Just in time for Mother’s Day hosting, we’ve included some gift ideas you can find that Mom is guaranteed to love. Welcome back for Hosting Brunch Tips – this time, the food!
When hosting Spring Brunch, menu planning should balance sweet and savory while including a mix of beautiful seasonal ingredients, comforting brunch classics, and a few elevated touches that make guests feel truly cared for, such as accommodating for your guests dietary restrictions or including a surprise & delight sweet brunch dessert moment. From colorful salads and crowd-pleasing brunch staples to a showstopping dessert centerpiece, the best brunch menus are designed to feel both inviting and intentional while allowing the host to enjoy the gathering too.
Shop the Spring Brunch Essentials Curated by Chef Meg Walker, Los Angeles Caterer trained at Le Cordon Bleu and at one of the best Michelin-star restaurants in the nation, also a mom of 2 lovely daughters.
ย First up: protein.
A substantial protein is an important part of every meal. Frittata is your friend; itโs a fantastic hot dish because itโs flexible and naturally gluten free since it doesnโt have a crust like quiche, so you can put in fun roasted veggies and different cheeses to your eggs, and bake in a Staub Ceramic casserole dish so it stays warm and youโre not doing extra work replating. My personal Roasted Vegetable Frittata includes roasted asparagus, really good roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh chives. It doesnโt have a crust so itโs also easy to keep gluten free.ย
Shop: Staub 3-Piece Eucalyptus Green Ceramic Baking Dish Set
Shop: Green Stripe 120″ Table Runner
Next: a starch brunch-staple.
Every brunch needs a starch that complements your egg-centric dishes while being delicious as a standalone, especially for any vegan guests. Make your life easier with Herb de Provence Tri-Color Fingerling Potatoes on an Oven-to-Table Ceramic Sheet Pan with a Wood Stand. They donโt require peeling; itโs one chop lengthwise, toss with Herb de Provence seasoning + salt + pepper + olive oil + lemon juice, bake, and youโre done. High impact and low effort. I appreciate that Crate & Barrel designed a collection of pieces that can go straight from the oven to your buffet setup, and that it comes with a perfectly sized wooden holder to avoid any damage to your table or counter.
Shop: Oven-to-Table Ceramic Sheet Pan with a Wood Stand
Now for something fresh: Caprese, but make it spring.
My favorite salad is Caprese Salad. It’s about sourcing the best ingredients, from heirloom tomatoes and creamy cheeses. In California, our spring tomato season is just starting. Tomatoes are the most magical produce and I love using burrata for the cheese because it’s a totally different texture than even a fresh mozzarella and you donโt have to go anywhere special to get it, but itโs going to have those higher end characteristics.
As youโre plating, alternate the colors of your thinly cut tomatoes for an elevated and intentional aesthetic. The best part is the burrata, so itโs best not to hold back on the quantity and let that burrata do her thing for your salad.
For a basil trick: wash and dry your basil, then cut the stem off and carefully use the tip of the knife to push in the edge so the fresh basil stands up beautifully.
I love drizzling reduced balsamic vinegar and good quality finishing extra virgin olive oil in a Marin White Stoneware Oil Cruet With Silicone Spout, as well as fresh cracked black peppercorns and Maldon salt, especially with Marinโs Desert Green Wood Salt & Pepper Mills. The difference in all of these little touches take your dish from good to great.ย
Your showstopper. Every menu needs one!
I always pick one thing to invest a bunch of time in on a menu. Pavlova with Meyer Lemon Curd and Fresh California Berries is the kind of centerpiece dessert worth investing time in. It communicates care, attention, and skill while remaining surprisingly simple to make.ย ย
Pavlova looks elegant and feels impressive, but itโs essentially egg whites and sugar with a lot of oventime, requiring a dedicated oven to bake on low heat for a longer duration of time to allow for perfection. The way our culture shows hospitality and love to our guests is time investment, and the time investment needed for a pavlova is high.
Once cooled, top it with Meyer lemon curd and fresh California Spring berries, and put it on a Cake Stand pedestal. Literally. I like to put mine on a literal pedestal to add height to my tablescape, and to emphasize that this is a delicious sweet treat. Bonus is that itโs also gluten free.
Shop: Citrus Squeezer with Measuring Cup
Shop: Tondo Acacia Wood Cake Stand
Easy-To-Enjoy Fruit Display
For your fresh fruit, make it easy and fun to eat, as people avoid selecting items that look messy or difficult to eat in group settings. I recommend colorful fruit served on an Ice Green Marble Platter, which you can prepare in advance and hold in the fridge so that it stays cool and looks chic.
Fruit is a universal favorite for all ages and is a healthy sweet treat. For your hand held fruit skewers, remove the stems after you wash the strawberries, and place fresh mint leaves in between fruit pieces. I enjoy a base of sliced watermelon placed below the skewers to make the plate look more full. For both decor and snacking, I love having a basket of freshly washed strawberries in a Berry Box Porcelain Colander.
Shop: Ice Green 13″ Marble Platter
Shop: Mint Berry Box Porcelain Colander
Happy hosting! ๐
Whether youโre hosting an intimate gathering at home or planning a larger celebration, the magic of Spring brunch is in the details, thoughtful touches that feel elevated yet effortless. At Made by Meg Catering, we believe hosting should feel just as enjoyable for you as it does for your guests.ย
For tips on your Mother’s Day Brunch bar menu, our beverage blog with recipe & gift ideas is here: Coffee Bar, Mimosa Bar & Setup Tips.
For the hosting gear for your own beautiful Spring brunch, head to our ShopMy page for everything we used from Crate & Barrel! We went with a bright lemon and green theme, mixing and matching different greens that work well together, incorporating lemon as decor and an ingredient in both the potatoes and pavlova.ย
If youโre looking for a caterer for events this Spring in Los Angeles County, please reach out, weโd love to help take your event to the next level without the stress and build the perfect food and beverage menu for your celebration! https://mbmcatering.com/contact/ย
Cheers to a season of gathering, celebrating, and making it beautifully easy.
*As a ShopMy Enthusiast, I earn from qualifying purchases via the links above!
