Simple Tips for Hosting A Brunch + 2 Simple and Delicious Recipes

I love a good brunch! There are so many different options when it comes to a brunch menu and I find with a little bit of planning its a meal that won’t disappoint even the pickiest of eaters! Here are some simple tips for a hosting an amazing brunch.

1. Prep the Night Before

The number one tip for simplifying your brunch is to start the night before! Take a few minutes to set your buffet or dining table with plates, napkins, silverware, glasses, and flowers. Get an idea of where you’d like to have your coffee, mimosa, or juice station and if you will be doing a buffet style of sit down family style.

2. Keep Dishes Warm

Turn on your warmer or the oven on low to keep dishes warm. You don’t want to be cooking up until the last minute or require guests to eat right when they walk in, so plan to wrap dishes in foil and keep them warm. Your guests may be bringing something that need to be heated up or kept warm, so be prepared with a warm oven.

3. Provide Allergen Friendly Options

It’s likely that at least one of your guests will have a special dietary need. Consider simple gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian options. We love this simple scone recipe because it uses just simple, wholesome ingredients (including Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix!). It is also gluten and dairy free but even those who can enjoy gluten and dairy will love the Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones recipe below!

4. Make a Casserole

Whether it’s an egg bake, quiche, baked oatmeal, or French Toast bake, a casserole is a simple way to serve a crowd. Consider preparing the recipe in a baking dish the night before to simply reheat it in the morning.

5. Incorporate Fruits and Veggies

Fresh fruit and veggies will add the perfect pop of color when your guest start snapping pics of your beautiful display. Many people focus on eggs, bacon, and baked goods at brunch, but consider adding fruits and veggies to add variety and good nutrition to help your guests leave feeling their best. Add veggies to your quiche, grated carrots to your crockpot oatmeal, a fruit salad, dried fruit in your scones (see recipe below 🙂 ), or blueberries or zucchini in your muffins. What are you favorite ways to add fruits and veggies to breakfast?

6. Include a DIY Bar

A DIY breakfast bar is a fun way to for guests to make the meal their own and accommodate their own dietary needs and preferences. This could be an oatmeal bar, waffle bar, or DIY bagel bar. Check out the recipe below for simple, homemade bagels. They take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish and use simple, whole food ingredients that you can pronounce and your body will recognize, including Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones

Ingredients:

1 box Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped
1⁄4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1⁄4 cup mini dark chocolate chips [dairy-free]
Coconut sugar, optional as topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk eggs, water, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup in a large bowl.
3. Add baking mix to a bowl, make a well, and pour wet ingredients in. Fold and stir until just combined. Let sit for 5 minutes for dough to thicken.
4. Fold in almonds, cherries, and chocolate chips.
5. Press dough into a circle on a marble or plastic cutting board [or use a Silpat] – using additional gluten-free flour [like tapioca flour] as needed to prevent sticking. Dough will be soft and sticky – using floured hands, pat down into a circle about 1/2″ thick.
6. Using a wet knife, cut circle into 8 equal parts, beginning with a cut down the center.
7. Carefully remove scones with a spatula to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until scones are slightly browned and spring back when touched.
9. Cool on wire rack.

NOTES: These scones were just sweet enough for us. If you add more maple syrup, cut back on water so dough is thick enough to spread. You could also bake these in muffin topper tins and skip the segmenting step!

DIY Bagel Bar with Simple Homemade Bagels

Ingredients:

2 boxes Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
Bagel Seasoning – dried garlic and onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sprouted pumpkin and
sunflower seeds.
Sweet and savory bagel toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 4 donut pans.
2. Whisk together eggs, water, olive oil and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Add in Simple Mills Artisan Bread mix to the bowl and combine.
3. Fill each donut mold 3/4 full with the dough.
4. Top with your choice of bagel seasoning.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Prepare your bagel bar by beautifully arranging your bagel toppings on a table.
7. Remove bagels from the oven, let cool completely and serve with your prepared toppings.

We suggest the following topping combinations:

Coconut yogurt + sliced banana + honey + walnuts + hemp hearts
Sprouted nut butter + homemade jam + fresh berries
Cream cheese + smoked salmon + fresh dill
Sliced avocado + heirloom tomato + fresh basil
Sprouted nut butter + Coconut yogurt + fresh figs
Cream cheese + cucumber slices + sprouts

Enjoy and Happy Brunching!