Few meals are more exciting and filled with anticipation than Christmas breakfast. Not only is the meal typically bigger than most daily breakfasts, but for many families, Christmas morning is one of the few times a year the whole family eats the morning meal together.
Healthy Holidays
30 Days of Holiday Eating
A series of daily tips, tidbits and insights about holiday food.
On the Be It Ever So Humble blog, blogger Mrs. Mordecai recalls a family tradition of eating Christmas breakfast before opening gifts.
We were allowed our stocking and the one, unwrapped Santa gift before breakfast, but we had to wait until after we had eaten (or pretended to) for the rest…. It was hard to wait, but I’m sure it was good for us. And as excited as we were, we usually managed to do at least partial justice to my mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls.
The blog includes a link to baked doughnuts from the 101 Cookbooks blog.
On “The Leonard Lopate Show” on WNYC, chef Michael Lomonaco of Porter House New York recalls how his family began Christmas right after midnight mass. The WNYC Web site offers Mr. LoMonaco’s recipes for both breakfast foods and drinks, including a banana-mango smoothie, a virgin bloody Mary, buttermilk waffles and a vegetable frittata with spinach, mushrooms, peppers and cheddar cheese.
The Arizona Republic suggests a series of baked egg dishes, noting that they can be prepared in advance and left to cook in the oven, so the chef doesn’t have to miss the holiday fun.
The food blog Smitten Kitchen has a recipe for cranberry vanilla coffee cake, as well as boozy baked French toast, which uses challah bread and is baked in a pan rather than cooked on top of the stove.
The blog Mommy Life includes a recipe for a make-ahead egg casserole made with eggs, cottage cheese, green chiles and either ham, bacon or sausage. The dish is made on Christmas Eve and cooks while the family opens presents on Christmas morning.
The Oregonian Food Day blog notes that by Christmas, many people are tired of sweets and crave more savory flavors. The writers suggest Mexican breakfast dishes for their spicy flavor and use of ingredients that come in the holiday colors of red and green. They include recipes for a tantalizing one-skillet dish of chilaquiles (chee-lah-KEE-lehs), made with corn tortillas, as well as Christmas breakfast quesadillas.
Healthy living doesn't happen at the doctor's office. The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day. It's about the choices we make when we buy groceries, drive our cars and hang out with our kids. Join columnist Tara Parker-Pope as she sifts through medical research and expert opinions for practical advice to help readers take control of their health and live well every day. You can reach Ms. Parker-Pope at 
The easiest and most pleasurable way to eat well is to cook. Recipes for Health offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. 
4 Comments
Is our family the only one that eats leftover turkey dinner for Christmas breakfast? Plus champagne of course….
— brooklynchickFor many years, my husband has been making the stollen his Finnish mother used to make, heavy on the cardamom. A very special and delicious treat. Can be made in advance, with the addition of a glaze just before heating and serving. Our 13-year-old will surely continue the tradition.
— LindaBreakfast stratas! Make them the night before, stick them in the fridge so that the bread soaks up all the egg and cream, then bung them in the oven for an hour on Christmas morning. You can go sweet — basically a French toast bread pudding — or savory with ham, cheese, herbs, spicy sausage and chiles, they’re just the best. Plus you can nibble on them even after they’ve gotten cool (or just nuke the leftovers).
— KateLinda - Would you share the recipe for the Finnish stollen?
— Sandy MetcalfeThanks!