Christmas Day brings a culinary paradox. Nobody wants to spend all day in the kitchen, but we all want to eat well.

That’s why these make-ahead breakfast ideas are the key to enjoying the holidays. You can set yourself up for success for breakfast, or my preference, brunch.

I’m more than happy with a pot of coffee for most of the morning (with a few sugar cookies popped into my mouth). I ply the girls with smoothies to sip as they open presents to eliminate risk of low blood sugar.

Come 10 a.m., everyone’s ready for something more substantial, sweet or savory–or both.

5 Best Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes

Here are my top picks for a pre-made holiday breakfast. With only 2 days to go, I’m still deciding among them for myself:

1. Extra-Pumpkin Tea Cake Not too sweet and made with a hefty proportion of whole wheat flour, this is my go-to holiday snack. I already have some stashed in the freezer.
2. Orange Twists For something a little more indulgent, donut-like without any deep-frying. These simple pastries flavored with orange zest, juice and orange flower water rise overnight for a.m. baking.
3. Truffled Baked Eggs with Potatoes On the savory side, these baked eggs flavored with truffle oil are a great choice when company’s coming.
4. Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles Make this sourdough batter the night before for a near-instant breakfast. Take it to the sweet side with fruit preserves, poached fruit or maple syrup with yogurt or go savory by making it the “bread” for a great egg sandwich (see Bonus, below).
5. Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake A slice of nostalgia with an ideal streusel-to-cake ratio. A most welcome contribution to any holiday brunch.

Bonus:
One Good Egg Sandwich on Biscuits or Waffles It’s may be an add-on to the list, but an egg sandwich is my favorite breakfast of all. I plan to bake a batch of biscuits to put in the freezer today, just in case the mood for a sausage, egg and cheddar biscuit sandwich hits.