This lovely holiday is just around the corner. And what a perfect time to host a brunch. It's true, Easter can be a busy morning, what with the egg hunt and all, but there's plenty of time for a delicious brunch if you plan ahead and incorporate make-ahead recipes.

One of our favorite dishes for any holiday brunch is Monkey Bread. This versatile bread dazzles. I say "versatile" because it can show up either sweet or savory. For instance, consider this bacon, egg, and cheese Monkey Bread. I found it on www.delish.com; you can make it the day before and refrigerate it prior to the day you'll bake it. You can slice it or pull it apart.

BACON, EGG, & CHEESE MONKEY BREAD

Cooking spray, for pan

1 1/2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain, then crumble.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper.

Quarter biscuits and dip in egg mixture, then add a layer to the prepared bundt pan. Add a layer of cheese, then bacon, then continue with biscuit pieces until the pan is three-quarters full. Pour remaining egg mixture over top. Bake until egg is cooked through and bread is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool, then turn out onto a plate and serve.

Optional step: Once you turn out bread, top with additional cheese, and return to oven until melted, 5 minutes.

Another perfect dish for a busy morning brunch is bread pudding. We usually think of a sweet dish when we talk about bread pudding. But delish.com had a recipe for a savory bread pudding that's really amazing. This is another recipe you can make ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the chard and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the chard and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the bread and let sit, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes. Fold the chard mixture, artichokes and ham into the bread mixture, then add the goat cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (cover with foil if it browns too quickly), 45 to 50 minutes.

And here's another brunch show-stopper. A cinnamon roll casserole! This is a perfect recipe to make the day before and then bake the morning of your gathering. It's also from www.delish.com. I've done this a couple ways-in a bundt pan and in a glass baking dish as pictured. I like to double the recipe and make this in a 9x13 glass dish.

CINNAMON ROLL CASSEROLE

Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a glass 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Cut cinnamon rolls into thirds and layer in dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Pour over cinnamon rolls and bake until egg is cooked through and cinnamon rolls are deeply golden, 20 to 22 minutes. ​Let cool about 10 minutes, then drizzle with cinnamon roll icing and pour over maple syrup (if using).

Now include a fresh fruit salad (tossed with minted sugar for a flavor zing) and orange juice, herbed tea, or warmed spiced milk, and you have a crowd-pleasing brunch. And the bonus, because it's all make-aheads, you can have your egg hunt as well-no muss, no fuss.

Finally, before I close, let's look at advice on how to best cover your make-aheads for overnight refrigeration. If this isn't done properly, you can end up with less-than-desirable dishes. They'll either be a little dried out or have an off-flavor, or both.

If you're lucky enough to have baking dishes with air tight lids, then the problem is solved. But if not, then you'll likely be topping your baking dishes with some sort of plastic wrap or foil. Foil first: it's not the best because it's extremely difficult to make an airtight seal. (If you know how to do this, PLEASE share with us!)

As usual, when I want the most reliable information on all things kitcheny, I go to my favorite site, America's Test Kitchen. And sure enough, these pros had the answer on which wrap is the best. Here's what they said:

"Plastic wrap is essential for storing, freezing, and keeping food fresh, but using it can drive you crazy: The roll rips and wraps around itself; the plastic clings to itself more than the dish or won't stick at all; the box falls apart, letting the roll drop out; the sharp metal teeth slice more than the plastic-or merely shred it; and most important, it doesn't keep food from spoiling quickly. Has any brand overcome these failings?

"First, we measured strength by pulling foot-long pieces of wrap in a series of sharp, short tugs until they tore or lost their shape. Two brands shone because they were almost impossible to destroy. From there we tested clingability.

"Then we moved on to the FRESH test, the most important test. We were looking for an impermeable wrap that prevented air and moisture from passing through. Our tests shocked us: A leading contender had failed. In disbelief, we repeated the test, with the same results."

The Test Kitchen also took into account the materials the wraps were made of. Plastic wrap can be made from two distinctly different substances. The earliest plastic wrap was made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a highly clinging material. But plasticizers and chlorine in these wraps held a risk of food contamination, so manufacturers came up with safer substitutes. Some stuck with a new food-safe version of PVC; others switched to low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The main difference? PVC clings but is not impermeable; LDPE is impermeable but has far less cling. Test Kitchen's research revealed that three wraps are all made of clingy PVC, and the rest of the lineup is less-clingy LDPE. Another style of LPDE wrap is made with an edible dimpled adhesive. They didn't like this style. While it worked well initially, once the seal was broken (say, if you were taking a helping of potato salad out of a bowl), this wrap wouldn't reattach.

Finally, the Test Kitchen pros looked at the design of the carton holding the wrap. None of the packaging thrilled them. But what we're most concerned with is how well a wrap will keep our food fresh for refrigeration, right? So the bottom line for protecting our brunch make-aheads?

NOT AT ALL! Saran Premium Wrap: Its easy "tear and restart" strip earned this wrap points, as did its ability to keep moisture out. However, it bombed the cling test, dropping the grapes after just three shakes of a metal bowl. Plus, it wouldn't stick to plastic bowls.

STILL NOT SO MUCH. Glad Press'n Seal Plastic Wrap: This wrap will stick to anything, and it performed well in our moisture test, but its high price and inability to restick once the initial seal is broken pushed its rating down. Also, the frosted film makes it impossible to see into the bowl.

UMM, SO-SO. Saran Cling Plus Wrap: It passed the moisture-proof test and offered the best value of the lineup. But the box design, with sharp teeth along the bottom, sent testers running for Band-Aids. Also, while the wrap clung tightly to glass in the grape-shaking tests, the seal broke after six shakes of a metal bowl and just three in a plastic one.

THE OVERALL WINNER! Glad Cling Wrap Clear Plastic: This wrap aced the impermeability test. Its box featured well-placed, sharp teeth that easily tore the plastic, and "Glad Grab" (a 1-inch adhesive pad to hold the cut end of the wrap). It clung slightly less well than PVC-based wraps, but it got the job done and offered good value.

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