Mother’s Day is, by far, the one holiday in the year that is usually celebrated by dining out in restaurants. In fact, the National Restaurant Association says that 6 out of 10 Americans will be making reservations at their favorite casual dining restaurants. The rest will either be feasting on takeout or food delivered to their home.
The reason is very simple: it’s the only way to make sure that moms won’t get tempted in lifting a finger to help out, whether it’s preparing the meal or doing the dishes after. After all, it’s her special day.
Although this may be the surest and safest way for dads and kids to make sure that their favorite woman in the world gets to enjoy her special day, this could be no further from the truth. With more than half of Americans choosing to dine out on this day, restaurants are sure going to be packed like sardines, and extremely noisy. Even if you did make a reservation, you could be sure to expect to wait far longer than usual for someone to take your order, let alone serve your food and get everyone fed. Not exactly anyone’s definition of truly giving mom the best and enjoy her special day.
Moms definitely deserve far better than that, right?
The good news is that there’s an alternative, and that is to host a fabulous Mother’s Day brunch right in your own backyard with the help of your trusty outdoor grill.
Why Brunch for a Mother’s Day Party?
Brunch is the perfect time to host a Mother’s Day backyard party for several reasons. For starters, you can do all the preparations and even the cooking while your mom or your wife is still asleep. You also give your friends an alternative to celebrating this special holiday far away from the crowded restaurants. What’s more, your wife or mother will still have most of the day left to relax, unwind, and enjoy her day.
The biggest challenge for most dads is knowing where to start. After all, mom usually takes care of all the preparations. This guide will help you throw a perfect Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party that would make this a day that she will never forget.
How to Set Up a Mother’s Day Barbecue Bruch Party
Set the foundation
When planning a Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party, the very first thing that you’ll need to do is to come up with a theme for it. This will dictate everything from the decorations to the food and even the drinks you’ll prepare.
The easiest way to go about this is to create a theme that matches your mom or wife’s style. What kind of woman is she? Is she the type who is fun-loving and very much into the retro scene? Is she the laid-back type that loves flowers and pastels? Maybe she’s the type who really enjoys fancy and formal affairs?
Once you know her preferred style, it’s going to be now easy to think about the decorations to use.
Get the invitations out
It’s very important to get the invitations out to your guests as early as possible because they may be making their own plans for Mother’s Day as well.
The most convenient way to do this is by simply sending an email to your guests. There’s a lot of really cool invitation templates you can find online. Simply just download this, add in your details, and send them out via email. Not only will it be faster and easier for your guests to RSVP, but it will also help you keep the entire thing hush-hush, especially if you’re planning on making this as a surprise.
Create a flow plan
Draw out a party flow plan where you’d like your guests to hang out and talk with each other during your Mother’s Day party. This way, your guests will have other places to mingle and chat other than beside your outdoor grill. Self-serve beverage or dessert tables are great examples.
Dress your tables
Even if your Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party is going to be a very casual affair, it’s always a good idea to dress up the table where you and your guests will be eating.
To do this, place a protective padded liner on top of the table. This will help protect it from spills and scratches, especially if there are going to be kids around. Next, cover the table with a printed light-colored linen fabric for a table cloth.
Next is to add the centerpieces. Floral arrangements are the best choice for a Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party. Using unusual containers like those inexpensive metallic containers you can get from thrift stores to place the flowers in is an easy but clever way to create eye-catching table centerpieces. Just make sure that you choose flowers that aren’t so heavily scented since these can affect with the smell of the food you’ll be serving.
As for the table setting, ditch the conventional practice of using paper plates, utensils, and cups. After all, Mother’s Day is a special occasion that only happens once a year. Use your best silver, china, and glassware for your backyard party. Mix and match patterns to give your table settings a fun and interesting look. Complete the entire look with cloth napkins decorated with playful rings.
Prepare the Food
Preparing grilled food is not the usual norm when it comes to brunch parties. That makes preparing a barbecue brunch menu for Mother’s Day really interesting. At the same time, there’s something about the outdoor grill that makes women somehow leave it to the men to do all the cooking, so your mother or wife can simply just sit back and enjoy the company of your guests while you whip up a feast.
Here are some barbecue food and drink ideas that you can do for your upcoming Mother’s Day brunch:
Smoky Mary
This puts a smoky twist literally to the traditional Bloody Mary by smoking the tomato on your barbecue grill.
Ingredients:
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup vodka
Zest and juice of 1 lemon plus 1 cut lemon
1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 celery stalks, preferably from the heart with the leaves still attached
3 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue rub
A couple handfuls of your favorite wood chips, soaked in water for at least an hour
Ice cubes
Directions:
- Fire up your grill and prepare this for indirect grilling. Drain the wood chips and place them on top of the coals or in your grill’s smoker box. Cover the lid to allow the smoke to build up.
- In a deep, medium-sized aluminum pan, add the tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Stir until well mixed.
- Place the pan on the indirect grilling side and cover the lid for 4 minutes. Open the lid and stir. Close the lid and allow to stand for another 4 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow this to cool.
- Moisten the rim of 4 highball glasses with the cut lemon. Dip each of the glasses into the barbecue rub to coat the rim. Place 4 ice cubes into each of the glasses. Pour in the Smoky Mary, taking care not to dislodge the rub. Stir and garnish with a celery stick.
Spiced Iced Coffee
This cool “perk-me-up” drink is best done the night before to allow all the spices to infuse into the coffee. It’s a perfect drink for your Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party even if no grilling is involved.
Ingredients:
8 Cinnamon sticks
6 cups brewed coffee
4 pieces of star anise
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
Ice cubes
Directions:
- Fill 6 compartments of an ice cube tray with water. Place a cinnamon stick in each filled compartment. Freeze until solid.
- Add the brewed coffee, star anise, and the remaining cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the condensed milk until well mixed. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, strain the coffee mixture and discard the spices. Fill 6 glasses halfway with ice cubes. Pour in the coffee mixture and serve with a cinnamon stick ice cube.
Grilled Vegetable Frittata
Frittatas are a brunch staple. Grilling the vegetables will give this frittata a unique smoky flavor that even your meat-loving friends would enjoy. If you want, you can add a couple of handfuls of your favorite woodchips in your grill’s smoker box.
Ingredients:
8 ounces asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
1 small yellow squash, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
4 scallions, trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 large eggs
½ cup half and half
1 ¼ cups Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, grated
3 tablespoons fresh herb mix made of basil, dill, tarragon, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, and sage, thinly slivered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat your grill to high heat and set it up for direct and indirect grilling.
- Place all the vegetables in a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the vegetables in a grill basket and place on the direct side of the grill, shaking the basket often. Grill for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are darkly browned. Set aside.
- Place in a large mixing bowl the eggs, half and half, 1 cup of the grated cheese, fresh herb mix, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Add the vegetables and stir until well mixed.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan directly over one of the burners of your grill. Add the egg mixture and cook without stirring for about 2 minutes or until the bottom starts to brown. Transfer the pan onto the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the frittata has set. You can test this by inserting a bamboo skewer in the middle of the frittata. If it comes out clean and dry, it’s done.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow this to rest for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top of the frittata. Cut into equal wedges and serve.
Eggs Benedict Burgers
No barbecue party is complete without burgers sizzling on the grill. This grilled recipe will be a sure hit among male guests and meat lovers that will surely make your mom proud.
Ingredients:
For the hollandaise sauce:
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
For the burgers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
Worcestershire sauce
3 eggs, fried or poached
3 pieces English muffins
For the grilled maple bacon:
12 thick slices of bacon, about 1/8 to ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup pure maple syrup, slightly warmed
1 cup brown sugar
Directions:
- Preheat your outdoor grill to medium heat for direct and direct grilling.
- Spread a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil a wire rack using a paper towel and place it on the baking sheet.
- Brush each bacon slice on both sides with maple syrup. Dip each slice of the syrup-coated bacon in the sugar, pressing into the sugar. Invert and coat the other side.
- Arrange the bacon slices on the wire rack, leaving a ¼-inch space in between slices. Place this on the indirect side of the grill. Cover and allow this to grill for 15 to 25 minutes or until the bacon is browned and crisp, and the sugar is caramelized. Remove from the grill and set aside.
- Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the eggs yolks with water vigorously for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the sauce in a double boiler to keep warm, whisking this occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to make it thinner.
- Mix together the ground beef with a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Divide this into 3 equal portions and form each portion into a patty.
- Place the burgers on the direct heat side, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked to your desired doneness. Remove from the grill and allow this to rest.
- Place the English muffins crust side down on the indirect side of the grill for 2 minutes to warm these. Remove from the grill and place onto a plate. Place a burger patty on top of each of the English muffin, followed by 4 strips of the grilled maple bacon slices, and an egg. Finish this off with a generous dollop of the hollandaise sauce and serve.
Grilled Peach and Burrata Crostini
This grilled recipe blends together warm and cold, sweet and savory in perfect harmony. You can serve this as an appetizer or make bigger portions to serve as the main course.
Ingredients:
3 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 French or sourdough baguette, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
2 balls burrata cheese
4 peaches, sliced and pitted
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush both sides of the baguettes and peach slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the baguettes and peach slices on the indirect heat side and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
- To assemble, place a few basil leaves on top of the baguette slice followed by a tablespoon of the burrata cheese. Add a slice of the peach and top everything with a thin slice of prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.
Grilled Artichoke Cheese Sandwich
Get your kids involved making the filling and preparing the sandwiches for the grill while you do the grilling. It’s going to melt their mom’s heart just like the cheese.
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
1 loaf French bread, cut ½-inch thick
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cream cheese and mayonnaise together until smooth. Stir in the garlic powder, seasoned salt, cheeses and artichoke hearts. Set aside.
- Butter one side of the bread slice. Turn this over and spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture. Top with another bread slice and spread some butter on the side facing out. Repeat this until all of the bread slices are used up.
- Place each of the sandwiches on the grill over the indirect heat side. Cover and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the crust are golden brown, and the cheese has melted.
Grilled Strawberry Bread
Cap off your Mother’s Day barbecue brunch with this dessert that’s just as sweet as mom.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. strawberries, trimmed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 baguette roll, split and sliced crosswise into thirds
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to medium.
- Mash together the strawberries, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a large saucepan. Cook this over high heat, occasionally stirring, for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the strawberries form a thick pulp. Set aside to cool.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the condensed milk on the cut sides of each baguette slice. Let it soak for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Place the slices on the grill, crust side down, on the indirect heat side. Warm this for about 2 minutes. Turn and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the baguette slices from the grill. Top the strawberry pulp over the bread. Let this stand for a few minutes before serving.
Don’t forget the souvenirs
Prepare some gifts that your guests can take home with them to remember your Mother’s Day barbecue brunch party. Here are some Mother’s Day gifts that you can make at home with the kids for your upcoming backyard barbecue party.
Homemade Sugar Scrubs
Materials:
3 cups white sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 drops of your choice of essential oil
7-ounce jars
Scrapbook paper
Mod Podge
Brush
Scissors
Tape measure
Directions:
- Wash and dry the jars and the lids.
- With a tape measure, measure out the width and the height for your label. Cut out a piece of scrapbook paper using the dimensions you’ve gotten.
- Apply Mod Podge to the area of the jar where you want to place the label. Press the paper onto the jar, smoothing away any wrinkles or bubbles.
- Type up the name of the scrub in your computer and cut it so that it’s smaller than the scrapbook paper. Apply Mod Podge on the scrapbook paper and attach the label, making sure that it’s centered. Smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. Brush another layer of Mod Podge onto the label so that it’s secured and won’t peel off. Let this dry.
- Place the lid on the wrong side of the scrapbook paper. Bend the paper up to the top of the lid, and make a few marks where the paper meets the lid top. Trace and cut a circle ¼ inch away from the marks. Cut slits about a ¼ inch apart extending in towards your markings.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge on the top and sides of your lid. Attach the scrapbook paper, making sure that the patterned side is facing out. Smooth away any bubbles. Apply another layer of Mod Podge on the inside of the lid. Working on a few strips at a time, press the fringes down inside the lid, pushing firmly against the inside. Add a final layer of Mod Podge all over the inside and outside of the lid and allow this to dry.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add in the sugar, olive oil, and essential oil. Mix until well combined. Divide this into equal portions among the jars, and close the jars tightly.
Barbecue Spice Rub Favors
Ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup paprika
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
Directions:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, add in all of the ingredients and mix together until well combined.
2. Divide this into equal quantities and place into a small jar and close the lid.