Who doesn’t love brunch? It’s a time to gather friends, indulge on delicious food and maybe drink a cocktail or two. Next to dessert, brunch is my favorite meal. And yes, in my mind, dessert is a meal!
Each year, the week before Mother’s Day, I invite a few of my favorite moms over to my house for brunch. It gives us some time to catch up and celebrate the bond of motherhood. And of course, we eat wonderful food!
“This is a family favorite… it’s really for breakfast but it’s good enough for a dessert,” explains Roberta Broussard of her Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole. This recipe is the definition of breakfast indulgence. We loved it with blueberries, but can’t wait to try it again with blackberries, strawberries or even raspberries.
Recipes that can be prepared the night before are perfect for brunch. Two recipes that I will definitely be making are Jess Grearson’s Lemon-Cream Brunch Croissants with Maple-Blueberry Syrup and Gayle Kennedy’s Oven Omelet. Both are delish!
“This is my family’s favorite oven omelet,” explains Gayle. “It feeds a big crowd but you can also cut the recipe in half to serve a smaller group.” This Oven Omelet is great for your brunch because you can scale how much you make based on the amount of guests. And, this omelet can handle A LOT of flavor. So don’t be shy about loading on the recommended green chilis and bacon. Tasty AND easy!
The individual components of Jess’ Brunch Croissants are amazing on their own. Imagine how good it is when you put them all together! “This can be made ahead for a delicious birthday brunch or for Mother’s Day,” says Jess. “It’s easy to make, but a nicely complex flavor and texture combination.” I can guarantee your guests are going to devour this dish. If you have any leftover cream, try dipping some fruit in it. So good.
Traditionally, at brunch I tend to serve decadent foods. It’s nice to also include some fruit to graze on during the meal. Some guests not fans of fruit? If you whip up Bonnie Roberts’ Devonshire Cream for Fruit recipe I think your non-fruit eaters will devour fruit! “If you’re looking for a fabulous dip for fruit, this one will definitely be a hit, not to mention how easy and fast it is,” says Bonnie.
Sharon Whitley’s Breakfast Brunch Salad is another great addition to your brunch menu. “I don’t like many traditional breakfast foods,” says Sharon. “It’s good, yet anything but traditional. The orange and honey made a great dressing. You can always change out some of the fruits to suit your taste. This would be an easy one to keep the ingredients on hand and fix yourself a quick salad.
Brunch is not complete without a lovely cocktail. One I’ve just discovered is Jennifer H.’s Hibiscus Sparkler. “Mimosa goes to the tropics,” is how Jennifer describes her twist on the traditional drink. “[The] perfect brunch companion.” This refreshing cocktail is perfect to cap off a brunch with friends. You can also swap the type of tea bags you create the simple syrup with. I bet passion fruit, peach or raspberry teas would be very refreshing.
I think sometimes we forget to stop and take a moment for ourselves. So gather up the gals for a great brunch. What better way to celebrate friendships than with laughter and food!