For many people, brunch is their favourite meal of the day. Bringing together all the best aspects of breakfast and lunch, it is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury delights to kick off the ultimate lazy weekend. Brunch is meant to be an effortless, casual, and enjoyable way to start your day and it’s perfect if you are hosting. By planning ahead and selecting delicious cook-ahead recipes, you can enjoy an stress-free morning with friends, enjoying delicious mimosas, long macchiato coffees, and plenty of laughs.
Prep Ahead
Brunch is all about delicious food and good company. The perfect spread should include a selection of both sweet and savoury options that can be eaten hot or cold. The good news is that you don’t need to wake up at the crack of dawn to prepare and pull off this versatility.
Select dishes that can be made ahead of time or prepped the day prior and baked in the morning before guests arrive. Pastries like muffins, scones, egg bakes, and breakfast casseroles can all be prepared in advance, allowing you to focus on last-minute additions on the day. If you run out of time or simply lack the cooking skills to make everything, there’s no shame in purchasing fresh and delicious baked goods from your local bakery.
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Tip from @mummyconstant
Self-Serve Drinks Bar
Fizzy sparkling wine and orange juice may be the most iconic brunch beverage mix, but it’s essential to cater to a range of preferences when hosting for friends and family. You can whip up alternative alcoholic drinks like strawberry mimosas, lemon martinis, or mango daiquiris. Select drinks that can be made into mocktails for non-drinkers to enjoy, too. Additional beverages, such as fruit juice and water, should also be available.
No brunch is complete without a delicious hot cup of coffee, so if you plan to regularly host events, it may be worthwhile investing in a coffee machine and other coffee essentials, such as flavored syrups, spice condiments, sugar cubes, cream, and a selection of different teas, to create the ultimate at-home coffee bar.
Set up your drinks bar alongside glasses, mugs, and ice to allow your guests to serve themselves. This will ensure they are never without a drink, freeing up your time to spend on other aspects of your brunch.
Keep Food Warm
Avoid last-minute stress and chaos by keeping pastries, casseroles, and other cooked-ahead breakfast items warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve. Set your oven to approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warm enough to heat food without overcooking it, allowing your guests time to settle in and sit down to eat.
Alternatively, if you plan to serve your dishes buffet-style, electric hot trays will ensure your food stays at the perfect temperature to enjoy, especially if your guests plan to go back for seconds.
Buffet Spread
The best way to ensure a stress-free brunch is to set up your dishes in a buffet-style spread. Food is much easier to keep warm this way, and you have the added versatility of either placing the dishes on your main table or setting up additional table space to accommodate all your food and drink options.
Guests can serve themselves exactly what they want to eat, and you aren’t left running to and from the kitchen, trying to get every individual’s plate on the table at the same time. Include additional condiments, such as butter, jams, yogurt drizzle, tomato sauce, and herbs, on your food table for guests to add to their plates.
Conversation Starters
Your guests are likely to know each other reasonably well, allowing conversation and laughter to flow effortlessly throughout the party. But if you have a few newcomers or groups of friends meeting for the first time, it may be a good idea to encourage relaxed and inclusive conversation that helps people to become familiar in a stress-free environment.
Include a few fun and casual conversation starters in your table decor, with open-ended questions that can ignite and facilitate a lively group conversation. Questions can include discussing the best meal you’ve ever eaten, your favorite vacation, something fun or interesting you’ve read recently, and an exciting goal you may have for the future.
Fun & Casual Decor
There is a time and place for sophisticated and chic party decor, but it is very rarely for brunch. Instead, focus on incorporating fun and casual pieces that will brighten up the space and make it feel like a festive spring morning, regardless of the weather outside. Embrace color by selecting a range of mason jars and filling them with blooming flowers, cut to ensure they don’t obstruct the view of your guests, which could hinder conversation. Alternatively, you can fill glass jars with a selection of fresh produce like lemon, limes, oranges, kiwi fruits, passion fruit, and herbs that guests can grab and include in their meal.
Don’t allow procrastination to take over; which I do quite frequently, instead, set up the day before your brunch. This will give you time to properly plan your table setting and seating arrangements, set out your decorations, and create a game plan for last-minute tasks that need to be completed on the day. Setting reminders to reheat prepared food, brew coffee, or clean last-minute dishes will significantly lower your stress levels and ensure you don’t miss anything in the morning.
Read my tips for hosting outside for more inspiration, I would love to know if you have any tips or tricks in the comments.
