by Chelsy Mesman

There is nothing quite like that feeling waking up on Christmas morning when you were a kid. Running out of your room and seeing the presents stacked under the tree and Santa’s cookies all eaten. If you were a farm kid it also meant you had to wait to open presents until after chores were done. The animals still needed to eat Christmas morning, too.

Chocolate crinkle cookies. PHOTO BY CHELSY MESMAN

Coming in to the house after chores I can still remember how frozen and hungry my sister and I were. Only wanting to grab a big cup of warm hot chocolate and a gigantic piece of my mom’s breakfast casserole to fill our empty bellies. My mom made this casserole every Christmas morning and it was always my favorite. It is loaded with eggs, sausage, cheese, hashbrowns and vegetables. The best part of this casserole is that you can make it the night before and put it in the oven Christmas morning. Talk about easy and delicious, especially when chores still have to be done. It is a hearty and hefty casserole that will keep you full through opening all the gifts. This has been a tradition that I have carried on to my own family and is still something I look forward to eating after a chilly morning doing chores. It’s simple to eat while watching the kids tear into Christmas presents, or yourself.

What is also needed early Christmas morning, coffee. We have been enjoying this spiced coffee every Christmas morning since I moved to the coffee-obsessed Pacific Northwest. It’s easy to make as a drip coffee or a pour over and adds a little something more to your plain coffee. To add to your holiday sweet tooth, these chocolate crinkle cookies are deliciously chewy and will have you reaching for more and a glass of cold milk.  Made with cocoa and oil, they are extremely fast to put together. Add these to your cookie swap or for your holiday get together. I promise everyone will love them, even Santa.

Enjoy!

Christmas brunch casserole. PHOTO BY CHELSY MESMAN

Christmas Brunch Casserole

Ingredients 

4 cups fresh or frozen hash brown potatoes

½ lb. sliced bacon or ham, cooked and drained

1 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained

½ medium chopped green pepper

½ medium chopped red pepper

2 cups (8oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 green onion, chopped

1 cup biscuit/baking mix

½ tsp. salt

4 eggs

3 cups milk

Directions 

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sausage, bacon, green pepper, 1 cup cheese and onion. Transfer into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. In another bowl, whisk the biscuit mix, salt, eggs and milk; pour over the top of potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes, or insert a knife into the center to see if it comes out clean.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients 

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon salt

2 cups confectioners sugar; more as needed

Directions 

In a large bowl, beat eggs and oil with the sugars and vanilla until smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt directly into the bowl and stir to blend. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. When your ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and then in the confectioners’ sugar, coating them liberally.  Place them on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie, and bake for 8 or 9 minutes, until the cookies spread and crack. Be careful not to over bake, even if they don’t seem quite set in the center. Let them cool completely on a rack.

Spiced Coffee

Ingredients 

½ cup ground coffee

2 whole cardamom pods, slightly crushed

½ cinnamon stick

3 – 4 whole cloves

Directions 

Fill the reservoir of your drip coffee maker with water to make 8 cups of coffee. Put the coffee in the filter,  then add the the spices. Brew as usual.