Do you know what I love about having people over for brunch? So many of the dishes can be made ahead, leaving more time for me to spend with friends and family. I can prep overnight casseroles, quiches, fruit salads, muffins, and batch cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) the day before. The work I need to do the morning the guests arrive ends up being minimal.
Some recipes—like eggs Benedict—require more hands-on work before serving. But with so many delicious recipes to choose from, you can find the right combination of dishes that can all be put together well ahead of time to give you plenty of flexibility.
Blueberry Muffin Tops
Everyone knows the tops of muffins are the best part, so serve your guests only the best with these blueberry muffin tops that are bursting with pockets of fresh, tangy blueberries and topped with crisp brown sugar and oat streusel. No need for a special pan, they bake freeform on a baking sheet.
Classic Mimosa
The mimosa is the classic brunch cocktail. Just mix orange juice and sparkling wine, and you’re done. You can use Champagne, while Prosecco and Cava are equally good, but less expensive, options. If you want to make mimosas THE cocktail of the brunch, consider creating a mimosa bar.
Quiche Lorraine
It’s so fun to see quiche in the limelight again, and quiche Lorraine is the grande dame of quiche recipes. With a buttery crust, rich eggy custard, and generous bacon content, quiche Lorraine endures as a brunch highlight regardless of trends.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake
If you think chocolate chip banana bread coffee cake is a mouthful to say, wait until you get a mouthful of this heavenly mashup of classic banana bread and a streusel-topped coffee cake.
Sheet Pan Buttermilk Pancakes
Rather than stand over a hot pan flipping one pancake at a time, make just one large sheet pan buttermilk pancake that will feed a crowd. Fluffy and full of blueberries and raspberries, it’s cut into squares and serves with more fruit and maple syrup.
Homemade Bloody Mary Mix
Whip up a batch or two of this homemade Bloody Mary mix 24 hours before your brunch so the flavors all meld together. Full of tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and more (plus optional horseradish for an added kick), all you’ll need to do is add vodka and a celery stick to serve.
Rösti with All the Fixings
Swiss-style rösti is a crispy, creamy fried potato pancake. Cook it in a cast iron or non-stick skillet and cut in wedges. You can serve it as-is, or with toppings such as crumbled feta, pickled onions, and fresh dill.
Breakfast Pizza with Cheddar, Bacon, and Eggs
This crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly breakfast pizza is topped with bacon, eggs, tomato, cheddar cheese, and herbs. It’s versatile so you can make it vegetarian or substitute sausage for bacon. Use our no-knead pizza dough or buy store-bought pizza dough for extra convenience. Although the pizza needs to be assembled right before it goes in the oven, you can prep all the ingredients the night before.
French 75
This is my go-to brunch cocktail. Simply combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling wine—Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, or any bubbly on the drier side will do. It works well with rosé sparkling wine, too.
Mixed Green Salad With Honey Mustard, Eggs, and Toast
Salad may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think brunch, but this rendition, made from mixed greens, is very brunch-like with its hard boiled eggs and toast. It will add some veggies to the mix if you’re also serving carb-heavy casseroles or pastries.
Non-Alcoholic Sangria With Pomegranate and Citrus
Guests will appreciate a balanced, well-crafted non-alcoholic drink option, and this N/A sangria with pomegranate and citrus does the trick. Add layers of flavor with an infusion of two types of tea and a dash of cayenne that mimics the heat that alcohol would bring.
French Toast Casserole
If you’ve ever had a French toast casserole, then you know how perfect it is for brunch. It’s sweet and always a hit. You can put it together the night before and let it sit overnight before baking or put it together in the morning and bake it right away. The overnight option makes a creamier texture. If you want some fruit in your casserole, try our blueberry French toast version.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Sausage, eggs, potatoes, and cheese are staples in brunch casseroles, but this casserole uses Tater Tots instead of peeled and sliced potatoes. The tots save time in prep and make the casserole extra appealing to kids. Grown-ups like it, too.
Chocolate Fondue
Dessert isn’t always part of brunch, but I’d love chocolate fondue at the end of brunch, wouldn’t you? Cut up bananas, apples, pineapple, and strawberries for dipping. And, if you made the blueberry muffin tops listed above, I think leftover pieces would be particularly good dipped in chocolate.
Zucchini Tomato Quiche
Grated zucchini, tomatoes, and basil are abundant in the summer, and this quiche makes good use of that bounty from your garden or the farmers market. Quiche is also a great make-ahead dish. You can make it and freeze it, uncooked or cooked, weeks ahead of time if you’re that much of a planner.
Chia Pudding with Blueberries and Almonds
Easy to make and loaded with fiber, protein, and antioxidants, this chia seed pudding works best when assemble and chill it overnight. You can put it in individual ramekins before refrigerating, making individual servings for each brunch guest.
Fuzzy Navel
If you want a cocktail that’s low in alcohol for brunch, serve these blast-from-the-past fuzzy navels. Combine peach schnapps and orange juice, and you’re done. The drink is easy to batch, also. Simply multiply the serving size you need by the ingredients in the recipe and put it in a pretty pitcher to serve.
Zucchini Breakfast Casserole
This savory casserole—that’s something like a baked frittata—is a perfect destination for stale bread. Dress it up with grated zucchini, tomatoes, basil, ricotta, and Parmesan.
Eggs Benedict
Make the Hollandaise sauce for this eggs Benedict in a blender, and suddenly putting this brunch classic together is much easier. You can also poached the eggs a day ahead of time—instructions are on the recipe page. We also have a recipe for a vegetarian version of eggs Benedict, if that’s what you’d prefer.
Easy Breakfast Casserole With Prosciutto
Layer bread, eggs, onions, greens, and prosciutto in a pie dish and pour a mixture of eggs, cottage cheese, and milk over top. Top with shredded cheddar and bake. You can make the casserole the night before and let it sit in the fridge. Leave the shredded cheddar off until right before you pop it in the oven.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Oh-so lemony, these muffins are alluring enough that you can expect the basket to be empty by the end of brunch. There’s lemon zest in the muffin batter and a lemon glaze on top, making them darn near irresistible.
Smoked Salmon Potato Leek Torta
Yukon Gold potatoes, smoked salmon, and leeks are bound with a dill-seasoned custard of eggs and cream and make a special brunch dish. It reheats well so you can make it the day before and warm it up right as guests arrive. It’s also delicious at room temperature.
Brussels Sprouts, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Casserole
This hearty vegetarian strata is full of bread, cheese, and fresh vegetables that are held together with an egg mixture. Assemble the whole casserole the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.
Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad
There are plenty of fruit salad combinations that are great for brunch, but this one will take that fruit salad option up a notch. A mint, lemon, and honey dressing complements the persimmons, pomegranate seeds, and apples perfectly.
Spinach Frittata
This easy and quick-to-put-together frittata is like an open-faced omelette of sorts, or an eggy crustless quiche. You can use fresh or frozen spinach, and add tomatoes and goat cheese along with the egg mixture that pulls it all together.