Easter Brunch Recipe Round-Up

Easter is this Sunday and although my family is not celebrating the holiday, we do have some fun plans. We are taking advantage of the fact that the children don’t have Hebrew school (because of Spring Break) and the cancellation of my husband’s Sunday morning pick-up basketball game, (because of Easter) to go out to a rare family brunch! As a way of remembering our wonderful Peruvian vacation, we are having brunch at Tanta, the Chicago outpost of Peru’s celebrity chef Gaston Acurio.

While Easter is not my holiday, I know that, for many, it is an important family occasion. I’m sure that some of you are hosting Easter brunch, or, perhaps you are attending a celebration at another’s house and are wondering what to bring. I have gone through my archives to find my very best brunch recipes, as well recipes that feature the darlings of spring cooking, like asparagus, peas and rhubarb, to aid you in your Easter menu planning.

If you are feeding a crowd for brunch this Easter, you could hardly find a better dish to serve than quiche. When entertaining, I always look for dishes that can be prepared in advance and quiche certainly falls into that category. I’ve posted several quiche recipes over the years, including Apple Fennel Cheddar Quiche, Quiche with Butternut Squash and Kale and the classic Quiche Lorraine. Any of these would be beautiful on your Easter table.

For a gluten-free egg dish to grace your Easter brunch, consider a frittata, such as this Potato and Turnip Green Frittata. Or a lovely hash, such as my Red Flannel Hash with Poached Eggs.

What about some side dishes for your Easter celebration? At this time of year, asparagus are beginning to appear in stores and what is a better sign of spring? Lemon Orzo with Asparagus would be a easy and crowd-pleasing Easter side dish that can also be prepared in advance. And because it can be served at room temperature, it is perfect if you need a dish to bring to someone’s house.

Another asparagus dish that would make an elegant addition to your Easter table is my Asparagus Vichysoisse, which also should be prepared in advance and served cold. Or, if you like the idea of a cold soup, but are not an asparagus fan, Cold Pea Soup with Mint is a springtime favorite in my house. (You can easily make it with frozen peas, so do not worry that fresh peas are not available yet.)

If you are thinking about a salad to grace your Easter table, may I humbly suggest this Arugula Salad with Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Burrata. While it is far from tomato season, those grape and cherry tomatoes at the grocery store taste good all year round, especially when slow-roasted to bring out their sweetness. And burrata? A swollen shell of chewy mozzarella barely containing the filling of cream and spidery mozzarella curds? It’s only the best thing ever.

Don’t laugh, but one of my Jewish recipes would be a show-stopper at your Easter brunch: cinnamon babka! This sweet, rich yeasted bread is a bit of a project but it is guaranteed to impress whoever you serve it to. Despite its origins, cinnamon babka would feel right at home at your Easter brunch alongside a nice quiche or frittata and a fruit salad.

Another baked good that would be a good choice for Easter brunch is batch of scones. Try my Strawberry Scones, very fitting for spring, or Cranberry Orange Scones. Rhubarb is, of course, a springtime favorite and I have started seeing it in grocery stores this week. Rhubarb jam bars highlight the deliciousness of this old-fashioned fruit. But given that it is still citrus season, maybe you feel more like a Meyer Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake for your Easter menu.