After a long, cold winter we love to have friends over for brunch to celebrate the warm spring sunshine. And when we’re planning the menu, only one thing comes to mind: a brunch board! And there is no better time than spring to brighten up a menu with seasonal flavors, so let’s dive into planning our board.
(image via: raw silk and saffron)
Before we get too far into this, if charcuterie boards just don’t work for you, all of the components we’ll be talking about can be served sans board!
Roasted New Potatoes + Crispy Bacon
This potato dish is a mix of crispy bacon, rosemary, smoky-ness, and then garnished with fresh chives. It’s savory, hot, and comforting, but incorporates a lot of fresh, seasonal flavors making it the perfect addition to your board or side dish on your table! Get the recipe here.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
This is a fun take on serving eggs at brunch by opting for hard-boiled eggs rather than a quiche, omelet, or even scrambled eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are easy to grab and easy to make in large quantities if you’re preparing brunch for a crowd. Get the recipe for perfect hard-boiled eggs here.
Bagels
These are a delicious, toasty option to offer and guests can make bagels sweet or savory. Bagels are also a great way to fill up your board or table! We suggest serving plain bagels because this will allow guests to fully make them their own, this is also a great way to incorporate seasonal flavors such as peppers, avocados, homemade jellies, and a light cream cheese spread, of course! Now about carb option number two…
(image via: last ingredient)
Muffins
Muffins are typically the sweeter option, and we suggest incorporating flavors of the season such as strawberries, blueberries, or even lemon. Get the recipe for blueberry muffins with a lemon glaze here.
Yogurt + Fresh Fruit
Yogurt and fresh fruit keep things light, bright, and seasonal. You can opt to prepare parfaits ahead of time, or let guests make their own.
(image via: daly digs)
Brunch Tips
If the idea of a spring brunch board or spring brunch minus the board is a little overwhelming, keep in mind that most of these things can be made ahead! Think about it: hard-boiled eggs have to be made ahead of time, bagels can be store-bought, muffins can be made the day before or store-bought, and yogurt and fresh fruit take next to no time.
If you go the board route and feel like you may not have enough food to fill up your board, you can easily fill in empty spaces with fresh fruit.
If bagels and muffins aren’t really the vibe, pancakes or waffles are no-fail every time, they just take a little more time!