Brunch—The Most Important Meal of the Week!

Kay:

Brunch with friends is one of my favorite things. Saturday morning after a long week at work getting together with good friends, great food and better cocktails is something I like to do several times a year. (Hint: it doesn’t have to be a holiday or special occasion.)

When planning a brunch, keep it simple. After all, you are the one getting up on Saturday morning to prepare. My #1 tip: do everything you can ahead of time. #2: if someone asks what they can bring, accept the offer and tell them what you’d like them to bring. Really,  people want to contribute, so let them.

Of course food is important but to turn an everyday brunch into a special affair, plan on a special drink(s). It may be before noon but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out the spirits.

A Mimosa Bar is simple to set up but I promise you, your guests will be impressed. A Mimosa consists of sparkling wine, Prosecco or Champagne (can’t get enough of those bubbles), and fruit puree or juice.  Most everyone is familiar with a basic Mimosa—sparkling wine or Champagne with orange juice, throw in a fresh strawberry and sip away.

I like to let my guests mix their own. Set up your Mimosa Bar with Prosecco (or your favorite sparkling wine), Offer a choice of juice. In the photo there’s orange (fresh squeezed is best), cranberry and mango. Add fresh fruit to compliment the juice. Here I use strawberries, raspberries and frozen mango. Grapes are always a good choice, too. Provide some simple syrup, for those who like their drinks sweeter.

Be sure to keep the sparkling wine, Prosecco  or Champagne very cold. Ideally ice it down. Keep extra bottles iced down also. Mix and match your champagne flutes. Get the Mimosas going and everyone will have a great time.

BASIC MIMOSA

Sparkling Wine

Orange Juice

Garnish:  Fresh Strawberries

Pour about one ounce of orange juice in a champagne flute; top with sparkling wine and add a strawberry.

And here’s a great make-ahead egg brunch casserole. This one will serve a crowd.

BRUNCH EGG BAKE

Preheat oven 350.

9 X 13 baking dish (spray with cooking spray)

Ingredients:

16 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese

16 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese

8 ounces sliced deli ham; cut into strips

1 bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup butter

8 eggs

1 cup whole or 2% milk

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon black pepper

Freshly grate the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses; mix together in a bowl and set aside. Cut the ham into strips and set aside. Dice the bell pepper and onion. Slice the mushrooms. Melt butter in a 10 inch skillet and add all veggies. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes until veggies are soft. Spread 1/2 of the grated cheese mixture evenly in the baking dish. Spread the sauteed veggies over the first layer of cheese. Evenly spread the ham over the veggies. Cover with the remaining cheese mixture.**

Whisk eggs, milk, flour and pepper until well mixed. Pour mixture over the cheese, veggie and ham mixture. Cover with foil and bake immediately. 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.

** At this point you may cover the cheese, veggie and ham mixture with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning pour the egg, milk, flour and pepper mixture over the cheese mixture and bake as instructed above.

Lynda:

I love brunch, too. At my house, we have a Sunday brunch almost every Sunday even if we don’t have guests. It’s a nice, relaxing way to start any Sunday. Here’s a recent dish we tried. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Mexican Made Easy by Marcela Valladolid. You can check it out here.**

Cast Iron and Cocktails

Oven- Roasted Poblano and Egg Casseroles

(The original recipe called for baking in individual casserole dishes. I used small 6-1/2 inch cast iron skillets.)

Serves 2

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup charred poblano strips (see note below)

1/2 cup sliced button or cremini mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

4 large eggs

4 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack or Queso Quesadilla cheese

I also added bacon on top  because…bacon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter in a small skillet. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the poblano strips and mushrooms. Cook until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (If you’re using individual cast iron skillets, just divide your onions, poblanos and mushrooms between the two pans to saute. No extra pans to wash!)

If using two individual casseroles, divide the poblano mixture between them at this point. Crack 2 eggs into each pan or casserole. Bake until the whites set—12 minutes for soft yolks or 15 minutes for firmer yolks. Remove from oven and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese, return to oven to melt the cheese.

NOTE: There several ways to char poblano chiles. If you have a gas cook top, you can place them over the flame, turning until all sides are blackened. The infrared burner that’s on many gas grills works well and you can also place them on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler—again, turning until all sides are blackened. Once you’ve charred the chiles, place them in a plastic bag or a covered bowl to steam. They will be easy to peel. If you like the charred flavor, just chop the pepper without peeling.

I paired these cheesy, spicy casseroles with a go-to brunch cocktail, a Tequila Sunrise. According to Wikipedia, the original Tequila Sunrise was created by Gene Sulitt at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in the 30s or 40s and contained tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice and soda. The modern version that most of us are familiar with was created by Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice in the early 1970s. The two were working as bartenders at the Trident in Sausalito. In 1973, Jose Cuervo picked up the new drink as a marketing opportunity and put the recipe on the back of their tequila bottle. Later that same year The Eagles recorded Tequila Sunrise for their Desperado album.

Tequila Sunrise

1-1/2 oz. tequila

1/2 oz. grenadine

Orange Juice

Fill a collins or highball glass with ice. Add tequila and fill with orange juice. Stir the drink before adding the grenadine. Pour the grenadine over the back of a teaspoon so it falls to the bottom of the glass creating the sunrise effect. Do not stir after adding grenadine.

Thanks for joining us for another week’s worth of cocktails, inspirations and accompaniments. Let us know what your favorite brunch dishes and drinks are.

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