Easter is the time to celebrate longer days, warmer weather, and the rememberance of all things fun in the sun. Do it with brunch! The key to keeping it bright and breezy is to keep it simple. That means: do as much as you can the night before, and take a few strategic shortcuts the day-of, where it won’t cost you freshness and flavour. Easter brunch is, after all, no time to sacrifice freshness. Here’s what to do.
1. Buy a cream cheesy, fruity, pull-apart bread or coffee cake. Baking a sweet loaf ahead of time can take a ton of time and can be pricy – not what the host needs, especially if you’re not a baker. Find a nice bakery near you and grab one the morning of.
2. Make a platter of citrus-glazed bacon. If your friends are on the bacon lovers, they’ll appreciate a liberal amount these tasty strips on your table. To make them, juice 2 navel oranges into a small saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Cook over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Lay 8 bacon strips on a baking sheet and brush the glaze over them. Bake for 10 minutes. Take them out and brush with more glaze, then bake for a final 15 mins.
3. Get a bottle of sparkling wine. Mimosas are a tasty 2-ingredient brunch cocktail that never gets tired. Garnish with some marashino cherries and pour in some the grenadine.
4. Pillsbury cresent roll dough is the most versatile food brunch has ever seen. Take advantage of some super-easy cresent roll hacks to make a selection of hearty bites. Here are 3 ways:
Asparagus & Pancetta Bundles
1 bunch asparagus
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
8 slices pancetta
1 package Pillsubry cresent rolls
Olive oil
Toss asparagus in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Take a triangle of the cresent roll dough and top with a sheet of pancetta, followed by 3 – 4 stalks of asparagus and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Wrap up the dough to make a bundle. Brush with olive oil and bake about 12 mins.
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp of dijon mustard and 2 tsps of honey. Spread out a rolled out sheet of cresent roll dough (a full can) and spread the mixture over the entire surface. Then, evenly top with strips of smoked salmon, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped red onion and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Start to roll up the sheet of dough and press the edges to seal. When the dough is in log form, cut slices with a serrated knife and place each pinwheel face down on a cookie sheet. Bake 13 – 15 mins.
Spanakopita
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 tsp dry dill
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tablespoon (each) olive oil & lemon juice
1 container cresent rolls
Mix feta and dill in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat olive oil ad saute garlic. Add the frozen (drained) spinach, then add dill and feta and lemon juice. Roll out cresent dough on a flat surface and top each triangle with one heaping scoop of spinach mixture. Fold the points of the triangle over the scoop to cover and seal. Bake 12 – 15 mins.
5. Make some simple salads. If you’re brunch experiences have been anything like mine, you know young adult brunches all too often tend to just be carb fests. Balance out the carbs with some salads, a simple spinach, strawberry, blueberry and pine nut toss, and / or a fruit salad. Grease is all well and good, especially if you’re hosting a morning-after-the-night-before brunch gathering, but some green energy is even better.
6. Put on a pot of coffee and a pot of herbal tea for the non-coffee drinkers. Have milk, cream, and sugar at the ready, and don’t forget a big jug of water.
Want more fresh and simple brunch recipe ideas? Check out our guide to hosting the perfect summer brunch – which even the most culinary-challenged brunch enthusiast can pull off.
