There’s nothing quite like summer foods: Watermelon, corn-on-the-cob, burgers and dogs on the grill, fruit pies, and strawberry-rhubarb everything. It’s divine, and so is sitting on patio surrounded by all your bests soaking up the sun with a pitcher of mimosas not far away. But sooner or later the host bug will bite, and these delish dishes are sure to please even the bougiest of brunch buddies. Enjoy!
Sour Cream & Bacon Deviled Eggs: Whether serving as an appe-teaser or with the main event, deviled eggs are a southern staple. I’ve seen a lot of bacon on deviled eggs in recent years, but this version ups the ante with sour cream. The reviews are quite good – one person even likened their taste to a baked potato. Not sure how I feel about that, but my interest is piqued, that’s for sure. Fun fact: In some parts of the world deviled eggs are referred to as ‘mimosa eggs.’ True story.
Time needed: 2 hours
Cooking required: Minimal (if boiling water counts as cooking)
Mojito Fruit Salad: Contrary to what the name may suggest, this is a non-alcoholic indulgence. What I love most about this combination is that it involves zero cooking (!), for a chef, I am not. What I love almost as much is that you can get every ingredient (minus powdered sugar) at your local farmer’s market. Not too long ago my boyfriend – the king of quirky food combos – whipped up a strawberry, mint, and feta mini-salad. I – the queen of plain and often picky eating – was apprehensive.
Time needed: 30 minutes
Cooking required: None
Croissants filled with Brie & Strawberries: Here is another ‘recipe’ that is so simple and devoid of cooking that it scarcely qualifies to be called one! Once again, you can probably snag most of the components from the farmer’s market. This dish could even be elevated (and substantiated) if you added prosciutto or thinly sliced chicken. Yum!
Time needed: 15minutes
Cooking required: None
Grilled Salmon Sandwiches: Don’t be like me and shy away from this delish option just because of that first word – there’s always more than one way to skin a cat! It’s a good idea to have savory (and slightly ‘heavier’) options in your repertoire because summer days are longer and people are getting up earlier, so for many brunch will more than likely be lunch. That, plus they need fuel to get through the day and a strong base to balance those brunch beverages. 🍾 Home gardeners will love this one: Grab some fresh basil for a DIY pesto and add some tomatoes straight from the vine. Although this recipe does require a bit of planning or pantry-stocking, it could be just as good with a multitude of ingredients.
Time needed: 30 minutes
Cooking required: Moderate
Chipotle Chicken & Honey Waffle Sliders: Anyone who has dined with me knows I’m a sucker for chicken and waffles; if that or meatloaf is on the menu, I’m an easy date. What I love about C&W is how it transcends every meal, and yes, I’ve had it for dinner on more than one occasion. Despite finding three typos, this particular recipe is nice for a couple reasons:
1) It not only encourages but admonishes the use of something pre-prepared. TWO somethings, in fact. Hallelujah!
2) There’s a heat factor for those of you who are into that sort of thing. Me, not so much, which is why I’m thankful it can be easily omitted. If you’re people-pleaser, another option would be to go half-and-half on the whole recipe: Jalapenos and adobo for some, plain Jane for others. That actually wouldn’t be very difficult at all, and everyone would thank you for it.
Time needed: 1 hour
Cooking required: Moderate
Caprese Quiche: If ever there was a quintessential brunch food, it’d be quiche. Most men shy away from it for fear of the unknown; little do they know it’s just breakfast casserole disguised by a pie pan. Caprese salads embody the essence of fresh summer ingredients, so it’s only natural that someone thought to throw them in the oven with eggs and make them even yummier, right? Make life easy and spring for the store-bought pie crust. It’s summer after all, and there’s a pool somewhere calling your name.
Time needed: 1 1/2 hours
Cooking required: Moderate
Lemonade Frosé: No brunch is complete without a boozy treat, and this one has me so excited, y’all! Whoda thunk frosé could get any better?! I’ll admit, lemonade is one of my Kryptonites (Wendy’s All Natural FTW) and OH MY GOSH I JUST HAD THE 👏 BEST 👏 IDEA!!! FROSÉ STAND! Like when you were a kid and had a lemonade stand? TBH I was never that kid, nor did I know anyone who was that kid, but still. Every parent in the neighborhood would thank you. I need to run this by Walter, since Adam is leaving us and his driveway disco was the official boozy Halloween stop in the ‘hood. I digress, but you get the point. Lemonade Frosé all the way.
Time needed: Overnight (to freeze) plus making syrup and blending
Cooking required: Boiling wine/sugar and using a blender
UPDATE: I suppose I was subconsciously inspired by this post, because I woke up this morning completely and utterly craving a savory DIY breakfast! I’ve made this Cheesy Sausage Egg Casserole before, and here’s what I love about it:
- It doesn’t require any bread. I’ve always thought bread was a strange and unnecessary ingredient to have in a casserole, and this one proves me right
- The flexibility of ingredients. I always use just what I have on hand; for example, instead of 16 oz. of cottage cheese (something I never have) today I used 8 oz. of sour cream and 8 oz. of cream cheese. I also finally found a use for that hot sausage in my fridge – something I’d never eat by itself since I prefer everything mild
- It doesn’t have to sit overnight. Start to finish the whole process takes 1 hour, minus however long you want it to cool, although good luck keeping your brunch guests away once they smell it!
