Mother's Day Brunch

Article archived: May, 2010

Give mom a chance to relax this Mother's Day with a fresh and flavorful brunch she's sure to love. We present a homestyle menu and an elegant, afternoon tea-style meal, each with three entrée choices — so you'll love mixing and matching recipes. Scrumptious yet simple, a custom Mother's Day brunch shows mom how much she's appreciated.

Homestyle Mother's Day Brunch
Afternoon Tea-Style Mother's Day Brunch

Homestyle Mother's Day Brunch

Menu:

This hearty menu features the usual brunch suspects — eggs, French toast, orange juice and coffee — each with unexpected flavor surprises. Select a main course, or serve two together if you're entertaining a large crowd.

Main course: Zucchini Frittata or Greek Omelet or Golden Polenta with Mustard Sauce
Assorted Muffins
Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast
Quick Applesauce
Assorted Fruit Juices

Recipes:

The beloved Italian omelet, or frittata, lends itself well to a hearty brunch. This Zucchini Frittata recipe tastes delicious with garden-fresh vegetables and sharp goat cheese.
Eggs come together with onions, spinach and scallions in this delicately flavored Greek Omelet.
An Italian boiled cornmeal dish, polenta nourishes and satisfies. Try Golden Polenta with Eggs and Mustard Sauce and please mom with its rich and zesty flavor.
An assorted muffin basket served with butter and home-made preserves makes brunch a meal to remember. Jam-Filled Almond Muffins, baked with whole-wheat flour and almond extract, feature the jelly on the inside for a sweet surprise. And if you fancy fruit flavor, Lemon-Raspberry Muffins bring a luscious citrus zest to your table.
A quintessential brunch staple, French toast satisfies by itself or when sweetened up with pure maple syrup. Add flavor accents to a classic with this Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast recipe.
No laboring over a hot stove this Mother's Day! This Quick Applesauce recipe takes just 15 minutes, combining microwaving and food processing for ultra-speedy prep.

Afternoon Tea-Style Mother's Day Brunch

Menu:

Light and refreshing, this afternoon tea-style brunch makes quick work of sophisticated ingredients and tastes, with a focus on — of course — tea. To make this brunch more indulgent, serve two main course options instead of one.

Main Course: Light Salade aux Lardons or Smoked Salmon Salad Niçoise or Ham and Swiss Rösti
Avocado Tea Sandwiches
Tea-Scented Mandarins
Dark Cherry Bundt Cake
Chai Tea
Assorted Flavored Seltzers

Recipes:

Made with Canadian bacon and fresh frisée, this Light Salade aux Lardons dish offers a healthier take on savory French cooking. (Editor's note: Lardon, or pork fat, provides rich and textured flavor to French cuisine. The substitution of Canadian bacon in the recipe above adds flavor without the calories.)
Hearty smoked salmon meets haricots verts (petite green beans), red potatoes and Dijon dressing in this classic Smoked Salmon Salad Niçoise recipe.
Swiss potato pancakes, or rösti, typically include meats, cheeses or vegetables in the mix — and rösti are catching on across America. Take inspiration from upscale brunches with this easy Ham and Swiss Rösti recipe, and introduce your guests to new tastes.
Thin and ultra-portable, tea sandwiches invite guests to savor the sights and scents of a classic high tea. Try Avocado Tea Sandwiches with mom's favorite cup, or with our Chai tea recipe featured below, and savor the taste of fresh avocado.
Delicate little oranges bathed in tea lend a bright flavor accent to brunch. The perfect treat, Tea-Scented Mandarins take just minutes to prepare.
Swirled with tangy cherry filling, Dark Cherry Bundt Cake ends your Mother's Day tea brunch on a sweet yet substantial note.
Make mom a steaming cup of spicy sweet Chai Tea along with brunch. Serve your tea with low-fat milk or, for an extra-rich taste, with half-and-half.