It’s the Holidays and for most of us that means getting together with family and friends. When my crew shows up, I like to serve my favorite meal…BRUNCH!

For those of us who try to watch the waistline, even on special occasions, any Holiday gathering can be a challenge, but if you keep it simple and plan ahead, brunch can be a piece of cake (without the cake)! Try to avoid sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls or coffee cake. (1/3 of your recommended daily calories in one spot!) and those egg casseroles are usually a nightmare for anyone who has gluten issues. Offering several dishes, well-labeled, keeps everyone happy.

Keep it simple. Try a new recipe or two, wow your guests with something that looks complicated and takes little effort, put it all on the table and then pour yourself a cup of coffee and relax! Sometimes, planning in advance to set a pretty table can make it seem like  you’ve slaved for hours over Brunch. Hah! If only they knew…By the way, I found those cute little buffet markers (that look like little pumpkins and squash) plus a large blue pumpkin and some coordinating paper napkins at a cute little shop in Galena, Illinois early in the Fall. The table looked great with some white and brown autumn decorations, bittersweet, these little cuties, and an assortment of white plates for our guests.

The Finley Brunch:

My family is a great blend of nationalities, but we claim Irish and Scottish when we celebrate, so this year’s day after Thanksgiving (before everyone headed out to shop) brunch included Irish Scones, Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce, sliced turkey ham, a big platter of fresh fruit, a pretty pitcher of orange juice and fresh coffee. The Scotch Eggs were the hit! Even my six-year-old grandson loved them.

Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a good quality non-stick saute pan and a large baking sheet. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat.

Hint: It helps to have a second person to brown the egg/sausage balls while you make more. There is no filler in the sausage, so our gluten-intolerant family member loved this recipe.

Hard boiled eggs, peeled and dry (allow two per person, unless serving lots of small children). Boil and peel eggs the night before.

Turkey sausage (I use Honeysuckle White and blend their Breakfast and Italian Sausages. You will need two ounces of sausage for each egg.) Be a label reader. Make sure the sausage is low fat. Some can have as much or more fat than pork sausage.

This is so simple. Wear rubber gloves. Get the good ones you find at the drug store. Put on the gloves and then spray them with no-stick spray. Using a food scale with a small plate on top, weigh out sausage into two-ounce portions, and place them on a piece of waxed paper.

Use a paper towel to dry each peeled egg before you use it. Flatten two-ounce ball of sausage in your hand. Place one hard boiled egg on sausage and form sausage around egg to completely cover it. Don’t let any bald spots show through.  Gently roll egg/sausage ball around in saute pan until browned all over. (You can speed this process up by getting someone to do the browning while you keep making more balls). Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggs and sausage. Place filled baking sheet in 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes. Turn balls around on baking sheet. Return sheet to oven and bake an additional ten minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees and sausage looks completely browned. Using a serrated knife, quarter the eggs, lengthwise, and arrange on a platter. Serve with Dill Sauce.

Dill Sauce

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup yellow mustard

2 teaspoons dried dillweed

Place above ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a small wire whisk. Place in a pretty bowl for serving.