No matter what your beliefs are, you can celebrate Easter. In my house, we call it Bunny Day and invite our friends from all faiths to enjoy Easter the only way I know how: with brunch, mimosas, and flowers.
Hosting Easter brunch, or any brunch, at your house is all about planning ahead. Luckily, delicious breakfast and brunch food is simple and easy to make. And, if cooking a brunch spread before 11 a.m. doesn’t sound like your idea of a relaxing morning, you can always pick up bagels from the store. But cooking for your guests always makes an occasion feel extra special.
The spread
When designing your brunch menu, think of all the things you’d want on your plate from a breakfast buffet. My ideal breakfast plate features eggs, a protein, potatoes (or a starch like grits), fruit or veggies, and bread — and I’d argue most people would agree.
Eggs
The easiest eggs to make for a crowd are a big batch of scrambled eggs.
If you want to mark the special occasion and impress your friends, make Eggs Benedict (recipe here). This guide will help you set up a build-your-own Benedict bar.
To accompany bagels and toast, you can make an egg salad (recipe here) for your guests to make open-face sandwiches.
You can also make deviled eggs as an appetizer.
Protein
The main breakfast proteins are bacon, ham, breakfast sausage patties, and lox. The easiest to serve is lox because there’s no prep time involved; just put it on a platter and serve.
When it comes to ham, Canadian bacon is the easiest option. Bacon and sausage are more involved, but bacon is always worth the extra work. You can cook it on the stovetop or pop it in the oven.
Potatoes
My all-time favorite breakfast starch is hash browns, specifically the grated kind from a diner — not the fast-food patties. I cheat and buy the frozen bag from Trader Joe’s.
Breakfast potatoes are also an easy option. You can roast them in the oven at 400 like any other potatoes and add aromatics and seasonings like shallots and rosemary to give it more a breakfast-worthy flavor.
Grits are another starch you can serve, but admittedly not as popular as the humble potato. While they’re delicious, grits can be hard to serve on a plate.
Fruits
The best fruit to serve on Easter is a mixed berry blend featuring blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. You can also chop up some bananas. A berry blend makes for a great topping to pancakes or yogurt.
While we don’t normally think of them as fruits, tomatoes and avocados are a great addition to a breakfast spread. They can be easily sliced as your guests arrive and added on top of toast or just as a side. Don’t forget to salt your tomato and avocado before serving.
Something Sweet
To satisfy your sweet tooth, make a batch of pancakes, waffles, or French toast. This buttermilk pancake recipe is perfect for Easter brunch.
Menu ideas
Classic Breakfast: A classic breakfast featuring everything outlined above.
Eggs Benedict Bar: A build-your-own eggs Benedict bar (read the guide here).
Cafe Style: Get baked goods from a local cafe or bakery for a low-effort menu
Bagels & Schmear: Order bagels and cream cheese for a build-your-own bagel bar
What to prep ahead
Most breakfast items, like scrambled eggs or toast, can be made fairly quickly. If you’re not a morning person, you can prep a few brunch items the night before. Fruit can be cut the day before and stored in an air-tight container. This also applies to slicing tomatoes. You can also prep this pancake batter the night before and cover it in the fridge overnight. If you’re making any baked goods, bake them the day before.
The mimosa bar
Brunch is always bottomless with a mimosa bar at home. To set up a mimosa bar, keep champagne on ice and orange juice in a pitcher. You can also set out other juices like passionfruit, cranberry, or peach juice. (Peach nectar is what makes a Bellini.) You’ll need less orange juice than you think, but I always buy two cartons to be safe.
A good rule of thumb for light to moderate drinkers is 4 guests for each bottle of champagne. If your group is notorious for drinking heavily, plan for one bottle of champagne for every two guests.
When your guests ask what they can bring, tell them to bring a bottle of champagne or Prosecco, so the party never runs dry.
The theme and decor
Easter begs for a spring-themed brunch. To decorate, you can adorn your tablescape and house with the flowers of the season, like tulips and daffodils. As for the attire, encourage your guests to wear florals and pastels. You could even lean into the “bunny day” theme and add carrots to your decor.
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