Don't be a short order cook this holiday season. Set out some of these easy and impressive dishes and everyone in the family will be happy -- especially you.
Baked oatmeal is a comforting Amish breakfast casserole with a consistency similar to bread pudding. There are endless variations -- the recipe is easily adapted with whatever fruits and nuts you have on hand -- but this version with apples, plump raisins and a crunchy walnut topping is my favorite. GET THE RECIPE
This easy and elegant smoked salmon spread is all you need to jazz up a bagel brunch. Bonus: it can be made ahead of time and keeps well. GET THE RECIPE
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Bread pudding is usually sweet, but it can be made savory too. This version, brimming with sweet pork sausage and sharp cheddar, is deeply flavored with a golden crust and creamy interior. It's perfect for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time and feeds a crowd. GET THE RECIPE
These golden-orange scones are packed with pumpkin flavor and heavily spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. They'll make your home smell like the holidays. GET THE RECIPE
Studded with tart dried cherries and topped with a crisp almond streusel, these are -- quite simply -- the loveliest little muffins you ever met. GET THE RECIPE
This is one of my favorite fruit salads, and it's such a nice change of pace from the standard mix of pre-cut fruit from the supermarket. I usually serve it for brunch but it's also wonderful for dessert served with shortcake and whipped cream. GET THE RECIPE
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Adapted from the Sarabeth's Bakery cookbook, these muffins are sweetened entirely with maple syrup -- there's absolutely no sugar in them. As they bake in the oven, they fill your kitchen with the most intoxicating buttery maple scent. GET THE RECIPE
Chai is the actual word for tea in many countries but when we say chai in the States, we're usually referring to Masala chai, a smooth and calming beverage made of black tea, milk, and fragrant Indian spices. Here, I've taken my favorite banana bread recipe and infused it with warm chai spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. GET THE RECIPE
Frittatas can be dry and firm but this one is delicate and creamy, almost like a crustless quiche. A family favorite! GET THE RECIPE
Studded with juicy red grapes with hints of vanilla and citrus, this simple and lovely Italian-style cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or tea. It's called a "harvest cake" because it is traditionally made during the grape harvest season to use up the small grapes not going for pressing. GET THE RECIPE
These are the perfect cinnamon buns: light and tender on the inside, golden and caramelized on the outside and -- best of all -- quick and easy to make. GET THE RECIPE
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This elegant quiche is made with a generous layer of buttery leeks and a rich Parmesan-flavored custard. GET THE RECIPE
Who says you can't have cookies for breakfast? When you dunk these biscotti into your coffee, they soften, becoming rich, chocolaty and decadent. They're a world apart from the brick-like packaged biscotti sold in most coffee shops. GET THE RECIPE
Part booze, part French toast, part bread pudding -- how could you go wrong? This is the ideal holiday brunch dish because you assemble it the night before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, then just pop it in the oven when everyone wakes up. GET THE RECIPE
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