Allrecipes Allstar Ashley Berger, aka @sweetpealifestyle, has never met a brunch she didn’t love. Whether they’re fancy or casual (or outfitted with one of Berger’s signature DIY Bloody Mary bars), these spring get-togethers are among Berger’s favorite ways to bring friends together on a beautiful spring day. The consummate Southern hostess, Berger believes in greeting guests at the door with a beverage in hand, but she’s also not afraid to enlist her guests to do some drink pouring of their own. Here are some of Ashley Berger’s tips for pulling off spring brunch entertaining without a hitch.
What’s your top tip for entertaining when it comes to brunch?
For brunch entertaining, I have a little rule for myself: I will make one or two things, and then pick up the rest from the market. So whether that is fresh fruit or salad, some baked goods, croissants, anything like that. So I’m only making an egg casserole or a quiche or something like that, and then assembling the rest of it.
I definitely have some Allrecipes.com go-to favorites: There’s an egg casserole that I absolutely love. It has hash browns in it and it is kind of like this all-in-one everything you could need for brunch. And then my favorite is a sausage and egg bake. I call it a crustless quiche, because it’s just there’s no crust on it. It’s got eggs, cheese, and sausage. It couldn’t get any easier.
How do you handle the prep work of hosting a brunch?
I have a game plan that I follow. It’s this little one-page wonder: On one side is the entire menu. Then I list all the ingredients that go in the menu, and go to the pantry and fridge. Anything I don’t have moves to a shopping list on the same page. My final item is a timeline for the brunch. Then I flip the paper over and list who’s coming and anything I want to do, decor-wise. It’s all in one place.
I am always very meticulous about making these lists, down to noting things I need to remember, like getting out the ice. And anything I can do ahead of time, I’m gonna do. I always make sure I put together my napkins, glasses, and plates first. Then I set the table, chop any vegetables, get out all of my platters and serving ware and put notes on everything. In general, I just try to be as organized as possible.
Is there a right or wrong way to greet and seat a guest?
My main approach is I always greet somebody at the door, usually with a beverage. I know place cards are controversial for people, but I personally love them. When I go to somebody’s house, and there’s a place card, I’m like, wow, they thought about me before I even arrived.
I fill the seating chart so that all the talkers and all the really vibrant, lively people aren’t clumped on one side of the table. I like to put them in a triangle. So, if I’m doing a seating chart, I have specific people in mind that I know I’m not going to seat right next to each other. Otherwise, my rule is, when you come to my house, you cannot sit next to your partner.
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What are some suggestions for how to be a great brunch guest?
I’m from the South, so I’m always going to ask if I can bring something, and if they say no, I’m still going to bring a bottle of Champagne, my favorite store-brand Bloody Mary mix, or at least a hostess gift—something for them. My go-to lately has been bringing something they can eat either the next day or that evening or after the party just so there’s something for them because cleanup is a big deal. After you’ve cleaned up from a party, you’re like, oh my gosh, I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to look in the kitchen. So I’ve started tucking little ham biscuits into people’s fridges.
As the host, how do you feel about enlisting the help of your guests?
As the host, I love to assign a friend a task. If there’s a signature cocktail that people have to mix themselves, I’m like, ‘Hey, Joanne, will you stand at the cocktail station and help people mix up their beverages?’ Everyone loves a job, and they feel most comfortable when they have their little job, especially somebody who doesn’t know everybody there. It’s nice, instead of just letting them wallflower and stand somewhere with their cocktail, to give them a job. And that’s why I also love labeling all my platters. Because if people come in and the platters aren’t filled, it’s easy to say, ‘Can you run get that one platter that says croissants on it and bring it in here and put the croissants on it?’ There are little tiny, easy ways you can help people feel more included.
When I go to somebody’s house, and there’s a place card, I’m like, wow, they thought about me before I even arrived.
What would you say to someone who is nervous about the idea of hosting brunch, maybe for the first time?
Hosting has this thing where people are like, ‘I can’t do it. My house isn’t big enough. I don’t know anybody. I don’t know what to say to people.’ And honestly, you can open your door and let people in, and it kind of cultivates itself. If you have good food and good drinks, people are gonna come to you. Sometimes you have to be the inviter, not just wait around for someone to invite you. If you’re feeling lonely or you’re like, wow, I never get invited anywhere, host your own brunch! It’s a great way to host people—they don’t stay all night. They’re gone by noon, and then you’re left with your day.
Ashley’s 5 Favorite Brunch Recipes
- Overnight Bacon Brunch Casserole
- Chef John’s Buttermilk Biscuits
- Ann’s Fantastic Fruit Salad
- Classic Waffles
- Pineapple Sunrise Mimosas
Read more: A Spotlight On Allrecipes Allstar: Ashley Berger
