Dear Sarah: I need some brunch menu inspiration!

Today’s question comes from Holly, who also asked about black eyeliner, and is a good friend for taking pity on me and asking me lots of questions.

So! Holly, hosting brunch is both fun and stressful, isn’t it? No matter what you decide to serve, you’ll have a successful brunch, this much I know.

My brunch M.O. is always A) Easy, and B) Booze. As long as you’re not stressed out about getting things to the table piping hot and perfect, all the while getting a little buzzification on, then you’ll be good to go!

My favorite brunch main dish is bagels and lox, but that can be a tricky one unless you know for absolute sure all your guests LOVE smoked salmon. (A lot of people don’t…A lot of people are crazy.)

Two brunch menus that have stuck with me through the years actually both come from Ina Garten. Both feature scrambled eggs (one recipe adds herbs, the other adds herbs and goat cheese), because as Ina says, nothing is worse than slaving away in the kitchen, making omelets to order. Here’s a link to her Breakfast BBQ menu and here’s a link to her Breakfast Party menu.

I feel like a meat product is necessary for brunch, although if you decide to make cheesy eggs, then that’s a whole lot of protein right there and if you also decide to get crazy and serve, say, these cheddar biscuits, then you might be okay sans meat.

You mentioned you’ve got your sweet aspect of brunch handled, thanks to Elizabeth’s orange rolls which I myself have devoured, so I can vouch for their deliciousness.

Other than that, fresh fruit is both easy and pretty, so I always like to serve a big bowl of whatever is in season. Right now it’s…It’s…I don’t know. I know I’ve been eating a lot of honeycrisp apples and clementines. So! Maybe a big bowl of honeycrisp apples and clementines!

Now that the food is handled, let’s discuss booze. Ina makes this Juice of a Few Flowers thing with a bunch of different citrus juices and vodka. I don’t think you need to get all crazy and make your own juice, but I definitely think vodka is necessary, either in the form of Bloody Marys or Screwdrivers, or if you’re not into vodka, then champagne. (Pregnant or not, did you think I’d recommend a brunch WITHOUT champagne? No, never.)

Here’s a post I wrote for Food Lush, where I highlighted Bloody Marys (and mimosas!), so if you’re looking to do Bloody Marys, I recommend checking that post for some ideas about accoutrements.

Let’s just go ahead and end this post on a good note (VODKA! CHAMPAGNE!), shall we? Report back and let me know how brunch goes! And remember, always have a cocktail before your guests arrive. Always.