Mother's Day Brunch Menu

photo via Paula Deen

Mother's Day is this Sunday. It's time to order up those flowers and think of something special to do for the lady who gave you life. No pressure, right? 

While gifts are great, many moms appreciate time spent with their children even more on this special day. I'm sure we've all heard, "I don't want anything this Mother's Day! Just come visit." Why not go the extra mile this Mother's Day and whip up a delicious brunch for your mama? It's a great way to spend time together and it takes some doing, which will earn you effort bonus points. Below I've culled a few simple and fool-proof recipes that are delicious and sure to impress. Feel free to mix and match. Get creative!

Crème Brûlée French Toast: This recipe from Gourmet Magazine is absolutely incredible. I recommend using day-old challah, and if making caramel scares you, feel free to substitute about 1 1/2 cups of store-bought butterscotch sauce. 

Baked Eggs Florentine with Canadian Bacon: These could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon. Feel free to substitute regular bacon for the Canadian (peameal) bacon. These are delicious and a quick, easy way to serve eggs to a crowd. 

Brown Sugar Bacon: Baking bacon like this is by far the easiest way to cook it up for a crowd. A sprinkle of brown sugar and a crack of black pepper elevates it to a whole. 'nother. level.

Oven Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes: I don't usually use a recipe for this dish, but I found one for you guys. I like to use the heirloom tomatoes sold in the clam shell boxes. I find they're usually a little sweeter. Just halve them and toss with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Roast at 400 degrees until the skin bursts (about 15 mins) and keep them warm until you serve. Sooooo delicious!

Mixed Greens with Herb Mustard Vinaigrette: Vinaigrette is something that, once again, I don't usually use a recipe for. This one seems relatively close to mine, although I wouldn't use raw garlic and I would recommend white wine vinegar instead of red. In terms of greens, any mix will work...but for the love, no iceberg.

Roasted Asparagus: Because what would a brunch be without it? For extra fanciness, wrap a slice of prosciutto around each spear before roasting.

For dessert, I recommend keeping it light with a Pavlova or these Strawberry Shortcakes. A simple mixed fruit salad with a little mint is always a great way to end a meal. 

In terms of drinks, keep it simple with a Mimosa/Bellini bar. Set up your orange and peach juices along with chilled sparkling wine (no need to go Veuve here, people...Kudos to you if you do, though!) and your guests can mix their own. Sangria is a great alternative, too. And coffee...do I need to say that? Lots of coffee.

Happy Mother's Day, to all the beautiful mamas out there!