Basic Brunch Menu Ideas

Brunch is a comforting kind of meal, a lazily late breakfast or early lunch (however you see it), and so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of choosing a menu. Many people like to include a bit of both kinds of foods - breakfast foods and light lunch foods - in the brunch menu. Here are some ideas for foods that work separately, or in any combination for a basic brunch. The idea here is to avoid strong flavors while enjoying choices from a range of items from each food group. Choose according to your tastes, budget, and the formality of the occasion.

Breakfast foods:

• Breads: bagels, rolls, breakfast pastry, muffins, croissants. Note: that these can be combined with lunch foods such as spreads so the breads are a good cross-over item).
• Fruits: bananas, fruit salad, oranges, seasonal, warm fruit compote
• Warm items: omelets, frittata or quiche, blintzes (crepes), pancakes, waffles, French toast

Lunch foods:

• Soups
• Light salads, such as tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, or chopped salad
• Veggie tray
• Cheeses and luncheon meats
• Yogurt
• Smoked or poached salmon
• Cold chicken salad
• Mini sandwiches (tea sandwiches)
• Carved roast beef

Beverages:

• Coffee, tea
• Hot chocolate (if fall or winter and kids are there)
• Hot cider (seasonal)
• Juice selection
• Champagne (if a champagne brunch) for mimosas; Bloody Marys

Whether you meet with a caterer or do it yourself, planning a brunch menu can be creative and even fun. Buffet style is usually the serving style of choice for a brunch. Decorate the room according to the formality of the event. Centerpieces really set the mood, so whether a bunch of flowers in a vase, a bunch of balloons tied together, what you set on the table is going to be eye catching and make everyone feel in the right mood for the celebration.