Everyone loves brunch. Make your friends brunch and they will love you, too. Lucky for you, brunch is the perfect meal to get everyone together and pretend like you have your shit together. There's no better way to start the morning...or afternoon, if you're like us...than surrounded by friends, good food, and a boozy mimosa or two. And unlike that dinner party you keep saying you'll do but still haven't gotten around to, throwing a brunch party can be low stress, low cost, and low maintenance. All you have to do is follow our super easy guide.
We threw a birthday brunch, but you don't need a special occasion to use our great ideas! For 8 people, we put together a menu that had something for everyone. Here's what we made:
Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. Use materials you already have or get creative. We used cheap shimmery fabric to make tablecloths and laser-cut felt to make garland.
Apartments are small, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pack a lot into a tiny space! Get creative; we used a side table from the bedroom to put food on, as well as a cart usually next to a desk. The kitchen table was moved to the living room, where there was more room to seat everyone comfortably.
Everything is better with music, and brunch is no exception. Create a playlist ahead of time with jams to set the mood, and have it playing already when guests arrive. You can listen to thewe created below
You don’t have to build your entire menu around your one vegan friend, but try and have options for everyone, within reason. The menu we created just happened to be gluten free, with vegan options. At the very least, be able to tell guests what’s in dishes, so that they can know whether or not it’s safe for them.
In this case, we already happened to have a ridiculous light-up fountain. We also had curry ketchup and hot honey. Check your pantry, freezer, and fridge for things you can use in dishes.
Use inexpensive ingredients in smart ways. Ground turkey is usually pretty cheap, so that’s what we used for sausages. Use expensive ingredients in multiple ways; in this case, basil was used in the salad + sausage. Using cheap champagne isn’t so bad if you’re using it to make a punch or mimosas!
Think about what you’ll need to use to get food ready. If possible, stick to one item on the stovetop and one in the oven. Have a mixture of hot and cold dishes.
Take the time to type out your menu, whether it’s using inDesign or Word. You don’t have to be a designer, and there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Print out copies and place them on plates on the table, or print out one copy and put it in a cute frame by the food.
In this case, we made the turkey sausage on Friday and kept it frozen. The agua fresca was made Saturday morning, and the chia seed pudding was made Saturday night.
SERVES: 4
YOU WILL NEED:
5-6 cups diced watermelon
Juice of 2 limes (or more to taste)
1/4 a small habanero pepper, seeds removed
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1.5 cup water
Blend all ingredients together.
If you prefer, strain the mixture to remove all fiber.
You can add more or less habanero depending on your spice tolerance.
Add too much? Add some more lime juice!
SERVES: 8
YOU WILL NEED:
1.3 pounds ground turkey (a 20-ounce package is fine as well)
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, basil, garlic, salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne.
With wet hands (the mixture will be sticky), divide the mixture into 8 portions and pat each into a patty. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, turning once, until the patties are cooked through and starting to brown. Alternatively, you can cook the patties in a hot skillet until cooked through and browned.
RECIPE NOTES:
Patties can be frozen. If freezing them uncooked, freeze them on a plastic-lined sheet until firm. Then remove from sheet and place in a ziploc freezer bag and return to the freezer immediately. Cooked and cooled patties can be stored in a ziploc freezer bag. Chill completely before freezing.
