With Easter approaching, we want to celebrate the greatest meal of all time - BRUNCH! Brunch takes the best of both breakfast and lunch and combines it with fun cocktails such as mimosas & Bloody Mary’s ! Living in South Florida, brunch pretty much becomes a staple Sunday go-to event. But how great to be able to host your own brunch? Well, Sweet Monáe chefs do this pretty often so we want to share some brunch day tips & tricks so you can host your perfect celebration whether it be for Easter, a special event, or just another Sunday.
We want to start with the best tip that is going to make your life so much easier - prep, prep, prep. Personal chefs love the idea of prepping because it SAVES TIME! No one wants to feel pressed for time because this leads to stress. Plan out your menu. If this is for Easter, take a look on some cute sites for some Easter themed brunch ideas. (Pinterest is our go-to) Some of our favorites include the basics, such as egg dishes, fruit platters, and a delicious french toast bake (recipe will be shared below!) Planning ahead will allow you to make things easier and smoother the day of.
HOMEMADE. This is our favorite little tip. Everything homemade tastes so much more delicious. Try making things homemade that you normally would just buy store bought. A fun dip or yogurt parfaits are great examples. These are usually store bought items, but when made on your own, you are able to put that extra touch to them. Being able to choose your own fresh ingredients is a game changer for throwing your own brunch event. It might be a little more hard work, but the end results are definitely worth it.
Self- serve stations are a big hit and a great trick to allow people to have fun choosing what they like. A self serve bar is a must have at brunch. Giving fun different flavors for a mimosa is a great idea. Options such as orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice and so much more could make for such a fun event! But not just for drinks, food is great as a self serve option as well. This way you can make big portions set up for your guests to just pick what they enjoy.
Lastly, don't think of it as work! Cooking a brunch should be a fun experience to test out your creativity. Plus, it always feels good after when your guests complement you on your awesome cooking / hosting skills. All that matters is that you try your best, and if all else fails.. make sure to make this french toast bake because its a guarantee crowd pleaser. & if you decide after that the whole thing was just too much, Sweet Monáe chefs are always here to help you out for your next brunch occasion :)
French Toast Bake
Ingredients
Serves 8
Refrigerated
8 Eggs
Baking & Spices
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Vanilla
Bread & Baked Goods
1 loaf Sourdough bread
Dairy
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Heavy cream
2 cup Milk
1.Cut loaf into cubes and place evenly in a greased 9x13 pan.
2. In a bowl, mix together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread.
3. Cover your pan with Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
5. Cut in butter with this mixture until crumbly and place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight as well.
6. Take pan and Ziploc out when ready to bake. Sprinkle crumbly mixture evenly over the bread.
7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how soft you like it
Happy Brunching Babes!!