Brunch Like a Boss With Our 25 Top Tips

A little bit breakfast, a little bit lunch, brunch is all about relaxing with your favorite people and indulging in tasty nibbles and tipsy sips. Whether you're celebrating Mother's Day, Easter, a birthday, shower or just toasting the weekend, brunch it up with our easy recipes and tips for setting a beautiful spread.

June 23, 2022

By: H. Camille Smith

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Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

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Start With the Spread

Like any good get-together, a guest-impressing brunch begins with planning. First, decide which foods you'll serve and whether these are items you'll whip up yourself or purchase already made. Picking up a few items, like baked goods or desserts, at your local bakery or grocery store can reduce your pre-party stress and free up time to focus on decorating.

From: H. Camille Smith

Serve Buffet Style

Once you've planned the menu, pick the location. Here, we opted for the kitchen island because it's easy for multiple guests to help themselves at the same time. The island's close proximity to the fridge and stove also makes it easy to replenish brunch items as they run low.

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Serve Family Style

For a brunch get-together that feels a bit more formal, set the table with your prettiest plates, linens and silverware, then place brunch menu items, like these homemade lemon-blueberry cinnamon rolls and strawberry-rhubarb scones, on the table so guests can help themselves.

See More Photos: Turn Your Farmers Market Haul Into the Ultimate Vegetarian Spring Brunch

From: H. Camille Smith

Use the Good Plates

Ditch flimsy, disposable plastic, foam or paper plates in favor of your prettiest dishware. This is a party after all and everything tastes better off nice china — especially when there's no chance of your meal ending up in your lap.

From: H. Camille Smith

Don't Forget a Centerpiece

Even a casual brunch spread can use a colorful fresh flower boost — but it doesn't have to be complicated. Just fill a vase with water and a collection of grocery store or backyard blooms. For ours, we used white lilies, pink snapdragon, lilacs and corkscrew willow branches.

From: H. Camille Smith

And, Get Creative With Containers

Fresh-cut backyard blooms, like these spring irises, will look even more spectacular in a vintage container, like this sweet teapot. So, skip the standard vase and instead put a hand-me-down or thrifted piece to work. Tip: Be sure to check for any cracks that could cause a leak. If your vintage piece isn't waterproof, you can still use it; just place flowers in a smaller water-filled drinking glass or plastic carton tucked inside.

From: H. Camille Smith

Serve the Sweetest Skewers

Fresh fruit skewers drizzled with honey are sure to tempt even the pickiest of palates. Tip: Pick up a marble tile at your local hardware store for an inexpensive serving tray that, thanks to the cooling properties of marble, keeps chilled fruit (or cheese or cold desserts) cooler than room temperature longer.

From: H. Camille Smith

Delight Meat Eaters

Give a playful twist to the popular charcuterie board with an assortment of healthier options — like low-sodium deli meats and turkey bacon — paired with a lower fat cheese, like chevre, parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano. Brunch guests can help themselves to a little protein to accompany their salad or frittata for a heartier meal.

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Wow Vegetarians

Move over, charcuterie. For a brunch feast that'll satisfy vegetarians and carnivores alike, try this super hearty spread that pairs garden-fresh veggies with a variety of light and spreadable spring cheeses.

get the recipe: The Ultimate Vegetarian Cheese Board

From: Heather Baird

Whip Up Parfait Perfection

Layer fresh strawberries, blackberries and blueberries with nonfat Greek yogurt and granola in a pretty, vintage glass for a delicious mini meal that only looks decadent.

From: H. Camille Smith

And, Whip Up This Fruit-Topped Salad

Encourage brunch guests to take a walk on the healthy side with our recipe, below, for a leafy green salad that pairs the peppery taste of arugula and watercress with an abundance of fresh fruit. Top it with our homemade orange poppy seed dressing for a sweet meets spicy combo that's sure to please even the pickiest palate.

get the recipe: Arugula Salad With Homemade Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

From: Heather Baird

Frittata: Healthy and Hearty

Essentially, a crust-less quiche, frittatas are the way to go if reducing carbs and the associated calories are your goal. Trust us, once you've tried this tasty, savory one-pan wonder, you won't miss the crust.

GET THE RECIPE: Trisha Yearwood's Spinach Frittata

From: H. Camille Smith

Cue the Cocktails

Brunch food + boozy sips = a match made in party heaven. Get guests in a mingling mood with our blackberry spritz recipe, below, that pairs juicy, garden-fresh blackberries with sweet honeysuckle vodka for a colorful cocktail that tastes like summer in a glass.

get the recipe: Blackberry + Honeysuckle Spritz Recipe

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Opt for Mocktails Instead

Ensure that all your guests enjoy the party by also offering non-alcoholic options. Our strawberry shrub recipe, below, can be modified to be a mocktail — just leave the alcohol out and let guests add it (or not) themselves.

get the recipe: Cocktail or Mocktail: Preserve Fresh Fruit as a Sippable Shrub

From: H. Camille Smith

Take It Outside

Weather permitting, take the party outside so your guests can enjoy the scenery while they brunch. Alfresco brunches are especially enjoyable in spring, summer or fall when you can even work a few homegrown fruits, veggies or flowers into your tablescape.

See More Photos: Turn Your Farmers Market Haul Into the Ultimate Vegetarian Spring Brunch

From: H. Camille Smith

No Table? No Problem!

If you're short on serving space, try this designers' go-to trick: lay a hollow-core door or thick piece of plywood over evenly spaced sawhorses, cover with fabric and voila — a temporary table with plenty of serving space that can be broken down again and stored away when the party's over.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Champagne: Get Ready to Chill

If you plan on serving sparkling wine at your brunch (which we're all for!) use a large, ice-filled beverage tub or porcelain bowl to chill it to the perfect temp. Want to speed up your chill time? Put science to work and add water (an excellent conductor) and a handful of kosher salt (which lowers the water's freezing point) to the mix to rapidly bring your bottles to the ideal temp, which for sparkling wine is around 50 degrees Farenheit.

See More Photos: Spring Sips: Set Up a Sparkling Wine Cocktail Bar

From: H. Camille Smith

Everyone's a Mixologist

For our brunch bar, we chose the 3 most popular sparkling wine cocktails: Mimosa, Bellini and Kir Royale. To ensure guests could play mixologist, we created a chalkboard sign that spells out the ingredients — precise proportions aren't necessary, let each guest mix to suit their taste.

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Go Big — Big-Batch Cocktails, That Is

Seriously, what would a lazy weekend brunch be without a few cocktails? Ensure that you can kick back and relax along with your guests by premixing one of our big-batch cocktails, below, so everyone can just help themselves and you're free to get your brunch on.

See More Photos: Big-Batch Summer Cocktails That Serve a Crowd

From: H. Camille Smith

Serve a Southern Favorite

Shrimp and grits are not only crazy delicious, they're also easier to make than you may think — especially when you use a muffin tin to create single-serve portions. Follow our recipe, below, to learn how to make them ahead, then heat up pre-party for a palate-pleasing small bite that's oh-so-satisfying.

Get the Recipe: Make Shrimp and Grits in a Muffin Tin for Bite-Sized Southern Goodness

Or, Try an Italian Twist

Basil pesto, pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon) and baked eggs are a match made in brunch heaven. This restaurant-quality twist on standard bacon and eggs is sure to impress your guests. Get the recipe, below.

Get the Recipe: Brunch Recipe: Baked Eggs With Pesto and Pancetta

A Few Carbs Won't Kill Ya

Okay, muffins and scones may not be the healthiest brunch items — but they are delicious and easy to grab and munch while guests mingle and chat.

From: H. Camille Smith

Don't Forget Dessert

Let's be honest: Even the most diet-devoted guest finds it hard to pass up a sweet bite or two to finish their meal — which makes mini bar-style desserts a perfect fit for a brunch buffet. Pair the rich desserts with fresh fruit so guests can opt for either a healthy or not-so-healthy last bite.

From: H. Camille Smith

Tempt Them With a Tart

Whether you prefer to make it yourself or purchase from your favorite bakery, there's no denying the appeal of a glazed fresh fruit tart. Place pretty plates and a pie server nearby so guests can help themselves.

From: H. Camille Smith

Or, Serve Cobbler Cuties

Fruit cobbler is always a favorite; bake it in oven-safe mugs with the easiest topping (surprise! it's pancake mix) so everyone can can dig into their own individual serving.

Get the Recipe: Grandmother's Mixed Berry Cobbler Recipe

From: Katie Meyers

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