Holiday Brunch

I wanted to share with you what a special holiday brunch would look like coming out of my kitchen. I wanted to show you how I create my menu based on the likes/dislikes/dietary restrictions of my guests and what best showcases the flavor profiles I enjoy. Entertaining can be easy, fun, and when done right stress free. For me the key to success is planning, prepping, and organizing. I come up with my menu a week or two prior to the actual event. This gives me time research recipes and tweak recipes as needed. A lot of times I will simplify recipes so they don't have long list of ingredients, just what is absolutely necessary to make it tasty. I always try to stick with something either I have done before or that I know I can't mess up too bad. While it is nice to try recipes out on friends, I find that an actual event/party is not the time to do it, it will just cause you stress thinking about if it is going to come out or not. Not everything needs to be homemade, as much as I like to say I've made every single menu item from scratch, it is just not necessary or feasible most of the time. For this brunch, my one friend has a gluten intolerance and the other tends not to be an egg fan. I wanted to create options so that both had something to choose from.

I chose mini quiches with a hash brown crust and sweet potato sausage hash because they are gluten free and hearty. I opted for the Cinnamon French Toast Bake and Grapefuit Salad for my other friend who tends to enjoy the sweeter breakfast options. I offer one signature cocktail, the Rudolph Spritzers, and then coffee/tea. For dessert, I finished off with a fun make your own hot chocolate bar and my family recipe for magic cookie bars. I referred to my favorite recipe blogs, cookbooks, and of course Pinterest to organize my ideas. Check out my board here: Holiday Brunch Pinterest Board.

I set the table the day before, that way I wasn't scrambling to cook and set up while my guests were arriving. I kept it simple with disposable plates, napkins, and silverware. I don't have a dishwasher and I didn't want to be on clean up duty after brunch, I wanted to relax and enjoy my company. See stress free is possible!

I used some leftover raffia from wrapping presents to hold the silverware together and add a little extra flare. I kept the theme rustic with a pine wreath and pinecones elevated on a cake stand over  a green charger. Small trinkets of santa, deer, and christmas trees helped to keep the scene. I set up the drinks in the kitchen out of the way, yet still festive.













The food was laid out buffet style in the kitchen so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted. I used little homemade cards to label each dish. I'm not Picasso or anything but I'll admit I had fun doodling these.

Here are links to the recipes I didn't mess with too much:
Honey Banana with Grapefruit (I used fresh grapefruit instead of jarred)
Rudolph Spritzer's 
Cinnamon Baked French Toast (I used cinnamon bread, so I cut out the cinnamon in the topping, let it sit overnight, and baked for over an hour to get nice and crisp)
Mini Quiche (I cut this down and used a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, I used half and half instead of sour cream, half the amount of goat cheese, half the bag of hash browns, 6 eggs for the filling and one egg for the crusts. Cook for 22 minutes or until firm to the touch or slightly golden brown on top)

People really do eat the food I post on here :)

Magic Cookie Bars
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds

Melt butter in the microwave in a 9x13 pyrex baking dish. Spread it out evenly then sprinkle graham crackers in an even layer over the butter. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into an even layer on top of graham crackers, sprinkle with chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and slightly golden brown around the edges.




Cranberry Brie Bites 
2 packages pre-made phyllo cups (about 30)
8 oz. brie, cubed
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. real maple syrup

Place phyllo cups on a baking sheet. Place two small cubes of brie in each cup, adding a few dried cranberries and a few walnut pieces to each. Top with a sprinkle of brown sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. This can also be made without the phyllo cups, using the entire wheel of brie and placing it in a small baking dish with sides and topping with the rest of the ingredients. This may take slightly longer to cook through 15-20 minutes and serve with apple wedges or crackers.

Everything came out with little to no stress and tasted like it had been made with love! Here is a pic of almost everything laid out on my plate. I had to snap this picture quick because the plate was clean in no time at all. And honestly after this point there was no picking up the camera just enjoying a relaxing Sunday morning with great friends. I hope some of these tips or recipes help you to create a stress free and rewarding brunch/event. Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad!