Mother’s Day Brunch At Home

When it comes to Mother’s Day, brunch is one of the most popular activities. Just about every restaurant across the country is serving a special Mother’s Day Brunch.

And that brunch comes at a cost that is higher than normal, and the extras add up quickly. Between the fixed-price menus, the overpriced mimosas, and the rush to get you in and out of the restaurant so they can serve the next guest can make it feel more like a transaction than a celebration for mom.

So if you’re looking to save some money and make Mother’s Day more personal, why not make a Mother’s Day Brunch at home?

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What’s The Cost Of Mother’s Day Brunch At A Restaurant?

We looked around and couldn’t believe the cost of going out for brunch this Mother’s Day! As a large family, we would be spending more than $1000 for brunch if we all went together, and that is not all inclusive.

Looking at local restaurants, then checking out other cities in Canada, we found the average prices for brunch to be between $65 and $125. These prices do not include taxes or tips.

Some restaurants have you pay in advance and add on a 15% gratuity charge before you even arrive. Meaning the cheapest brunch at $65 with taxes and gratuity is $83.10 per person.

Inflated Prices and Less Selection

The one thing we noticed was that the Mother’s Day Brunch Menu at most of these places is limited and the prices are more than a normal Sunday brunch.

One place we looked at in Ottawa, has a brunch buffet on Sundays that is $32.95 per person. For Mother’s Day, their brunch buffet is priced at $70 per person and there is less selection on the menu.

Another location is offering a 5-course menu with two options per course to choose from. The cost for this one is $72 per person plus beverages. Mimosas are selling for $25.

Extras and Gratuity

Something that we noticed in our research is that every one of the websites we visited mentioned that tips/gratuities are extra.

Some mentioned that you had to prepay, and a gratuity would be added automatically when at checkout.

Others mentioned that drinks were not included and the selection would be limited to coffee, tea and orange juice.

How Does This All Compare To Mother’s Day Brunch At Home?

When you make Mother’s Day brunch at home, you aren’t only saving money, you’re creating an experience.

And if you take the brunch outdoors and cook it all on the BBQ or Blackstone, you can turn that meal into an event that can last hours without the rush of a restaurant meal or time limit.

The At-Home Blackstone Menu

We love the versatility of our Blackstone griddle. And breakfast is one of the meals we cook the most on the griddle. And cooking outside eliminates the use of a bunch of pots and pans, making clean-up easier.

Here are a few ideas to make on the Blackstone:

• Eggs In A Hole With a Twist. Not your traditional eggs in a hole recipe. This recipedoesn’t use bread as the hole; instead, they are cooked in pepper rounds and topped with a homemade salsa.
• Pancakes. This is a must-have for our breakfasts and brunches with the family. And making them on the outdoor griddle gives up the space to batch cook them. Our 28″ griddle can cook 12-16 regular-sized pancakes at a time.
• Sausages. Breakfast sausage links take little time to make on a griddle because you can cook so many at a time.
• Bacon. A pound or two of bacon can be cooked all at once depending on your griddle size.
• Hash Browns Patties. These are easily cooked on the flattop in less than 10 minutes.
• French Toast. At least eight slices of French Toast can be cooked on our griddle at once.

How To Keep Food Warm

Keeping food warm while cooking is easy if you have a BBQ as well. Simply warm your BBQ to a low temperature, around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook the meat first and put it in aluminum pans or cake pans, and place them covered in the BBQ. Aluminum pans can be tossed after use, making fewer dishes to wash up. In our area, they go right into the recycle bins. We buy them in bulk at Costco. Plus it means more time spent with mom and less time cleaning.

Then make pancakes and French toast.

Leave the hashbrowns and eggs for last, because they should be cooked and served almost immediately.

If you don’t have a BBQ or it is being used to cook on, your oven can serve the same purpose.

To make more room, we use cooling racks on top of cake pans so we can stack the pans on top of each other until it is time to eat.

Breakfast On The BBQ

The BBQ is a great place to make many brunch dishes.

• Ham. The BBQ is a great way to smoke a ham for brunch. This can also be cooked on the smoker.
• Frittatas. If a frittata is on your menu, use your BBQ as the oven to bake it in.
• Grill some fruit for topping pancakes and waffles, or eating on their own. Fresh peaches and pineapple are great for grilling. Try our Bourbon Grilled Peaches, which are perfect with ice cream for a dessert.
• Steak on the BBQ is a perfect pairing with eggs.
• Breakfast hash can be cooked in a cast-iron skillet right on the BBQ.

Make Ahead Dishes

There are a few dishes that can be made the day before for an at-home brunch.

Muffins, quick breads, and desserts can all be made the day or night before.

Salads are a nice addition to brunch and can be prepared the night before.

A cheese platter can be prepared and refrigerated the day before. Or you can make a charcuterie board and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Fruit platters and vegetable trays can be prepped the night before as well.

Beverages To Serve

Make a beverage station. Set up a small table near an outdoor outlet if possible to make coffee and tea.

Have a cooler filled with ice-cold drinks like juices, water, and soft drinks. The coffee creamer can also be placed in the cooler.

Mimosas are a Mother’s Day tradition for many moms, and you can easily create them yourself. To make them, all you need is prosecco and orange juice. Create a mocktail using ginger ale instead of prosecco.

Another great drink to serve with breakfast, one of our favourites and very Canadian, is a Caesar. These can also be made without alcohol for those who prefer a Virgin Caesar. Tip: try making Caesars with Pickled Flavoured Vodka!

There is also a new drink we tried that is perfect for brunches, they are Truly Brunch, an assortment of canned drinks especially created for brunch. They are available at the LCBO in Ontario.

Other Items To Have On Hand

To complete your Brunch menu, have these items on hand:

• English muffins, bagels, and bread. These can be toasted on the BBQ or griddle.
• Butter.
• Jams.
• Peanut butter, almond butter, and/or Nutella.
• Maple syrup.
• Whipped Cream.
• Cream cheese.
• Cretons. This is a French Canadian breakfast delicacythat is a must-try family favourite.

The Set-up For Mother’s Day Brunch At Home

An outdoor brunch can be set up in just about any backyard. If you have a small backyard, set up the food indoors just inside the door, if you can. The backyard can be a sitting area.

Set up a table for the buffet near the BBQ if you are using it for keeping hot food warm. This way, you can just open the BBQ, and everyone can help themselves to hot food.

A folding table works nicely with a tablecloth on it. We use felt back tablecloth from the dollar store. We can usually find some in spring colours, and they last all summer for other occasions.

Fill the table with all the dishes that don’t have to be kept warm.

Borrow From The Neighbourhood

If you don’t have enough chairs or you need a folding table, and no one in the family have the items already, don’t rush to buy them if you are only going to use them once, and then they will gather dust in the basement or garage.

Before you go out to buy items like folding tables and extra chairs, ask a neighbour if they have any you can borrow.

In our neighbourhood, there is a Buy Nothing group on Facebook where members in the area give away items all the time. But many people also ask for items, and asking to borrow items has become popular lately. You will have to go to pick up the items if someone is lending them to you, but it will save you from buying items you won’t use again until next year.

Rainy Day Plans

Be prepared for weather-related issues. Don’t let a rainy day ruin your plans.

Every time we plan a BBQ, we always try to have a backup plan. We live in Canada, where the weather can hit 2-4 seasons in 24 hours.

A patio umbrella is meant to shade you from the sun, but it can also be used to keep you and your flat grill dry while you cook breakfast.

Bacon and sausages can be cooked in an air-fryer while you use the stovetop to cook the pancakes and eggs if you have to move indoors.

The Mom’s Day Off Promise

Make it clear that mom is not allowed in the kitchen or at the BBQ. And stick to the promise.

Set up mom’s favourite spot outside with her coffee or mimosa to keep her away from the kitchen or the grills.

And make sure to clean up as you go so you don’t leave a mess for mom to clean afterwards.

Compared to going out, the Mother’s Day Brunch At Home can save you a couple of hundred dollars.

We can put together a full brunch for our family, which when everyone is together, amounts to about 30 people, and the cost is no more than $250 including everything.

To go out to a restaurant for that same meal, we would be looking at well over $2000. The savings are well worth the effort put into the meal at home.

And that leaves more money in everyone’s pockets to spoil mom a little more.

There are other benefits as well, not just the money saved. If you’re stuck for an idea of what to buy mom, check out our DIY Gift Baskets for inspiration on a gift basket for mom.

At home, you can relax and enjoy your meal. You aren’t rushed to eat and get out. And you can eat when you want, no waiting for a table or making reservations.

Picky eaters don’t have to worry about if there will be something they like on the menu. You get to cook everything your family enjoys.

The kids can be themselves. That is one of the biggest benefits for us.

And the best part, you can wear whatever you want! You can dress up if you want, or eat brunch in your PJs. It’s being with family that counts, sharing time together and building memories.

When all is said and done, Mother’s Day isn’t about how much you spent or how fancy the meal was.

When you host at home, you aren’t just another table; you’re a family getting together and creating memories to cherish.

What’s on your Mother’s Day menu? Leave a comment below to let us know what you’re planning.