This holiday season, Tieghan Gerard has all the simple recipes and tips you need to make a quick and cozy spread for guests.
The cookbook author and creator of Half Baked Harvest joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ready to dish out her favorite holiday hosting ideas, from simple tablescape decor using fresh eucalyptus to a recipe for a one-pan crowd-pleasing brunch.
Check out the full recipes below.
Serves: 8
Total time: 60 minutes
"This toast is eggy, custard infused ... with plenty of cinnamon and orange liqueur, has a crunchy sugar bottom, and is topped with whipped cream and raspberry preserves. Pretty sure it just doesn't get better than this," Gerard writes.
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
8 large eggs beaten
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf challah bread, sliced into thick slices
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 jar (10 ounces) raspberry preserves
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Directions
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, brown sugar and butter. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Submerge each piece of bread into the egg mixture, allowing the bread to sit at least a minute and soak up the eggs. Arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread slices.
Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the French toast. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the French toast is golden and crisp. If the tops of the bread begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the French toast with foil.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the raspberry preserves and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, then simmer 5 minutes until warm.
Serve the French toast warm, topped with whipped cream, if desired, and preserves. Enjoy!
Gerard also suggests having a couple easy to execute recipes up your sleeve, especially when you never know who might show up or when during the holidays.
"I always keep a few things on hand. My go-to appetizer in a pinch is a block of cream cheese whipped with honey, topped with dried cranberries, a sprinkle of chopped rosemary, and flaked sea salt," she said. "Serve it with salted pretzel twists -- it's a crowd-pleaser and very easy and affordable."
Christmas Tree Cheese Board
Later, for "GMA3," Gerard shared some festive cheese appetizer ideas that can be prepared ahead of time and served as guests arrive.
Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 mins
Total: 30 mins
What you need
3-4 cheese wedges/blocks, such as Brie, Parmesan, cheddar and blue cheese
Assorted meats, such as salami, prosciutto and pepperoni
Assorted nuts, such as Marcona almonds and pistachios
Assorted fruit, such as pomegranate, pears, citrus and persimmons
Assorted veggies, such as marinated artichokes, mixed olives, and pickles
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Crackers or a variety of your favorites
How to make
1. Find some string and drape it into the shape of a triangle on a medium to large cheese board. Use the string as a guide while building the board.
2. Working from the bottom up, fill in the tree in with the meats, nuts, fruits, and veggies, as desired. Use crackers to create the "trunk" of the tree.
4. Fill in any empty spaces with pomegranates or olives, then add some rosemary around the edges for "branches".
3. Serve the cheese board at room temperature with additional crackers on the side.
Tips
Room temperature cheese: Cheese is best served at room temperature. If assembling the board ahead of time, remove the cheese from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving.
Advance assembly: I recommend assembling the main components of the board earlier in the day and keeping it covered. Add any perishable garnishes and crackers just before guests arrive.
Use as decor: Set the finished board out on the kitchen table and incorporate it into the evening's decor until you are ready to serve.
Baked Gruyère in Pastry with Rosemary and Garlic
What you need
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pound Gruyère, fontina, or a mix, cubed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1-2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons honey, plus more for serving
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
How to make
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Lay the puff pastry flat on a parchment-lined 10 to 12-inch baking dish/pie plate. Pile the cubes of cheese in the center of the pastry. Mix the rosemary and garlic together with your fingers, then sprinkle over the cheese. Drizzle with honey. Fold the corners of the pastry over the cheese. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown and the cheese bubbly.
4. EAT and enjoy with extra honey, black pepper, and your favorite bread or crackers... or just with a spoon!
Tips
Advance assembly: The entire dish can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Bake it off just before guests arrive for a wonderful aroma and hot appetizer.
Festive touch: Add dried cranberries to the melted cheese and honey mixture for a seasonal twist.
Flaky crust secret: For the flakiest pastry, place the fully assembled pastry in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. Getting the butter very cold is the key to a light, flaky crust.
Table setting
For my centerpiece, I bought three bundles of eucalyptus greens for $5 each at the grocery store. I also picked up a bunch of pomegranates and simply arranged them around the edges of the greens. Then I threw in a few ornaments for an extra festive touch. You can also put cookie tins in the middle of table for a fun centerpiece as well. Use natural linens with velvet ribbon.
You can use small, baked cookies as place card tags. A great option is cute, homemade gingerbread cookie name tags.
GMA Kitchen Picks
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