Let me just start by saying, I love Brunch!  Brunch is a weekend trifecta all rolled into one event. Good friends, good food and cocktails.  It’s fun how an eclectic mix of food and a glass of champagne can elevate these two meals to their own category.  I instantly want to dress up and go to brunch. Though I love going out and finding a great brunch spot. I also love preparing brunch at home. 

The Theme 

When is comes to entertaining I like to use the K.I.S.S. Method (Keep it Simple Stupid).  When hosting brunch your focus needs to be the food and drinks. You don’t need a theme, all your effort needs to be into making the food appetizing and edible. If you are putting too much focus on centerpieces and table settings your focus is in the wrong place.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good theme party. Themes should be reserved for celebrations like birthdays, graduations or anniversaries. When hosting brunch your focus need to be 100% on what you are serving.  

The Food 

For brunch I like to have a 2-1 ratio of breakfast to lunch dishes, and have a diverse mix of foods. I also apply the K.I.S.S. Method when creating the menu. It’s important to keep some of the fan favorites like eggs and bacon, and find dishes that can be easily executed. It is really up to you how many different items you want to serve, but you need to make sure that they are not all prepared the same way. For example if all of your items need to be cooked on a stovetop it is going to be hard to have them all finished at the same time. I usually like to spread my dishes out between the stove, oven and crockpot and try to make a few items ahead of time. I have also included a guide to easy and great recipes ideas for brunch. 

Timing  and Serving

This is where my inner “Monica” comes out.  Like Monica Gheller from Friends, I am crazy organized when it comes to hosting an event.  I make a list of all the dishes that I am preparing with their cooking times. I make a schedule when things should come in and out of the oven so everything is done around the same time. If you entertain a lot I suggest getting this Triple Slow Cooker. You can cook multiple dishes at the same time as well as keep stuff warm. It save a lot of space and is convenient when you have buffet style parties.

To keep everything organized, I also put sticky notes in each serving plates with what is going into them.  I also already having them placed on the table where I want them. Someone always shows up early and wants to help.  This way when that early guest arrives they can help you start putting the food on the table and they don’t have to ask what you want where.  I used to feel like early guest were inconvenience and now I appreciate them deeply.

The Beverages

I really don’t think you can have brunch without Mimosas. Including a make your own mimosa bar, is easy and fun for your guest. If you have an assortment of juices your guests can choose to drink them with out without the champagne. (I am really not sure why your would choose without)

I also always include a coffee bar with cream and sugar and some Kahlua and Irish Cream if they want it spiked. With small groups I take out my Keurig so everyone can make their own coffee, but for big event we have a urn. Please watch for my next post on fun breakfast cocktails.

Have Fun

I can be a little obsessive in the planning and preparation stages of the party, but once my guest arrive I am able to flip my switch into fun host mode.  At this point you have done all you can do.  It is time to relax and enjoy your party. Have a drink and don’t lift another finger until your guest have all left and it’s time to clean up.