Brunch has always been a popular way to celebrate Mother’s Day, bridal showers and other special springtime occasions, but brunch is also a highly anticipated social event on any regular weekend. Lucky for us, San Diego has many wonderful spots to enjoy brunch—and we have great ideas on how to host brunch at home. Imagine how fun it would be to start a brunch club with friends that meets once a month. Here’s how:
- Start by establishing your brunch group. Will it include soccer moms, former work colleagues, college friends, moms you’ve met at your child’s school? Be sure everyone who participates is willing to host or plan, or have pairs team up to work together.
- Decide how often to meet, what day of the week works best and if events will be potluck, hosted, at a restaurant, or a combination of these.
- For brunch events at someone’s house, pick a few themes to start with or let each hostess come up with her own.
Brunch themes:
Charcuterie Boards. Everyone brings a charcuterie board to share. There are tons of unique ideas beyond cheese, salami and crackers. Try a breakfast board with pancakes and toppings, or a board with scrambled eggs, sausage and tater tots. Other ideas include a fruit board, veggie board, bakery board (muffins, donuts, cinnamon rolls), BLT board, a chicken and waffles board, or a board featuring soup or smoothie shooters.
Pretty in Pink. Choose a color theme. Pink is easy because there are dozens of pink foods and mocktails or cocktails that fit this brunch theme. Consider coloring (or complementing) foods by adding beets or strawberries. Celebratory pink drinks include pink lemonade, cosmopolitans or glasses of rosé. A pink theme would also be perfect to celebrate or support Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct.).
Bite Sized and Board Games. This brunch theme includes bite-sized items such as deviled eggs, wonton cups, mini meatballs, toothpick kabobs, mini pinwheels, jalapeño poppers, mini bruschetta and cucumber bites. Consider serving mini flights of wine, mocktails or flavored coffees. Fill your plates and set up fun board games like The Chameleon, Telestrations or Hedbanz. If your group has 12 people, consider playing bunco.
Ponytails and Pajamas. Sometimes after a long week, there’s no energy to get dressed up and make a party-worthy dish. For this brunch theme, wear comfy pajamas, put your hair in a ponytail and bring a store-bought brunch item. Easy ideas include croissants, salads, bagels and cream cheese, and ready-made deli trays featuring cold cuts or veggies and dip.
Muffins and Mimosas. There are many foods that can be made in a muffin tin, so get creative with this brunch theme. In addition to your favorite type of muffins, consider egg cups, mini meatloaf, cornbread, pizza bombs, baked oatmeal cups, taco cups and mini lasagnas. Don’t forget cupcakes for dessert! Offer mimosas made with juices such as orange, grapefruit, mango, pomegranate, peach, cranberry or pineapple.
Childhood Favorites. We all have childhood favorites that are guilty pleasures. Share them guilt-free with friends at this eclectic brunch. Have guests bring their favorite childhood indulgence: sugary cereal, tater tot casserole, sloppy joe sliders, grilled cheese or egg salad sandwiches, fluffernutter sandwiches, puppy chow or Jell-O. Provide a milkshake bar with add-ins like M&Ms and Oreo cookie crumbles.
Throw in occasional restaurant reservations, especially if your group has 10 people and you want to meet monthly. Find some wonderful San Diego brunch spots here: www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/restaurant-reviews/your-family-brunches-in-san-diego.
10 More Brunch Theme Ideas
1. Bagel Bar. Experiment with a variety of bagels and flavored cream cheeses.
2. Toast it! Include all the popular “toasts”: avocado, French, cinnamon, peanut butter and champagne.
3. International Brunch. Have everyone bring a dish that represents another country or cuisine.
4. Scrumptious Salads. Hot or cold, green or pasta. Any salad is welcome!
5. Tea Party. Offer tea sandwiches and a variety of hot and cold teas.
6. Campout Brunch. Dine around the fire with all your favorite foil packet dishes and foods on a stick.
7. Potato Bar. Offer baked potatoes (russet or sweet) and all the toppings.
8. Taco Bar. Tortillas, chips or bowls of cilantro rice make great vehicles for all your favorite taco toppings.
9. Progressive brunch. Share responsibility by having different parts of the brunch meal at 2–3 homes in the neighborhood. Learn more about this here: www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/seasonal-happenings/host-a-progressive-holiday-brunch.
10. Pasta Bar. Get creative with a variety of pasta (noodles, bow tie, tortellini), sauces (marinara, olive oil, alfredo, pesto) and veggies or meats to choose from (sausage, meatballs, shrimp).
Pam Molnar is an avid party planner and mother of three.
Looking for great brunch recipes?
Find a recipe for Cinnamon Popovers with Cream Cheese Glaze from Food Network chef Melissa d’Arabian at www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/dining-and-recipes/cinnamon-popovers-with-cream-cheese-glaze.
Try Mini Lemon German Pancakes from local cookbook author Brianne Grajkowski. Get the recipe at
www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/dining-and-recipes/lemon-german-pancakes.
