingerbread Waffles with Hot Lemon Curd Sauce

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

Pork ‘n’ Pippins Quiche

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

Chocolate-Kissed Monkey Bread

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.

Blueberry Surprise French Toast Casserole recipe

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.

Patsy's Egg Casserole recipe

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.

Darling Clementine Mocktail

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.

Mini Egg Pastries with Bearnaise Sauce

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

Swedish Tea Ring

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.

Fruit and Nut Granola

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.

Swedish Lemon Pancakes

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.

Lazy Morning Sausage Pie

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. 

Lazy Morning Cinnamon Rolls 

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!"

Maple Butter Twists

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.

Sausage Polenta with Nestled Eggs

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.

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

Easy Huevos Rancheros Casserole

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

Morning Pecan Casserole

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.

Spinach Quiche a la Goldmoor recipe

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.

Stuffed Croissant Breakfast Strata

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.

This brunch recipe comes from Carol Mortensen of Flossmoor, Illinois. "My husband and I began hosting brunches in 1986. This goat cheese, artichoke and smoked ham strata became our favorite brunch dish," she says. "The best part is preparing it the night before to bake in the morning."

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata

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.

Creamy Butter-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate recipe

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.

Egg 'n' Bacon Breakfast Casserole

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

Gingerbread-Sour Cream Muffins recipe

This recipe 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.

Finnish Baked Pancakes recipe

Stuffed French Toast recipe

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

Herbed Egg-Potato breakfast

Sugared Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Cranberry Apple Crisp

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.)

Classic Challah

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

Sunrise Smoothies recipe

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

Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake recipe

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

Spicy Brunch Lasagna

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

Cheese Blintzes

Brie cheese, zucchini, and Roma and cherry tomates update this classic brunch casserole.

Baked Brie Strata

Chocolate wrapped in sweet-roll dough forms bite-size bubbles in this bread. It's great for breakfast or snacks. You'll love it warm from the oven.

Chocolate-Almond Bubble Wreath recipe

Customize this breakfast staple with your choice of dried fruits or veggies. Add cranberries for a tangy holiday treat or zucchini for something savory. If you prefer scones to muffins, try our Fresh Cranberry Scones with a cream cheese spread.

Winter Wake-up Muffins recipe

Fresh Cranberry Scones recipe

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.

Cream Cheese-Filled Breakfast Pancakes

People love the sounds of food cooking in iron skillets. The irresistible combination of Cajun andouille sausage and bacon bump up the flavor of this home-style breakfast dish. A cast-iron skillet browns it best.

Lumbercamp Falls Skillet recipe

Rediscover how easy these tender, thin pancakes are to mix and cook. Serve with sweet or savory fillings and toppings.

Caramel Apple Crepes recipe

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.

Kringla recipe

This fluffy brunch dessert looks like a snow sculpture. Serve with Custard Sauce and fresh raspberries.

Wisconsin Snow Pudding