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Weddings are so full of family, fun and love that it can be hard to see the party end. That’s why many families are opting to get together for one last meal the morning after the big day. (Some folks cheekily call it “the recovery brunch.”) Katherine Meier and her husband, chef Neal Meier, own Lighthouse Kitchen + Cafe with locations in Lakeville and Farmington, where they host community meals, offer private catering services and deliver prepared meals to a variety of customers, creating a sense of community around the table.
In short, they’re brunch experts. “We want to keep meals focused on the people, rather than the production,” Katherine says. “There can be a lot of guilt where the host feels like they have to do it all—and at the end of the day, they miss out.”
If you can, of course, hiring a caterer for your post-wedding gathering will help alleviate much of that stress. But if you’d like to set up a DIY brunch, the Meiers offer a few guidelines: Choose dishes that require minimal prep the day of, so you can spend as much time as possible visiting with guests.
To hit the right notes for your smorgasbord, offer an egg dish; a protein; a starch (like the Blueberry French Toast Bake below); and a bread option, like muffins or pastries. Grazing tables—kind of like giant charcuterie boards—are an increasingly popular option. “Those really offer something for everyone, with cheese, fruit, veggies and so on,” Neal says. “It’s simple and easy.”
One area where you’ll need to be particularly generous is the coffee station, Katherine says. “Everyone underestimates how much coffee people drink,” she says. “You end up needing more than you think.” With a commercial-sized urn that holds around five gallons, you’ll end up with 80 or 90 small servings. “You can make it special. Set out some flavored syrups, or even try cold brew with mix-ins,” Katherine says.
We asked the Meiers to share two of their favorite brunch recipes—ready to replenish guests’ energy, long after the last Champagne toast.
Roasted Pear Brunch Salad
Lighten up brunch—a typically carb- and protein-heavy meal—with this springy salad, highlighting sweet fruit and creamy goat cheese. This recipe serves around 6 guests; you can scale it up for a larger crowd.
- 4 pears
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 6 cups spring mix
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 5 oz. feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup granola
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Slice the pears. Melt the butter in a pan, and add the pears, tossing to coat them in the butter. Roast the pears until softened, around 20 minutes, and allow them to cool. Layer the spring mix, cranberries, pears, goat cheese, cucumber slices and granola in a bowl or serving dish. Whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and serve.
Blueberry French Toast Bake
Instead of making fiddly French toast slices for each guest, whip up this quick casserole-style bake, so everyone sits down to a warm meal at once. (Pro Tip: Prepare the bake the day before your brunch, and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, all you’ll have to do is pop it in the oven.)
- 1 loaf brioche bread
- 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese
- 1 pint blueberries
- 10 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- powdered sugar for dusting
- maple syrup for serving
Dice the brioche bread, and place the cubes into a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Cut the cream cheese into similar-sized cubes, and scatter them over the bread. Top with the blueberries. Next, make the custard: Whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, orange juice and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover the pan with foil, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or as long as overnight). When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Leave the foil on the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar, and serve with maple syrup.
Lighthouse Kitchen + Cafe
Instagram: @lighthousekitchencafe
