There just never seems to be enough time during the hectic week to spend quality time with family and friends. That is why brunch is a great way to reconnect whether it's a special occasion or just an available Sunday. And using these homemade easy recipes, even the hosts will be a part of the festivities.

Tip to avoid major cleanup after your brunch. Make the casserole and potatoes in a disposable tin (dollar store, grocery store, warehouse store). Then just scoop them into a pretty serving dish that will be much easier to clean since it wasn't used for baking.

Pistachio Bread

Prep time: Cook time: Serves: about 8

Bread ingredients:

1 package Dunkin Hines butter Recipe Cake Mix

1 small package Jello pistachio pudding

1 cup sour cream (8 oz.)

4 eggs lightly beaten

¼ cup of oil

¼ cup of water

Nut mixture ingredients:

3 T. brown sugar

2 ½ t. cinnamon

¾ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios)

Instructions: Grease and flour 2 bread tins. (better yet, buy the spray that contains both!) Put ¼ of the batter in the bottom of each pan. Put the nut mixture on top. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Serves: about 8

6 slices of bread

1 lb. cooked sausage

6-8 eggs

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup of milk

Instructions: Layer the ingredients into a 9 x 13 pan in the order shown. This can be made up to 12 hours before and refrigerated. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Cheesy Potatoes

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Serves: about 8

1 (2 lb). package frozen cubed potatoes

2 cups of sour cream

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of celery soup (cream of anything will work!)

Optional: chopped onion

Instructions: Mix well. Spoon into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

And finally, serve with a large tray or bowl of chopped fruit and a pre-cooked spiral sliced and glazed ham. Since the glazed baked ham from pams-hams.com is best served at room temperature and requires no cooking, it's a great choice for a simple brunch.