Brunch has always been my favourite meal. Savoury brunch, sweet brunch, boozy brunch – I’m here for it all. But somewhere in my late 20’s, I had a realization: brunch is the easiest meal to host! From that point forward, I started fine-tuning my repertoire of brunch recipes, so that I’d know exactly what to make when we had overnight guests or if the girls wanted to get together on a Saturday morning.
Below, I’m going to share with you the one recipe that is always a hit, no matter who is sitting down at your table. Whether it’s a brunch for kids or a brunch for adults or a mix of both.
If you’re looking for more brunch ideas, check out this post I wrote on 13 brunch recipes to make at home.
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The Ideal Brunch Menu
In my experience, the ideal brunch menu for hosting a group:
- can be made ahead (either partially or completely)
- leverages batch-cooking, like a casserole dish or a sheet pan, so that no one is forced to pan fry multiple packs of bacon
- appeals to a wide-range of palates
My Go-To Brunch Menu
When I’m planning brunch for a group, I’ll typically prepare 2 main dishes + 2-3 side dishes. I find this 1) easier to prep; 2) ensures there is something for everyone.
For this girl’s brunch that I hosted, the menu consisted of:
- An egg & croissant bake (recipe below)
- A smoked salmon dip with pre-sliced bagels
- Chopped fruit
- Tomato slices
- Mimosas
A Simple Tablescape For Brunch
When setting the table, I like to choose a starting point of some kind. Some that I gravitate to include: a colour palette, a variety of flower, a dinner theme, a season.
For this brunch, I went with a pink “bows” theme for our girl’s brunch!
The table-scape details:
- Sadly, the pink gingham tablecloth pictured has been discontinued but was from Simons, and they have lots of other great options!
- The twisted candlesticks
- The dishware & the vase are all from the Canadian brand, Fable.
Without further ado, the whole reason for this brunch-themed post! This egg & croissant bake is my go-to recipe when hosting brunch and I’m happy if there happens to be leftovers (there usually aren’t!).
Egg & Croissant Bake
A savoury breakfast bake that is always a crowd favourite.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8-10 pieces of diced bacon
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper
- 3-4 croissants, torn into small pieces
Instructions
1. Sauté the onion in olive oil on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized (approximately 15-20 minutes).
2. Pan fry the diced bacon until the edges are brown and bacon is cooked through. Drain some of the oil and add the spinach to the hot pan, stirring until wilted.
3. Prepare a greased 9x13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, dijon mustard, salt & pepper.
5. Layer the cooked onion, bacon and spinach evenly along the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour eggs over. Arrange torn pieces of croissant on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Steps 1 & 2 can be done the night before, to save time in the morning!
