Outdoor Entertaining
Celebrate Spring with an Easter Brunch
Welcome, friends! We’ve survived a particularly chilly winter, but now spring is in the air. Thankfully, birds are chirping, our towns show signs of life and the Easter Bunny is ready to make an appearance. Here on the island, the season comes with warm breezes, the scent of saltwater, and the promise of sun-kissed gatherings. I can’t wait, so let’s kick off the season with a fun outdoor Easter brunch to enjoy this long-awaited thaw.
As we get reunited with our outdoor spaces – our backyards, our decks and our favorite beaches – let’s celebrate with a delicious menu, easy recipes, and a few special tips and activities to keep everyone happy and well-fed. First things first – ambience. Springtime calls for color. Lay out pastel tablecloths, scatter fresh flowers (daisies, tulips, and daffodils scream spring), and incorporate seashells or driftwood for a coastal touch. If you have little ones attending, prepare a designated kids’ table with Easter coloring sheets and mini sand pails filled with goodies. For the adults, a cozy seating area and a well-stocked drink station will set the tone for a relaxing gathering.
Of course, a great brunch begins with great beverages. Start with a classic mimosa (because brunch without mimosas is just breakfast!) and a tropical sunrise mocktail – a refreshing blend of pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine – for a bright, beachy vibe. For coffee lovers, set up an iced coffee bar with flavored syrups, whipped cream, and garnishes like shaved chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Brew the coffee in advance, chill it over ice, and let guests serve themselves.
We will need a few activities to keep the kids engaged. Consider an Easter egg hunt. You can either head to the beach and bury some plastic eggs filled with goodies in the sand or stay right in your backyard. Be sure to include “the golden egg” and offer the finder of the egg a special prize. You can also turn a dessert into an activity. For a new take on coloring eggs, bake some Easter egg-shaped sugar cookies ahead of time, and let the kids be the decorators. Recently, I have used some cookie decorating markers – it’s a mess-free and creative alternative.
Now it’s time to eat, and a perfect Easter brunch balances sweet and savory. Here’s a menu that will delight your guests while keeping hosting relatively stress-free. Offer a spring veggie and cheese frittata – a light, fluffy egg dish packed with asparagus and feta, perfect for a fresh spring bite. Then for a sweet touch, how about blueberry French toast with lemon mascarpone casserole – a make-ahead dish bursting with juicy blueberries and zesty lemon flavors. Side-dish offerings will include classic deviled eggs with a twist. Giving a nod to the ocean, garnish the eggs with a twist of smoked salmon and a pinch of dill. Next comes a little sweetness for adults and kids: a coconut and berry salad, a refreshing mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries tossed with coconut flakes and honey.
Finally, we’ll wrap this up with a couple of fun dessert options. Start with the Easter sugar cookies guests have decorated and add some adorable chocolate pudding nest parfaits – layers of chocolate pudding, crushed cookies, and mini candy eggs – for a festive treat to send the guests home happy.
What a fun way to celebrate sunshine and spring! Remember, whether your brunch is picture-perfect or ends with kids covered in cookie icing and sprinkles, the most important thing is to enjoy the moment. So, let’s embrace the season, share a delicious meal, and make new memories together. Happy hosting and happy spring!
SPRING VEGGIE & CHEESE FRITTATA
Ingredients:
8 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup asparagus, chopped
½ cup feta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil and sauté asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Pour egg mixture over veggies and sprinkle with feta. Bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are set. Let cool slightly before serving.
CLASSIC MIMOSA
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 bottle Champagne or prosecco chilled
3 cups orange juice
Instructions:
Pour the sparkling wine into the Champagne flutes, filling each glass about halffull. Pour the orange juice on top to fill each glass and serve.
BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST WITH LEMON MARSCARPONE CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
14 oz. French or sourdough bread loaf cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
2¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Blueberry Filling
1 pint blueberries
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Lemon Mascarpone
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
12 oz. mascarpone cheese
¼ cup granulated sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
Bring the blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water to a low simmer in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Mix continuously for 7-10 minutes to loosen up the blueberries (some will start to burst, but most should be fully intact). Set the blueberry mixture aside. Whip the eggs, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla bean paste together until smooth and fully combined. Set aside. Cream together the lemon zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, and granulated sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
Cube your bread into 1-inch cubes. This doesn’t have to be precise. Take half of the bread cubes and layer into a greased 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. Take half of the berries and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and sprinkle over the first layer of bread cubes. Use half of the mascarpone mixture, dollop the mascarpone mixture around the first layer of bread and berries. Repeat the layer of bread, blueberries, lemon zest, and mascarpone mixture for a second layer. Don’t worry if it looks overfilled. Pour the egg mixture over all layers in the casserole dish and loosely cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake with a tented foil cover for 30 minutes. Remove foil after 30 minutes and finish baking for another 10-12 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING NEST PARFAITS
Ingredients: (Need 8 plastic cups)
2 3.9-ounce boxes chocolate instant pudding
4 cups milk (2 percent or whole)
25 Oreo sandwich cookies
8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
Chocolate mini eggs
Easter sprinkles optional
Instructions:
Crush the cookies in a large zip-top bag using a rolling pin or mallet, or crush them in food processor. Add chocolate pudding mix to a large mixing bowl, and whisk in milk until well combined. (Follow directions on package). Gently fold Cool Whip into pudding, and mix until well combined and fluffy. Add a thin layer of crushed cookies to each plastic cup. Spoon pudding mixture over the crushed cookie layer, almost to the top. Sprinkle crushed cookies on top of pudding. and candy eggs and sprinkles. Repeat until all cups are filled. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
SMOKED SALMON TOPPED DEVILED EGGS
Ingredients:
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped dill
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces smoked salmon
Extra dill for garnish
Instructions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to ensure the water is no longer boiling. Place the eggs in the water. Then increase the heat back to high and set a timer for 14 minutes. While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. After 14 minutes, remove the eggs from the water and place in the ice water bath to chill. Once the eggs have cooled completely, peel them and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into a small bowl and place the egg whites on a serving plate. To make the filling, add the yolks, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, shallot, dill, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Stir everything together until it's completely smooth. Use a spoon to add a portion of the deviled egg mixture back into the hole of each egg white. Then place a small piece of smoked salmon to top on each egg along with a sprinkle of fresh dill.
EASY BASIC SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH
Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cup flour (all-purpose, spooned and leveled)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract and mix for another minute. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and sea salt together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out dough on floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Cut out cookies and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes – do not brown cookies. Cool, remove and decorate as desired.
