Christmas brunch menu

[Tim in PA]

I volunteered our house for Christmas brunch this year. The In-laws will be coming over and I thought it would be fun to make something on the kettle. I initially thought maybe a brisket would be good with eggs and hash but now I'm not sure I want to put that much time in. Especially since I've never done a brisket before. Brunch will start around 10am or so and I'm guessing that would mean I need to fire up the kettle the evening before. I won't be home on Christmas eve until 8pm and I'm just thinking that isn't enough time.

What do you think would be good for the menu on Christmas morning?

[LightningBoldtz]

Every brunch I do includes candy bacon on the grill.

[MartyG]

My wife makes a great caramel bread pudding for our annual brunch - I'm thinking of adapting it for the kettle this year. Will let you know how it turns out.

[1buckie]

"but now I'm not sure I want to put that much time in. Especially since I've never done a brisket before."

 Good rule of thumb you're following there........in genral, don't do a 1st time item for guests, esp. a bunch of guests or an important event......fall back on known items......

I've broken that rule before, had it come out OK, but it was nerve-wracking !!!!

Maybe finger foods......ABT's, moink balls, small fatties, some small skewers of vegetable matter......

all those things can be done up a day or so ahead & cooked up thru some of the morning.......time consuming, but good......

[mike.stavlund]

For brunch, I like to tend toward foods that are similar to common breakfast fare.  So maybe do some pork tenderloins-- they cook up quick and yet can be super-tasty if you cook them properly.  Maybe use some hickory smoke to give them some bacony goodness.  I'd also try to do some bisquits in a cast-iron pan.

I've also done breakfast casserole, which is an egg dish with bread, usually sausage, and various vegetables, and topped with cheese.  This is best prepped the night before, and I've grilled up the vegetables for added flavor (roasted red peppers are great in this).  You could do the whole casserole on the grill if you like, or just put it in the oven for less stress on game day. 

[saxart]

You could throw some FATTIES on the grill.  Stuffed or wrapped with multiple different things to come up with different "flavors".   They usually only take about 2.5hrs, so it fits your timeline well.

Maybe some sort of cheezy hashbrowns?  Those always go well with smoke...

[Craig]

Good rule of thumb you're following there........in genral, don't do a 1st time item for guests, esp. a bunch of guests or an important event......fall back on known items......

My wife reminds me of this (and rightfully so) every time I get a wild hair to cook something new for a gathering.