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For Michele Boone, Easter traditions enjoyed around the table are important because they honor moments in time, both past and present. So when the 58-year-old from Tampa, Florida, prepares to host Easter brunch for her family each year, Boone says she makes “all the familiar comforting regulars,” while rolling out a new item or two for her family to try.
Always on the buffet table, she says, is some version of a potato-based casserole, an Easter ham with chutneys and mustards and a dessert she’s been making for her son since he was a baby.
"It's a one-layer cake that looks like a bunny face," Boone says. "It never looks professional, but every time we serve it I feel like I honor the magic of the first time."
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In addition to honoring your family’s special traditions for Easter brunch, says Jamie Kline, corporate chef for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, “it’s important to balance your menu with sweet and savory items to satisfy the taste buds of all who are in attendance.”
As with most holiday meals, he says, preparing one main dish with accompanying sides is a good way to approach feeding just your family or a crowd. But be mindful of who’s on the guest list.
As Jim Pastor, a chef with the Rusty Pelican in Miami, points out, "Some people are breakfast lovers while others are looking for more lunch dishes or salads.” Still others, he adds, “just want to drink and graze."
Read on for five essential categories you might consider for the perfect Easter brunch.
1. Beverages
Get creative by offering your family and guests of all ages a mix of classic and unusual non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages — alongside ample carafes of hot coffee and tea, of course.