Expand / Collapse search
☰

Everything you need for the perfect holiday brunch

Published  December 21, 2020 5:15pm EST
Cooking School
FOX 2 Detroit

Holiday brunch ideas from Chef Kelli at Two Unique Caterers

www.twounique.com

So you're stuck at home during the pandemic. We're all doing our part to make it possible to see our families NEXT year by staying home THIS year. 

To say it's not ideal is being kind. But you can make the best of it and Chef Kelli brought some ideas to make your holiday brunch the best it's ever been.

Rustic Holiday Strata

    • Serves 8-10 
    • 1 cup whole milk 
    • 1 cup half & half 
    • 1-pound country pork sausage 
    • 8 eggs
    • 3 garlic cloves chopped 
    •  ½ cup thinly sliced leeks 
    •  ¾ cup thinly sliced fennel 
    • 1 bunch lacto kale (or green if preferred) cut into medium strips
    • 1&1/4 cup good quality parmesan or Romano~ shaved (reserve ¼ cup) 
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
    • 1 tablespoon butter 
    • 1 tsp. sea salt 
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper 
    • 3 tablespoons melted butter 
    • 1 large loaf sourdough bread cubed about 6 cups (toast in oven with 3 tablespoons of melted butter about 8-10 minutes until golden, let cool)  

  • Directions 

    1. In heavy bottom sauté pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil add pork sausage in clumps and stir with wooden spoon to break up the meat until about 50% cooked, add leeks and fennel and continue to sauté over medium heat until vegetables and pork are cooked, stir in kale for last minute or so of cooking to "wilt" 
    2. In medium bowl using a whip mix; eggs, milk seasonings and mustard.
    3. Toss meat and cheese together, mix with cubed bread, add in milk egg mixture, and toss all ingredients.
    4. Prepare baking dish with a smear of butter or heavy coating of nonstick spray. 
    5. Pour mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle reserved half cup of meat and cheese 
    6. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, cover with foil when casserole starts to brown and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Sugar Plum Fairies Egg Nog French Toast Bake

  • Serves 8-10

  • Ingredients 

    • 8 cups brioche cubed 
    • 8 whole eggs
    • 2 cups whole milk or cream
    • 1 cup egg nog
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons melted butter 
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla 
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • Spiced sugar sprinkle: 2 tablespoons raw/ turbinado sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon & ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  • Directions 

    1. Whip: eggs, milk, egg nog, melted butter, spices, and vanilla 
    2. Fold bread into egg mixture
    3. Prepare 9x13 inch baking pan with butter smear or a heavy coating of nonstick spray and pour in coated bread mixture.
    4. Let soak for a minimum of one hour before baking or get a jump start and make the day before baking and refrigerate overnight. 
    5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees bake coved for 30 minutes, remove foil and brush top sprinkle the top with spice sugar, then brown for an addition 10 minutes or until baked through. 
    6. Sprinkle with prepared sugar plum fairy cranberries (recipe below) 

Sugar Plum Fairy Cranberries 

  • Ingredients

    • 2 cups sugar, divide
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries, washed

  • Directions

    1. Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.
    2. Stir in cranberries and stir to coat all cranberries. 
    3. Use a slotted spoon and transfer cranberries to a wire rack (set it on top of a lined baking sheet for easy clean up).
    4. Reserve syrup if you want to spritz a sparkling water or holiday cocktail!
    5. Let cranberries dry for 1 hour.
    6. After one hour, roll cranberries in remaining sugar until completely coated.
    7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Holiday Citrus Salad 

  • For the Salad:

    • 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice 
    • 1 teaspoon orange zest
    • 1 teaspoon lime zest 
    • 2 teaspoons pure michigan honey 
    • 6 clementine’s
    • 4 blood oranges 
    • 1 red grapefruit
    • 1 pink grapefruit
    • 1 large navel orange
    •  ½ c. pomegranate seeds

  • Directions 

    1. Wisk together; lime & orange juice and zest and honey 
    2. Cut away skin and with pith with small sharp paring knife and slice in round discs about ¼ inch thick.
    3. Arrange sliced citrus on a pretty platter and then drizzle with citrus mixture and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top.
    4. Garnish with a thin julienne of basil if desired. 

  • Serving Suggestions Present with arugula, poppyseed dressing and crushed pistachios or present with yogurt and granola 

Festive Deviled Eggs

  • Ingredients

    • 12 hard-boiled eggs
    • ½ cup & 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
    • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
    • ½ teaspoon salt a sprinkle of cayenne pepper 

  • Directions

    1. Put eggs into pot and cover with cold water.  When water reaches a boil, set timer for 10 minutes.
    2. Drain boiling water and then place pot in sink and run cool water on eggs for a few minutes.  Carefully roll egg on counter to crinkle a little bit and peel shell 
    3. Carefully cut eggs in half and yolk from white. 
    4. Rinse eggs white to remove any yellow specks, hole side sown on paper towel. 
    5. Place yolks in small metal bowl and with a tablespoon firmly rub yolks with metal spoon on the side of the bowl to mix and remove any lumps (it should look like a cream) 
    6. Mix mayo, apple cider and spices then stir mayo mixture into creamed yolks.
    7. Fill eggs with a spoon or pipe with a small pastry bag and straight tip.   Garnish with herbs or see variations below. 

Picnic Ham: take sliced ham and cut with a small round cutter, line egg white with ham before filling and garnish with a thin slice of cornichon pickle.

Shrimp:  garnish top with a half-butterflied shrimp and a sprig of dill 

Bacon & Cheddar: add a tablespoon bacon grease and two tablespoons finely grated cheddar to mayo mixture and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped bacon. 

Florentine: ¾ cup of spinach sauteed for a quick minute, drain spinach and press any extra liquid off, chop and mix into egg yolk mixture 

Smoked Salmon: place a thin slice of smoked salmon nested inside egg white, pipe filling and garnish with dill or minced chives.   

Other Trimmings:
• Smoked salmon is an easy go to 
• Bagels with smears 
• Room temperate meat platters such as turkey or ham 
• Juices, hot coco/coffee with fun trimmings