Mark Easter with brunch
Punched-up classics can make for a special meal, no matter the attendance
Here we go: Pandemic Easter 2.0. Perhaps this year you will be able to gather in a safe small group, or maybe you are still hunkering down with your immediate family as you plan to celebrate an important day on the Christian calendar.
Either way, there are meals to plan and prepare to make the holiday feel special. And you can create a sumptuous feast without having to splurge financially. Beautiful. Satisfying. Holiday-ish. Here is a fresh and colorful Easter brunch that checks all of those boxes and serves four people for about $60.
The star of the show is a verdant Cobb salad that makes the most of the produce that is popping up in the markets, asparagus and sugar snap peas in particular.
Think of this recipe as a template. Sub in chickpeas for the chicken for a vegetarian version, swap out the suggested vegetables for those you have on hand, and if you want to lean into a different salad dressing, go for it.
Take a moment to think about how well done you like your hardcooked eggs on this egg-centric holiday — you can leave the yolks a little jammy (my favorite) or cook them all the way thorough. Either way, they are adorable nestled into the rows of good things topping this salad.
In saying that the Cobb salad is the star of this meal, I may have spoken too fast. It's hard to compete with a crispy, tender monkey bread. This one couldn't be simpler, made from refrigerated biscuit dough, and pesto that you can make or buy. Cut the biscuits into pieces, toss with the pesto and melted butter and a handful of grated Parmesan, pile it into a baking dish, and, oh my goodness, turn out that warm, pull-apart bread and put it in the center of the
table. Why don't we all make monkey bread on a weekly basis? I don't know.
Brunch doesn't always include dessert, but it should. And on Easter, it must.
Frozen strawberries and sweetened whipped cream add up to one of the springiest and simplest desserts ever. You'll know in short order how good this berry fool is when you hear the sound of spoons scraping against the cups, seeking the last swirls of this creamy, fluffy berry cloud.
Fresh berries on top (along with another dollop of whipped cream) gild that lily perfectly.
The $60 total assumes you have a few things in your kitchen already (such as salt, pepper, oil, vinegar and sugar). Drinks are additional, but iced tea or lemonade or maybe even a bottle of crisp white wine would be welcome.
Oh, and if you're not celebrating Easter? Well, I think we all deserve a fine spring brunch nevertheless.