Easy, make-ahead brunch ideas from quiche to cocktails
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Simply-Recipes-Blueberry-Maple-Breakfast-Bake-LEAD-2-7e335cb7f50047ec9aa776f4418465fe.jpg "Plated serving of blueberry maple breakfast bake, drenched in maple syrup, alongside baking dish of the bake")
Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
I love having folks over for brunch since so many of the dishes can be made ahead, leaving more time for me to spend with friends and family. I can prep overnight casseroles, bake quiches or muffins ahead of time, or batch cocktails the day before. Then the work I need to do the morning the guests arrive ends up being minimal.
With all these delicious recipes to choose from below, it’s simple to find the right combination of make-ahead or easy big-batch recipes for a crowd so I (and you!) have plenty of flexibility.
Foolproof Dutch Baby
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Get Recipe: My Dutch Baby Recipe Is Totally Foolproof—I Make It Every Weekend
"If you love the taste and texture of crêpes but don’t love the tedious task of painstakingly cooking them one by one, allow me to introduce you to their friend the Dutch baby—ironically, born in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a single giant, shareable, puffy, eggy pancake with a cup-like shape that just begs to be filled with toppings." —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer
Classic Mimosa
Get Recipe: Classic Mimosa
The mimosa is the classic brunch cocktail. Just mix orange juice and sparkling wine, and you're done. You can use Champagne, or prosecco and cava are equally good, less expensive, options. Pouring these for a crowd is as simple as filling up a tray of glasses with prosecco and topping them up with OJ.
Salmon Gravlax
Simply Recipes / Sheryl Julian
Get Recipe: How To Make Salmon Gravlax
"This recipe makes enough gravlax for a good-sized crowd. Traditionally, gravlax is served with dark rye or dense grainy bread, but bagels or any good-quality bread are great. The gravlax is so rich that you don't really need cream cheese or crème fraiche, though these extras always make a brunch feel particularly decadent." —Sheryl Julian, Recipe Developer
Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake
Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
Get Recipe: Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake
"This Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake is perfect for brunch parties. It's basically a breakfast bread pudding that is easy to assemble the night before. Just pop it in the oven an hour before you need it the morning of your brunch!" —Elise Bauer, Founder
Quiche Lorraine
Get Recipe: Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is the grande dame of quiche recipes. With a buttery crust, rich, eggy custard, and generous bacon content, quiche Lorraine endures as a brunch highlight regardless of trends.
Blueberry Muffin Tops
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Get Recipe: Blueberry Muffin Tops
Everyone knows the tops of muffins are the best part, so serve your guests only the best with these blueberry muffin tops. They're bursting with pockets of fresh, tangy blueberries and topped with crisp brown sugar and oat streusel. No need for a special pan, they bake freeform on a baking sheet.
Millionaire's Bacon
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Get Recipe: Bacon Is Great But Millionaire’s Bacon Is Better
"Millionaire’s Bacon is similar to candied bacon but with a more complex flavor and a chewier, more jerky-like consistency compared to its crispy candied cousin. It lives up to its name with a sweet and spicy richness. " —Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer
Homemade Bloody Mary Mix
Simply Recipes / Elana Lepkowski
Get Recipe: Homemade Bloody Mary Mix
Whip up a batch or two of this homemade Bloody Mary mix 24 hours before your brunch so the flavors all meld together. With the mix on hand that's full of tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and more (including optional horseradish for an added kick), all you'll need to do is add vodka and a celery stick to serve.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Get Recipe: Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Sausage, eggs, potatoes, and cheese are staples in brunch casseroles, but this casserole uses Tater Tots instead of peeled and sliced potatoes. The tots save time in prep and make the casserole extra appealing to kids. Grown-ups like it, too.
Lemon Pound Cake
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickle
Get Recipe: Lemon Pound Cake
"Pucker up, people! This lemon pound cake is a triple threat of lemon and all its glorious tartness. First, I use both lemon zest and juice in the batter. Second, I soak the cake in lemon syrup, and for the grand finale, the cake is coated with lemon frosting." —Summer Miller, Recipe Developer
Rösti with All the Fixings
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
Get Recipe: Rösti with All the Fixings
Swiss-style rösti is a crispy, creamy fried potato pancake. Cook it in a cast-iron or nonstick skillet and cut in wedges. You can serve it as-is, or with toppings such as crumbled feta, pickled onions, and fresh dill. To get a jump-start, you can boil the potatoes a day ahead or even cook the entire pancake, and then reheat it.
Ginger Peach Rum Punch
Simply Recipes / Elana Lepkowski
Get Recipe: Ginger Peach Rum Punch
"Batch up all the ingredients except the ginger beer. When you’re ready to serve, pour the pre-made base into individual glasses filled with ice, then top with the ginger beer. Keep the pre-made base and ginger beer cold on ice so that your guests can drink at their leisure." —Elana Lepkowski, Recipe Developer
Sheet Pan Fried Eggs
Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Get Recipe: Sheet Pan Fried Eggs
"Say hello to the easiest way to make fried eggs for a crowd. In fact, this sheet pan technique for frying eggs might just be the best thing to happen to breakfast since oven baked bacon." —Sarah Epperson, Recipe Developer
French Toast Casserole
Get Recipe: French Toast Casserole
Sweet French toast casserole is always a hit for brunch. You can put it together the night before and let it sit overnight before baking or put it together in the morning and bake it right away. The overnight option makes a creamier texture. If you want some fruit in your casserole, try this blueberry French toast version.
Cranberry Orange Scones
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Get Recipe: Cranberry Orange Scones
"Like all good scones, Cranberry Orange Scones have a tender crumb and crunchy edges. Each bite contains tart cranberries and a scent of orange, and the powdered sugar sprinkled on top makes them look magical." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Get Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake
If you think chocolate chip banana bread coffee cake is a mouthful to say, wait until you get a mouthful of this heavenly mashup of classic banana bread and a streusel-topped coffee cake.
Zucchini Tomato Quiche
Get Recipe: Zucchini Tomato Quiche
Grated zucchini, tomatoes, and basil are abundant in the summer, and this quiche makes good use of that bounty from your garden or the farmers market. Quiche is also a great make-ahead dish. You can make it and freeze it, uncooked or cooked, weeks ahead of time if you're that much of a planner.
Hibiscus Spritz
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
Get Recipe: Hibiscus Spritz
"Even if you aren’t drinking, this simple syrup is a delicious thing to have in your fridge. Just a splash of it in any ice water or sparkling water is a nice treat. It will keep for a couple of weeks." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer
Eggs Benedict
Get Recipe: How to Make Eggs Benedict
Make the Hollandaise sauce for this eggs Benedict recipe in a blender, and suddenly putting this brunch classic together is much easier. You can also poach the eggs a day ahead of time—instructions are on the recipe page.
Berries and Banana Fruit Salad
Get Recipe: Berries and Banana Fruit Salad
There are plenty of fruit salad combinations that are great for brunch, but this one always satisfies. A touch of lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey complements the mixed berries, apple, and bananas perfectly. The recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and keeps for 2 hours if you want to make it ahead.
Spinach Frittata
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Get Recipe: Spinach Frittata
This easy and quick frittata is like an open-faced omelet of sorts, or an eggy crustless quiche. You can use fresh or frozen spinach and add tomatoes and goat cheese to pull it all together.
Chocolate Fondue
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Get Recipe: Chocolate Fondue
Dessert isn't always part of brunch, but I'd love some chocolate fondue at the end of brunch, wouldn't you? Cut up bananas, apples, pineapple, and strawberries for dipping. And if you made the blueberry muffin tops listed above, I think leftover pieces would be particularly good dipped in chocolate.
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