Hosting holiday brunch always sounds like a great idea. “Oh, it will be fun,” you think, imagining a Pinterest board and channeling your inner Ina Garten. Then reality sets in and you realize you have invited people over at the busiest time of year, you’ve already spent a fortune on presents and have guests with a bonanza of food allergies and aversions — gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian. Or, maybe you have friends and family in town as houseguests and need to feed a huge crew on Christmas morning. No matter the scenario, big brunches will be better for all with a few chef-inspired tips and techniques.
The key to successful entertaining is that the host has fun, too. That starts with being prepared and creating a menu that works in your kitchen. It can be challenging to make everything from scratch and it’s often too expensive to buy everything prepared. I find it best to create a well-balanced menu that’s easy on the pocketbook and respectful of prep time.
Plan a menu that satisfies everyone’s food restrictions, but mostly works for you. There’s no need to have different versions of the same dish. Instead, offer a selection that enables everyone to enjoy a hearty portion of the menu, including customizable dishes like the grits bar.
Prep as much ahead of time as possible. In the case of these recipes, that includes advance preparation for the grits bar garnishes, orange segments for the sheet pan pancake and the spinach mushroom mixture for the eggs. Go ahead and prepare what you need for beverages, too.
Also select the serving dishes in advance. Set your buffet with empty serving platters and bowls and mark the locations with sticky notes. This serves several functions: you know that the serving pieces will fit and how many you need for your menu. And, best of all, when someone asks, “May I help you?” you can smile and say, “Would you please put this on the table where the note is?”
Also, consider your kitchen layout and space. Spread the workload among your appliances. This menu uses both a slow cooker and the oven.
Lastly, always start a party with a clean dishwasher, empty trashcans and recycling bins, and a spotlessly clean kitchen. Clean-up will be easier and, while it won’t necessarily save you time or money, it will ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed.
RECIPES
This Buttermilk Cranberry Sheet Pan Pancake recipe turns an eternity by the stovetop into a quick dump and stir. The Slow Cooker Grits Bar is life-changing. Who wants to babysit grits for 45 minutes? They can cook while you sleep. And the Shirred Eggs in Muffin Cups is beautiful as well as delicious. These dishes allow for a menu that covers all the dietary restriction bases. Round this menu out with a fruit salad and a green salad that are appropriate for all of your guests’ allergies and aversions and you have a great holiday brunch with a little bit for everyone, including smiles of satisfaction for the host.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Buttermilk Cranberry Sheet Pan Pancake
Sheet pan pancakes are an absolute genius breakfast or brunch move for a crowd, and work for vegetarians who eat dairy, eggs and honey. This recipe takes advantage of the bag of cranberries you probably have left over from Thanksgiving. You can swap out the cranberries for other fruit such as blueberries or even small grapes. For serving, tuck the squares into a cloth-lined basket. It will keep the pancakes warm while on the buffet.
This recipe prepares oranges using a French technique called peler a vif, which uses a paring knife to remove both the peel and outer white membranes of the orange segments. These segments are also known as orange supremes.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Slow Cooker Grits Bar
To make this a dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian-friendly brunch dish, simply swap out the cream and butter for plant-based options. Feel free to get inspired with other toppings, such as sauteed mushrooms and broiled asparagus. Cooked turkey sausage is another topping option that can be enjoyed by guests looking for lean protein.
Start this recipe the night before the brunch so that the grits cook overnight.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Shirred Eggs in Muffin Cups
Meaty mushrooms and sauteed spinach are a classic combination with eggs. Topped with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese (served on the side if you have dairy-free eaters), it’s an elegant presentation that accommodates gluten-free diets. When serving, warm the serving platter by flashing it quickly in the oven, placing it a sink filled with warm water, or near the warm stovetop. This will keep the eggs on the buffet warm for a longer period of time.
If you are timing the eggs to finish at the same time as the Buttermilk Cranberry Sheet Pan Pancake, add them to the oven when the pancake has baked halfway through. Both dishes might take a few minutes longer to cook.
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
12 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan, preferably nonstick, with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Divide the mushroom spinach mixture equally between the 12 muffin tin cups. (There’s no need to pack it down; leave it rough and shaggy.) One a time, crack 1 egg into the center of each muffin cup. Using the tip of a small knife or a toothpick, insert the point into the white of each egg and wiggle it slightly so some of the egg white reaches the bottom of the muffin cup. (This helps ensure the cups will remain intact once removed from the tin.)
Transfer to the oven and bake until the whites are set and the yolks are still loose, about 12 minutes. There will be varying degrees of doneness, which allows for a selection of soft-, medium-, or hard- cooked eggs for guests. Transfer to a warmed serving platter. Garnish with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Makes 12.
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