Easter signifies the ending of winter and is a wonderful time to celebrate and host a fun brunch with your loved ones. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs closest to March 21st and is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, following the crucifixion. The resurrection of Christ represents the triumph of good over sin, evil, and death. Easter is a Christian Holiday that has been observed for thousands of years and marks the end of Lent, Holy Week and is the last day of the Easter Triduum, which is Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
As the holiday is usually very close to the Spring equinox, it is a wonderful time to bring color back to the world as you celebrate and revitalize your faith and spirituality with family and close friends. Easter traditions vary from culture to culture but many of the main themes remain: rebirth, not only of Christ but also of the natural world, celebration of faith and a feast to enjoy with loved ones. Hosting an Easter brunch allows you to share time with special people in your life while also allowing time for morning church services and afternoon egg hunts.
Getting Started
Planning an event has a tendency to create stress, especially if it isn’t something you do very frequently, so it’s best to plan the event and break the work up into smaller manageable tasks.
To plan an Easter brunch you’ll need to:
- Create a Guest List & Send Invitations
- Create a Tablescape
- Plan Your Menu
- Host Your Event
Planning ahead allows you to not only stay within a budget, but also to have fun and be creative with your invitations, your tablescape and decorations. The colors of Easter are bright yellow and a wide palette of beautiful pastels, that all coordinate well with each other and create a cheery mood to celebrate.
Create a Guest List & Send Invitations
Before you plan any part of the event, you’ll need to create a guest list, so you know how many people you will be hosting. Your invitations will set the tone for the type of brunch you’d like to host as well, whether it is casual or more formal. There are all kinds of invitations you can buy or you can DIY. You can also use an online template to create a beautiful invite that is a blend of printing and personal if you don’t feel especially crafty.
Make sure you let your guests know if you expect them to wear festive attire and to RSVP. Ask for the RSVP on a specific date before the event so you know how much food to prepare and have seating for everyone. These casual yet crafty invites are easy to create and are available at Martha Stewart.
Create a Tablescape
Creating the table for your brunch allows you to be creative and if you plan ahead you don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a truly gorgeous tablescape. Depending on the weather you may choose to dine outside or inside and your tablescape should play off the elements of your setting. You can be as simple or creative as you feel comfortable with and have the time for.
Table Cloth
How you dress your table sets the mood for all the other items you’ll place on the table. Your tablescape should reflect the style in your invitation as well and should be set up to work well with the foods and drink that you serve. You can use a simple elegant white tablecloth like one fromRoom For Tuesday.
How you dress your table sets the mood for all the other items you’ll place on the table. Your tablescape should reflect the style in your invitation as well and should be set up to work well with the foods and drink that you serve. You can use a simple elegant white tablecloth like one fromRoom For Tuesday.
Or even use fresh spring herbs and garden vegetables like this one from Better Homes and Gardens.
You can add more color to your vase by filling it with candy, like this fun colorful arrangement byShe Knows.
Dishware
The dishware you use can be one style or a blend of colors and patterns. The type of dishware and how much you place on the table is determined both by the look you are going for and how big your table is. You’ll want to add cleaned and pressed napkins and cutlery to each setting and remember to add polished glasses for water and drinks.[spacer height=”10px”]
This dishware setting from the Domestic Curator blends different colors and style for a fun festive look.
Using a simple dishware set-up, with smaller mason jars, can look just as elegant and festive as more colorful settings, like this setting form Pepper Design.
Gift
You can also place a gift for your guests on the table. The gift should be spring inspired and could include a small flower bouquet or plant, a candle or even a hand decorated egg.
The Meal
Planning a brunch can be very fun as you can choose a mix of foods. The bonus of hosting a brunch is that with a properly planned menu, you won’t be spending time in the kitchen, you will be able to spend time with your guests
You can enjoy classic and delicious egg dishes, scones, savory meats, and so much more at brunch. Brunch foods don’t have to be served hot or made to order and I’ve put together 2 simple menus one more breakfast and one more lunch, to give you some ideas. Remember you’ll have more fun if you make foods that you like and use simple easy recipes.
Breakfast Brunch Menu
- Fresh Fruit
- Pastries
- Egg Muffins
- Mini Bagels & Bagel Bar
This menu couldn’t be more simple or delicious
For this menu, I recommend using a blend of fresh seasonal fruit, either in a bowl or on a large platter, my recipe below for egg muffins and a box of pastries from your favorite bakery.
If you are in the mood for baking, try making scones and serve them with farm butter, whipped cream honey or jam. I like this recipe from Martha Stewart for Mummy’s Sweet White Scones.
My recipe for egg muffins is below. You can always a side of savory meat such as bacon, sausage or ham if you want to make the meal more substantial. You can double or triple the recipe, or instead of muffins, pour the mixture into a pie pan for a crustless quiche.
Egg Muffins
(Makes 6-8)
Ingredients: 6 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup goat cheese
- 2 cups mixed vegetables, diced (red bell peppers & spinach)
- 1 tablespoon mixed herbs, chopped (basil, oregano, dill, thyme, tarragon)
- salt and pepper
- pinch of cayenne
- oil for the muffin pans
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a muffin pan.
- Whisk together the eggs, add the vegetables, herbs and seasonings.
- Fill muffin tins ¾’s full and place a dollop of goat cheese in each muffin.
- Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes until the eggs are set Depending on how many guests you are serving, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. You can also use this recipe to make a crust-less quiche, simply by pouring the egg mixture into a pie pan.
- Simple Bites has a wonderful example of a DIY bagel bar. I would use mini bagels instead of full size for Easter Brunch.
For the lunch/brunch you can still have savory and sweet … but with a few twists. Here’s the menu:
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Penne a la Carbonara
- Roasted Leg Of lamb
No celebration is complete without having a special drink to make a toast. In addition to some store-bought or homemade infused water pitchers, ice teas, and lemonades, Drinks can be a little more colorful and creative to really kick your brunch off to a bright and classy start.
Here are some of our very own eye openers to toast an Easter gathering.
