Our Thanksgiving Brunch Menu May Be the New Tradition You Need

There's never a bad day for brunch, especially during the holidays! Serve brunch instead of dinner and you can nibble on Thanksgiving leftovers all day. Whether you want more time to play flag football or you're visiting family in the afternoon, brunch frees up the rest of your day for more holiday fun. Can't quite give up the traditional fare on Thanksgiving day? Consider serving this meal any day of the long weekend! It's the tastiest way to fuel up and enjoy the flavors of autumn. Thanksgiving breakfast or creative Thanksgiving lunch—this menu is both!

Thanksgiving Brunch Recipes

Take a break from Thanksgiving dinner and focus your energy on these brunch recipes this year:

• Side Dish: Sweet Potato Hash
• Side Dish: Sprouts and Cherry Toasties
• Side Dish: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Main Dish: Frico Fried Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
• Main Dish: Pear-Bacon Strata
• Dessert: Nutty Caramel Apple Crisp
• Non-Alcoholic Drink: Harvest Spice Smoothies
• Cocktail: Orange-Spiced Coffee

See photos and learn more about these Thanksgiving brunch recipes below.

Vegetable Side Dish: Sweet Potato Hash

Yep, you can add potatoes to your list of Thanksgiving brunch ideas. Thanksgiving sweet potatoes don't all come in candied or marshmallow-topped packages. You'll be ready to dig into this 25-minute skillet hash before you've even finished your first cup of coffee! Featuring beans, corn, avocado, and more, this savory sweet potato hash is a hearty yet healthy way to start your day. Top with fresh cilantro and chili powder for extra Southwest flair.

Time-saving tip: Rather than baking potatoes in the oven before adding them to a hash, microwave for 5 to 8 minutes (depending on size) until tender. Chop into bite-size pieces and continue with the recipe.

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Hash

Toast: Sprouts and Cherry Toasties

If you have trouble convincing your kids to eat Brussels sprouts, try this dish. Toast, ricotta cheese, cherry jam, and bacon do a good job of taking the spotlight off the green (though we have a sneaking suspicion they'll like the sautéed sprouts). And what's almost as good as the taste? The way this done-in-a-flash recipe infuses your whole house with the smell of smoked bacon. Since this recipe is so speedy, you can serve it as a Thanksgiving brunch appetizer if any of your guests show up starving.

No-waste tip: Since this recipe calls for 6 ounces of bacon, and most packages contain 16, here are a few more delicious ideas to use up the remaining slices:

• Crumble up the bacon and toss it into the Sweet Potato Hash
• Dice and sprinkle on a salad of leafy greens, tomatoes, and croutons for a twist on the classic BLT
• Use as an edible stir stick in a bloody mary

Get the recipe: Sprouts and Cherry Toasties

Bread: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

The words "pumpkin" and "cinnamon" were enough to sell us on this recipe, but spread on cream cheese icing, and we're rushing to plug in our slow cookers already. Yep, that's right—these yummy rolls can be made in your slow cooker. That means just 30 minutes of prep, and then you can let the set-and-forget appliance do its thing while you enjoy more time with your company (or, you know, more time back in bed)! These holiday cinnamon rolls will be the first to disappear when you host Thanksgiving brunch. And if you're not hosting brunch, you can still put this recipe to work as an easy breakfast for Thanksgiving morning.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Entree: Frico Fried Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

If you're the person who can't get enough cheese, you're going to go crazy for these slider sandwiches. A breakfast sandwich goes from good to great with the addition of fried Parmesan cheese. This sandwich may be transforming breakfast (and Thanksgiving) as we know it, and we're not complaining. File this recipe away with your other fall brunch ideas, because it's just as delicious even when it's not Thanksgiving morning.

Get the recipe: Frico Fried Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

Entree: Pear-Bacon Strata

This breakfast casserole calls for crispy bacon and other favorites like toasted bread, fresh pears, and cheddar cheese. Make the bread cubes ahead of time, then assemble the casserole and bake for 45 minutes and serve. If there's one thing we love even more than great food for this holiday, it's make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes!

Test Kitchen Tip: Allow the baked casserole to stand for 15 minutes before slicing for the best consistency.

Get the recipe: Pear-Bacon Strata

Dessert: Nutty Caramel Apple Crisp

Enjoy apple crisp in the most decadent way possible with this caramel-infused dessert. With apples, caramel, and pecans, each and every bite packs a lot of fruity flavor. After snagging a scoop of our other Thanksgiving brunch ideas, this apple crisp treat will slide right into the last bit of extra space on your plate.

If you're looking for a little extra sweetness (and who isn't come holiday season?), add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top!

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream:

1. Chill a mixing bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Fill the chilled mixing bowl with 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.
3. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Get the recipe: Nutty Caramel Apple Crisp

Non-Alcoholic Drink: Harvest Spice Smoothies

Have you ever walked outside on a crisp autumn day with the leaves falling around you and wished you could just drink it all up? This smoothie, a combo of pumpkin, winter squash, apricots, honey, and pumpkin pie spice, will make you feel like you're doing just that. Only you will know there's a secret protein-packed ingredient hiding inside: tofu! You'll never actually taste it, but including this smoothie on your Thanksgiving brunch menu is a great way to help vegetarians get a full serving of protein (but meat-eaters will also finish every last drop).

Get the recipe: Harvest Spice Smoothies

Cocktail: Orange-Spiced Coffee

If you can't face Thanksgiving breakfast without your coffee, celebrate the holiday by serving up a cup of coffee with some kick! This spiced coffee drink is spiked with orange liqueur and can be served iced or hot. Whatever temp you serve it, don't forget the orange slice to give a nod to the citrus flavors hiding inside. Once the meal is over, you can use this Thanksgiving cocktail to toast the end of another successful holiday meal.

Get the recipe: Orange-Spiced Coffee