Go ahead and have a fun first weekend of 2026 with some sumptuous foods…
For the first New Year’s Weekend 2025, whether you are hosting a festive brunch or looking for a comforting and indulgent breakfast, these recipe ideas offer a diverse mix of traditional comfort and elevated flavours.
We have gone all out by suggesting tasty and eclectic foods. Please look up the exact recipe (for measurements and methods), on Instagram and YouTube. Hope you try some out and write in to let us know what worked, and what missed the mark.
Traditional & Lucky Recipes
- Oliebollen (Dutch Doughnuts): Traditionally eaten for good luck on New Year’s. These deep-fried dough balls are often filled with raisins or apples and dusted with powdered sugar.
- Mandazi (Swahili Fried Bread): Cardamom-flavored fried triangles that are less sweet than doughnuts, perfect with morning tea or coffee.
Indian-Spiced Tomato and Egg Casserole: A warming, one-pan dish featuring tomato sauce seasoned with green chiles and ginger, poured over sliced potatoes and topped with runny eggs.
Make-Ahead Casseroles (Prep Tonight, Bake Tomorrow)
- Sausage & Apple Breakfast Bake: Layers of cubed bread, ground sausage, tart Granny Smith apples, and cheddar cheese soaked in a cinnamon-egg custard.
- Cinnamon Roll Casserole: Uses refrigerated cinnamon roll dough cut into quarters, soaked in a heavy cream and egg custard, and finished with cream cheese frosting.
- Cheesy Pepperoni Strata: A savory, pizza-inspired breakfast with rustic Italian bread, spinach, pepperoni, and extra sharp cheddar.
- Bacon, Cheese, and Kale Strata: A hearty option using Italian bread soaked overnight in an egg-milk mixture with sautéed kale and bacon.
Quick & Easy for the whole Family & Friends
- Sheet Pan Pancakes: Avoid flipping by baking pancake batter on a large rimmed sheet pan. You can customize half with blueberries and the other half with chocolate chips or pecans.
- Egg Baguette Bakes: Slice a baguette, arrange in a dish, pour over an egg-milk mixture, top with cheese, and bake for 25 minutes.
- Brunch Board: A “build-your-own” spread featuring hard-cooked eggs, smoky-sweet candied bacon, fresh fruit, and English muffins.
Specialty Brunch Treats
- Panettone French Toast: An excellent way to use leftover holiday Panettone; dip slices in a cinnamon-egg wash and pan-fry until golden.
- Goat Cheese Grits with Red Eye Gravy: Creamy grits folded with goat cheese, served with country ham and a coffee-based gravy.
- Mimosa Pancakes: Buttery orange-zest pancakes served with a unique champagne-infused maple syrup.
Sweet Favourites
- Simple French Toast Strata: A crowd-pleasing, make-ahead dish using crusty Italian bread and cream cheese cubes. After soaking overnight in a maple-egg mixture, it bakes in about 40 minutes.
- Anya’s Dutch Pancakes: Authentic thin pancakes from Holland that are best served with butter, lemon, and fruit compotes. They use a specific “blending flour” for a fine texture and take about 2 minutes per pancake to fry.
- Blueberry Bagels: Fresh, chewy homemade bagels featuring a blueberry-infused dough. These take approximately 2 hours including rising time and are excellent for a fresh start to the year.
Dutch Pancakes
Savoury Classics
- Latke Eggs Benedict with Sausage Gravy: A fusion of crispy potato latkes topped with poached eggs and a rich, creamy southern-style sausage gravy. This hearty meal takes about 45 minutes to prepare.
- Chorizo Baked Beans on Toast: An “upmarket bistro-style” breakfast that transforms canned cannellini beans with spicy chorizo, cumin, and paprika. Ready in just 25 minutes and perfect topped with a fried egg.
Goat Cheese Grits with Garlic Mushrooms: A sophisticated yet comforting bowl of creamy grits folded with goat cheese, topped with sautéed spinach, garlic-butter mushrooms, and a fried egg.
Modern & Elevated
- Croissant Breakfast Sandwich: A quick 20-minute vegan-friendly option using plant-based eggs, hash brown patties, and vegan croissants, though it can easily be made with traditional ingredients.
- Bacon Pancake Cake: A savory-sweet “cake” made by baking pancake batter mixed with Manchego cheese and chopped bacon in a cake pan for 45 minutes.
- Sheet-Pan Eggs with Croissant Crumbs: An easy way to feed a crowd, this dish features eggs baked on a sheet pan topped with buttery, toasted croissant crumbs for added texture.
