Even if you aren’t a breakfast person, there are few who can resist the call of brunch. What in life is better than a warm fruit pastry and a refreshing mimosa? Not much. You can find sunday brunch being served up at most places like Hearthstone Summerlin Restaurant.

But what about serving up a delicious and affordable Sunday brunch at home? How can you prepare an attractive spread, while providing all of your guests with their favorites while saving time and money? Just follow these simple steps, of course.

1. Plan the Menu

First things first, you need to take a few days in advance to plan a few different options to suit your guests’ various tastes. While some people are fans of scrambled eggs and sausage for brunch, others prefer fruits, cheeses, or pastries.

The best course of action is to prepare several entrees in smaller batches than you would if you were only making one. A good idea is to prepare one savory dish and one sweet dish, as well as a meat-free brunch option for any vegetarian guests. Preparing smaller batches of food means less potential for waste

It’s also a good idea to plan a few snack trays with an assortment of fruits, cheeses, and crackers to appease any snacky guests. Instead of buying name brand crackers and artisanal cheeses, look for cheaper options by way of house brands from your local grocery store.

2. Prepare Ahead

The best way to begin preparing a great brunch is to start early. A good place to start is by preparing as many of your ingredients the evening beforehand. Any fruits and vegetables can be washed, peeled, chopped and refrigerated before hand.

This is also a good time to prepare and cheese plates or charcuterie trays that you wish to add to the spread. Pancake, waffle or muffin batter can also be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator overnight. You can save money here by making your batter from scratch, rather than buying pre made mixes which could even contain some not so healthy preservatives.

If you have any ingredients that require any sort of prep before cooking, it is wise to get those tasks out of the way the night before, and save yourself some hassle in the morning.

3. Prioritize

You don’t want to be rolling out of bed 20 minutes before your guests arrive. Instead, you should wake up 2 to 3 hours before the planned time to ensure you have enough time to wake up, as well as to get your kitchen up and running.

It’s also a good practice to pull any batter, meats and even butter from the fridge while you preheat your oven and rangetop. This will allow the ingredients to acclimate to room temperature, ensuring for evenly cooked food items, and an altogether better-looking and tasting finished product Just ask any experienced chef, and they will likely tell you the same.

While your baked goods are in the oven, you should begin to cook any meats you plan to serve. Generally you want to time it so that your baked goods are coming out of the oven when your meats are about halfway cooked, so that you don’t run the risk of burning one while trying to pull the other from the heat.

When your baked goods come out of the oven, leave the door open for a few minutes and set the dial to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use the oven at this temperature to not only make sure you are serving your guests warm food, but this will also keep the food at a safe handling temperature, which for hot foods is 145 Fahrenheit by restaurant standards.

4. Offer an Assortment of Beverages

People have as broad and varying tastes in beverages as they do in food. Some people prefer coffee, others take tea. Aunt Janice with the drinking problem may want some champagne bubbles with her orange juice. Whatever may be the case, its a good idea to keep a few different options on hand for the thirsty masses that have congregated at your home.

When it comes to coffee, some people prefer to only buy the most exotic blends of coffee beans. Actor Jack Nicholson, being one example, has publicly declared his love of guano-coffee, which is among the most expensive in the world. Most people however, will not be able to tell the difference between a cup brewed highly priced imported coffee and those that cost 10 dollars per pound.

For your guests who prefer to start their day off the right way…with a mimosa, there’s no need to go breaking out the Salon Blanc de Blancs. Budget champagne like J. Roget and Asti Spumante will typically suffice.

5. Provide Entertainment

Some people spare no expense when it comes to entertainment, going as far as to hire a string quartet or some other live entertainment to serenade guests, but the truth is that you don’t need to go to such extravagant extremes. A bluetooth speaker and a spotify playlist will probably be sufficient entertainment for most guests.

If there are any small children in attendance, You may want to set up a designated area for toys and games in an adjacent or upstairs room, or better still, outside. This will allow the kids to be kids and the adults to be adults, while all in attendance can enjoy the company of their peers.

This will also prevent children from playing or rough housing near any fragile or expensive decor or furnishings, reducing the risk of broken or damaged property, meaning nobody has to pay to have anything repaired.

But most importantly, make sure to cut loose and enjoy yourself. Life is far too short to be serious all of the time.

Final Thoughts

No matter what size get together you may be planning for your sunday bruncheon, these steps will help you eliminate some of the guesswork and allow for a smooth and relaxing affair. What are your favorite brunch dishes? What kind of beverage do you like to pair it with? Leave us a comment in the section below.