We have an annual Christmas party usually the 2^nd Friday of December.  It is generally an eclectic group of friends.  Some years we have 20 people coming and going other years 50+ I think last year was well over 50 people I serioulsy stopped counting.  We have a good friend that comes dressed as Santa most years – he has a wicked side so he tends to brings nips for the adults, thankfully there are not many kids that come but if they do, Santa is always a huge hit and plays nice with the kids and takes pictures.  It is super cute.

My house tends to be pretty crazy with people coming and going all night but it is always fun.  Last year we had 13 people stay over; there were makeshift beds and bodies everywhere I swear. Breakfast was for 18; my in-laws live next door and housed some other party goers. Thankfully for the following 2 breakfast casserole dishes that I make up the day before; my husband was able to make breakfast for everyone, I was a little under the weather – if you know what I mean.  I also make some sort of bread or muffin the day before.  Just in case….

Strata:

4 Slices of white bread

3 breakfast sausage crumbled and cooked

1 pint of egg beaters + 2 eggs – mixed

1 1/2 Cups milk – mix with above eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Scallions or Several chives

1-2 tsp thyme

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Spray a 9/13 pan with cooking spray, rip the bread in pieces and fill the bottom of the dish. Cover with cheese and the cooked sausage.  Slowly poor the egg & milk mixture over the bread and sausage; sprinkle with thyme, scallions, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let set overnight.  Next morning; take out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter while the oven pre-heats to 350’ remove plastic and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

Hashbrown Casserole:

3-4 pieces of your favorite breakfast sausage crumbled and browned

Bag of hashbrown (frozen section)

1 medium onion diced

2 Tbs butter

2-3 Tbs flour

1 cup milk

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Crumble and brown the breakfast sausage; remove from the pan (leaving the grease) and set aside.  Add hashbrowns a little at time – I like to make sure they are a little browned and crunchy.  Remove potatoes and set aside.  Add and melt the butter add the onion and cook till softened.  Add the flour to make a roux – should be consistency of wet sand. Cook for about 3-4 minutes; add the milk all at once; stir and cook till thickened approx. 8 minutes.  You are going to want to mix sausage, potatoes, onions and roux well and put in a 9×13 pan and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Again I like them pretty browned.

One of our very good friends comes and plays the piano, we start out with all the Christmas carols we know and love. We hand out homemade booklets with all the words to the carols. One of my favorite quotes from one of my guests was “why is there a piano over there? I am NOT singing Christmas carols!  By the end of the night, he was not only requesting songs, he was actually singing solos – LOVE IT!!!!  We always save the best song for last The 12 Days of Christmas, we assign; actually by this time people are volunteering to be a certain day. Rich and his crew are always 5 golden rings. Quite comical since this is the only song my husband sings.  But he does it with such panache let me tell you arms open wide and there is no mistaken what they are singing!!!

After caroling we break out the old standards.  Elton John, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Abba and whatever show tunes we think we can sing.  Last year was the first year we were able to belt out Bohemian Rhapsody in its entirety.  I may have had my cocktail hearing aids on (remember above me being slighlty under the weather the next morning) but we sounded AMAZING!

I am so looking forward to this year’s party – every year we talk about finding words to songs and displaying them on the flat screen, we find reading over the “Piano Man’s” (as we have dubbed him) shoulder at those tiny little words is just damn near impossible these days.  It stinks having older eyes. Maybe I will spend some quality time between now and then to see if I could do something about it.  If anyone has any ideas, please share how to make this happen.

I do have another unconventional way of getting ready for the Holiday’s – we on occasion spend a few days after Thanksgiving in the Caribbean somewhere.  This being my husband and my 25th Wedding Anniversary we are currently in Cancun enjoying some rest, relaxation, sun and a massage or two.

Happy Holidays!!!!