Make Christmas meals easy, stress-free

Cooks should not be exiled to the kitchen on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

This year, lighten or ease up on the heavy-duty Christmas meals. Most folks pigged out at Thanksgiving, and oh, those holiday parties have expanded waistbands.

Home cooks want to enjoy the holiday with friends and family, too.

A Christmas brunch is one way to ease the load. A hearty breakfast casserole can be made the day before and simply popped into the oven. Add a quick fruit salad and maybe some muffins or biscuits and you have a filling meal without the normal kitchen workout.

To accompany a sweet French toast casserole, a cheese grits casserole or strips of bacon, sausages or ham work well.

There is no law that says a crown roast, ham or turkey must be served at Christmas. Home cooks can do a quick stir-fry or maybe steak tips and noodles with a peppered gravy. Both taste and sound great. Both recipes are less than 400 calories per serving.

Here are a few recipes for a Christmas brunch and a lighten-the-load Christmas lunch.

ITALIAN-STYLE SAUSAGE BREAKFAST BAKE

Cooking spray

8 cups cubed crusty bread

1 (12-ounce) package breakfast sausage

8 large eggs

2 cups 2 percent milk

1 tablespoon prepared pesto

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Layer cubed bread into prepared baking dish. Cook sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat until crumbled and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, layer sausage over bread cubes.

Place eggs, milk, pesto, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Gently mix in cheeses, tomatoes and green onions until combined. Pour over sausage and bread mixture and gently stir to combine.

Bake dish for 45 to 55 minutes until set. Before serving, top with fresh sliced basil leaves. Cut into squares and serve.

— From www.allrecipes.com

ORANGE MARMALADE BREAKFAST BAKE

3 tablespoons butter, softened

24 slices French bread (1/2-inch thick)

1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade

6 large eggs

2 3/4 cups 2 percent milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Syrup:

1 1/4 cups maple syrup

1/3 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Spread butter over one side of each bread slice. Arrange half of the bread slices overlapping in a greased 3-quart or 13-by-9-inch bake dish, buttered side down. Spread marmalade over bread slices; top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg until blended, pour over bread. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven heats. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, orange juice and zest; heat through. Serve with casserole.

Nutritional facts: 1 piece with 2 tablespoons syrup: 356 calories; 9 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat). 105 milligrams cholesterol, 244 milligrams sodium, 63 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein.

— From Taste of Home magazine

QUICK MONGOLIAN BEEF STIR-FRY

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

3 cups sliced red bell peppers (about 2 medium)

2 cups hot cooked brown rice

1/2 cup chopped green onions (green parts only)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Sprinkle steak with black pepper and salt. Add steak to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove steak from pan (do not wipe out pan).

Combine sugar, soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, broccoli and bell peppers to pan, cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover pan; add soy sauce mixture.

Cook 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and liquid reduces by about half. Add steak; cook 1 minute. Divide rice evenly among 4 plates; top with beef mixture and green onions.

Nutritional facts; 304 calories; 13 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated, 6.4 grams monounsaturated); 25 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; fiber 6 grams; cholesterol; 53 milligrams; iron 3 milligrams; sodium 634 milligrams; 87 milligrams calcium; sugars 16 grams.

— From Cooking Light

STEAK TIPS WITH PEPPERED MUSHROOM GRAVY

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

Cooking spray

1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, optional

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain

While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak, sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cover.

Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Note: Briefly cooking the gravy with thyme sprigs saves the time of stripping the tiny leaves from the stem, but still gives you the herb’s woodsy flavor.

Nutritional facts: 344 calories; 12.5 grams fat (5.3 grams saturated fat, 4.2 grams monounsaturated fats); 27.3 grams protein; 28.7 grams carbohydrates; 1.7 grams fiber; 95 milligrams cholesterol; 4.3 milligrams iron; 538 milligrams sodium; 28 milligrams calcium.)

— From Cooking Light 2010

This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 5:00 AM.