Frugal Entertaining ... Brunch

A brunch buffet from last year.

Brunch is one of my favorite meals to host; brunches are usually relaxed affairs and give people an opportunity to eat foods that they might not indulge in often. Also, brunch foods are generally low cost if you are making the baked goods yourself.

Depending on who is attending, I have a few basic brunch menus I turn to. Papa's family is full of adventurous eaters, and we aren't the only plant based adherents, so I make a Mexican themed brunch based on scrambled tofu. The menu looks like this:

Scrambled Tofu

Frijoles de la Olla

(a fancy name for beans from the pot)

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Homemade Tortillas

Fajita Vegetables

Green Salad with Cilantro-Pepita Dressing

Fresh Fruit

All of these foods are inexpensive to make; the dressing and fruit cost the most but are offset by how inexpensive beans and potatoes are.

My family isn't so adventurous, which is okay too. For them I make a more breakfast like brunch, with a menu similar to this:

Waffles

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Muffins

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit

It doesn't feel as well-rounded to me, but if I made scrambled tofu for them it would be politely declined, so I don't bother. My family is also more into sweets, hence the cinnamon rolls and muffins. Papa's family hardly touches sweet foods if I make them, so I serve fresh fruit for dessert instead.

For friends I might make a mix of the two meals, with this menu:

Scrambled Tofu

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Sauteed Greens or Vegetables

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit

For everyone we have orange juice, tea, and coffee, plus water, of course.