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Putting on a Brunch

I recently blogged about special dinners that we put on for our guests and sharing our best menu plans etc. Here is one of mine- not a dinner but a brunch . . . .

My No-Fail Brunch

A brunch is a fun get-together. Easy prep, set up & clean up and leaves much of the day free for other things. ItÂ’s also a fun get-together before a day of activities with friends.

Breakfast Casserole

It seems like everyone has their own version of this simple yet yummy casserole. HereÂ’s mine:

1 lb. pork sausage, browned

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

8-10 slices day-old bread

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup grated cheese (I mix sharp cheddar & Colby Jack)

chopped chives, oregano to taste

Tear bread up into pieces and mix with all other ingredients. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese to melt pretty on top. For added flair- tie chive stalks into bows and add to top of casserole along with chive blossoms. Or Make a criss-cross pattern on top with chive stalks.

Fruit-

You can serve a selection of sliced fruits arranged prettily on a tray or a fruit salad.

I like to take different frozen fruits from my freezer and toss together  the night before then put in fridge- I end up serving it still slightly frozen- which I like. [I mix strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines/orange slices]. I sometimes toss in fresh fruit with the frozen right before serving- like grapes, banana slices and/or kiwi slices.

There is also a great recipe for Fruit Freezies from Marmee’s Kitchen Primer that my DD9 and I like to make and serve. Sometimes we serve it in little dishes and other times we mix it in with the lemonade as “ice cubes”.

Breads-

I like to set up a toaster at one end of my serving table and place a couple varieties of bread (raisin, whole wheat) out on a platter. Guests can make their own toast. Lay out butter and a couple of simple flavored butters (like honey butter) along with a selection of homemade jams. I use small ramikan dishes for the butters and jams and small spreading knives.

Drinks-

Coffee with flavored creamers, orange juice, milk, water with lemon.

Extras-

I place out some salsa for those that may want to top off their egg casserole that way. It is really fun to serve the salsa in an pretty sugar bowl with dainty spoon.

I love this brunch because so much can be done ahead of time. I make up the casserole the night before and bake it in the morning as I am doing last minute prep. The fruit salad is in the fridge thawing the night before and I bake the bread the day before. I would like to start making scones and have a couple of new recipes to try for my “next time”.

Next: How I “decorate” for a brunch.