The Well Dressed Table

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I love Valentine’s Day but I also love celebrating the ladies in my life with Galentine’s Day. Although officially (according to Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation) Galentine’s day is February 13th, I usually invite my girlfriends over the Sunday before Valentine’s Day for a Galentine’s Brunch. It’s the perfect occasion for easy brunch food and mimosas.

Mimosa Bar

You can’t have a Galentine’s Brunch without Mimosas! Setting up a serve-yourself mimosa bar is the way to go for easy entertaining. I usually place it away from the food in an easy to access place. I use an ice bucket to keep the bubbly cold and along with glasses, juices, and garnishes. You can place juices in their own carafes or set out juices that are similar in size and brand to keep things cohesive. Berries were set out along with tongs to garnish and muddler if guests really want to mix the fruit into their drinks. You can also add cute napkins and drink markers or charms so guests can keep track of which glass is theirs.

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Pink Tablescape

Pink is my FAVORITE color, so I love that Galentine’s brunch is an excuse to pull out all the pink. A white tablecloth makes a clean backdrop for a simple table. These pink cotton placemats and pitchers were from Ikea. They no longer have them but you can find similar ones elsewhere. Simple white napkins and plates keep the pink from being overwhelming. For a centerpiece, I kept it really simply buying a few bouquets of white and blush pink tulips scattered in various bud glasses.

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Galentine’s Gifts

Every year I love to include a little gift as a little something for my ladies. This year I used my Cricut Maker. You could also use a Cricut Explore. Here’s the link for the template to make this Galentine’s Card. Once I cut out my cards I used temporary glue dots or you could use a few dots of glue with a hot glue gun to attach a little gift.

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Mostly Make-Ahead Galentine’s Brunch Bar

Eggs Benedict For a Crowd

I love eggs benedict but I rarely make it unless for guests. The trick to making these for a crowd is a few things. I generally like to get everything ready except making the eggs just before guests arrive. Bon Appetit has a whole recipe to make eggs benedict for a crowd but I think poaching eggs in water is still too much work.

I first make the hollandaise sauce. You can follow Bon Apetit’s blender hollandaise but I actually liked this greek yogurt version better, and it’s healthier! It comes together quickly and then I just keep it in a warm spot over the hot water turned off and mix every so often. After the hollandaise sauce, I follow Bon Apetit’s direction and split my bagels, get them on a shit pan, butter and toast them. Afterward, I add the ham and set aside. Lastly, I prep the eggs. There are a few ways you can make a bunch of poached eggs at once. You can poach in a big batch like Bon Appetit’s version. You can bake them in a muffin tin, or silicone egg molds, or use your instant pot.

Although I have used the instant pot with the silicone egg molds (make sure you spray with cooking spray first) I find it a little unreliable. If you fill two layers of molds I found 1-2 minutes on high pressure and quick release is perfect, if you do one minute you can close the lid if you need more time or wait 30 seconds to a minute before releasing. The fewer eggs I’ve done the more time it’s taken, up to 5 minutes. I would try in advance with the number of eggs you plan on making. Baking is a little easier as you can check on the progression where you can’t in the instant pot. I would get my silicone egg molds or muffin tin ready before guests arrive cracking eggs and cooking just before you serve.

I would also take this time to pop the English muffins back in the oven a few minutes to warm up with the ham. Once your eggs are cooked assemble your eggs benedict on a serving dish, placing an egg on each english muffin then drizzling hollandaise and garnishing with chopped chives. Again saving this for last after getting all your other items out and ready.

Pancake Stacks

Pancake stacks get that syrup in your brunch. I simply made mini pancakes on two pans to make things quicker, earlier in the morning. These pancakes can set aside to be served at room temperature or kept warm. Use your favorite recipe or pancake mix. My personal favorite it Bisquick. If you would like them to be served warm, place on an oven-safe platter or baking sheet. Then keep in your oven on warm or lowest temperature with a damp kitchen cloth over them so they don’t dry out. You could also pop them in the oven before serving to warm up.

Citrus Salad

I thought this citrus salad was pretty and added a happy splash of color. I kept it simple cutting off all the peel and slicing your favorite citrus fruit. Layer on a platter and then drizzle with a little honey. Lastly, sprinkle pomegranate seeds throughout. For a more in-depth recipe and variety check out this one by the New York Times.

Quiche

I love how quiches give another savory aspect to brunch. You can generally make your favorite quiche ahead and pop in the oven or buy one from a local store if you want to have one thing less to prep. It can be served room temp or warm and easy to customize for a meatless option.

Mini Parfaits

I love adding mini parfaits to brunch. They are small enough just to have a few bites and enjoy but also try everything else. You can use small juice glasses or shot glasses and layer your favorite greek or vanilla yogurt, some homemade or store-bought granola, and top with a few berries. If you do use greek yogurt you may want to add a little drizzle of honey before adding the granola. They also hold up well and can be made early in the morning and stored in the fridge until ready to serve

Pecan Chocolate Scones

I love scones! The ones I made for this brunch were Ina Garten’s Pecan Chocolate Scones. They were easy to make and delicious. The perfect light chocolatey pastry. Scones are great because they add something different and can be made the day before making one less thing to make the morning of.

Last year our littlest Galentine joined with a friend’s newborn daughter who was beyond adorable. What better time to celebrate all the ladies in your life and have some girl time. I hope you are able to celebrate the ladies in your life with this fun Galentine’s brunch. For more ideas check out the link below for my previous years Galentine’s brunch showcasing a make-ahead waffle bar and these free printable Galentine cards based on the show Parks and Recreation.