How to Create the Perfect Brunch Menu

Mother’s Day is SUNDAY! If your heart is hurting a little this Mother’s Day, for whatever reason, here’s a post Sara and I put together a few years ago about our own moms. It’s a bittersweet sort of holiday for so many people (myself included), so be kind to yourselves this weekend!

Speaking of being kind, while it would be awesome if your partner/kids automatically got you exactly what you wanted, I’ve learned that sometimes you need to drop some hints. I don’t know what you want exactly, but I wouldn’t say no to a nap, winning the Hamilton lottery, and someone else taking care of meal prep and cleanup!

Brunch is hands down my favorite meal and something about spring time and Mother’s Day makes me feel like it should be happening a lot.  It’s also one of my go-to entertaining ideas when I host baby or wedding showers.  Below you’ll find a Choose-your-own-adventure style brunch menu, where I list a manageable number brunch recipes in a few key categories (Egg main dishes, sweet mains, sides, and drinks) that I use when planning a brunch menu.  For all you Moms out there, this would be fun to use for your own Mother’s Day celebrations- simply choose your favorites below, print out each recipe, and hand them over to your spouse and/or kids!

Egg Main Dishes


Since brunch menus often involve some indulgent foods, I always like having a good egg-based dish to anchor the meal and provide some protein.  You can find more egg-dishes in our index, here!

egg dishes for brunch

(Clockwise L-R)
Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Strata
Chili Cheese Souffle Squares
Bacon Egg and Cheese Cups
Baked Eggs with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese

Sweet Main Dishes


These types of main dishes provide the fun-factor.  Something a little sweet that makes feel like you’re at a restaurant, and also makes it socially acceptable to eat dessert before noon. You can find our full index of pancakes, crepes, and waffles, right here!

variety of brunch dishes

(Clockwise, R-L)
Overnight Cream Cheese-Stuffed Lemon French Toast with Berries

German Pancakes
Chunky Monkey Pancakes

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

Side Dishes


Once you have a great main dish or two, choose a side to round out the meal.  Fresh fruit is another great side that you don’t need a recipe for!  

sides dishes for brunch

(Clockwise, R-L)
Easy Orange Rolls
Breakfast Potatoes
Maple-Glazed Bacon

Pastry Wrapped Asparagus

Drinks


A fun fruity drink takes any meal up several notches and makes it feel special.  I think of specialty drinks as side dishes of sorts. These four favorites give you choices of sweet or savory, bubbly or flat, and all of them could become your next favorite. Need more choices?  Click here for our entire beverage index. 

drinks for brunch

(Clockwise, R-L)
Virgin White Peach Sangria
Virgin Bloody Mary
Brazilian Lemonade

Strawberry Coconut Lime Spritzer

Hope that helps you create YOUR next amazing brunch!

 

woman in denim shirt holding a salad bowl
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Thanks for sharing this. You’ve inspired me to put together a brunch for some friends a few days before Mother’s Day!

  2. I do brunch for Easter instead of a traditional dinner. As we were eating this Easter I realized that every recipe was from your blog: biscuits and gravy, ham and cheese waffle bread with egg on top, regular waffles, and almond poppyseed bread, (plus fruit). Brunch is the best!