Easter Build-a-Brunch Ideas From McCormick

SPARKS, Md., March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether you're entertaining for a big group or a small gathering, a successful Easter brunch starts with finding the right recipes to impress with less stress. With make-ahead brunch dishes, single-serving desserts, easy sides and flavorful beverages from the experts at McCormick, a global leader in flavor, this year's menu is sure to please any crowd. 

"The key to a great Easter brunch is building off the flavors your friends and family love like bacon, eggs, hash brown potatoes and French toast," said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. "For your main dish, pick a casserole that can be assembled the night before for hands-off prep in the morning. Colorful individual desserts, like Easter-egg cake bites, cupcakes and mini cheesecakes, are easy to make ahead."

Brunch Bakes, Casseroles and More
Selecting brunch options that easily feed a crowd makes putting your menu together a cinch:

• Cheesy Bacon & Egg Brunch Casserole – This classic brunch casserole made with three kinds of cheese and delicious seasonings can be made a day in advance, just pop in the oven and serve.
• Cheesy Sausage & Potato Breakfast Skillet – This tasty, golden brown skillet casserole is made with shredded hash browns to form the crust and cooked on the stovetop to save oven space.
• Cheesy Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole – Brightened with a hint of ground mustard, this casserole with crisp hash brown patties, eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese will satisfy any brunch-time craving.
• Mini Ham & Egg Quiche – With a unique ham "crust," these mini quiches will impress your guests with savory spices and creamy goat cheese. Prep the egg and spinach mixtures the night before so you can quickly assemble and bake.
• Overnight French Toast – Sweet and fruity, this baked French toast is a delicious addition to any brunch spread. Designed as a make-ahead dish, the bread and egg mixture is refrigerated overnight.
• Mini Dutch Boy Pancakes – These puffed popover-like mini pancakes bake in muffin tins and can be served with a lemon-infused blueberry sauce and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.

Sips & Sides
Round out your brunch with fresh fruit and drinks.

• Very Vanilla Fruit Salad – Refreshingly fruity, this light salad is an ideal side. Use raspberry extract instead of vanilla for a flavor twist.
• Vanilla Coffee – A few teaspoons of pure vanilla extract give brewed coffee a special twist. Try it with other extract flavors, like cinnamon and hazelnut. Let guests personalize their own with a sprinkle of cinnamon or ground nutmeg.
• Cranberry Pineapple Punch – Perfect for an Easter get-together, this punch is spiced with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Serve chilled.
• Old Bay Bloody Mary Base – Celery salt gives this signature brunch drink its classic taste.

Bite-sized Easter Sweets
What brunch menu would be complete without tasty sweets that are as fun to make as they are to eat? Set out a tempting array of single-serving treats so your guests won't have to pick just one.

• Cutest Easter Cupcakes:
  • Carrot Patch Cupcakes – The "carrots" inside these rich chocolate cupcakes are the perfect seasonal surprise.
  • Easter Basket Cupcakes – You can eat every bite of these lemon-infused baskets, made with waffle cones, cake and assorted candy.
  • Easy Lemon Daisy Cupcakes – Brighten up your dessert table with these joyful daisy delights. Get the kids involved in the fun by decorating their own cupcakes.
• Easter Egg Cake Bites – Egg-shaped cake bites get their flavor from pure lemon extract.
• Easy Mini Cheesecakes – These luscious cheesecakes are easy to make and flavored with vanilla and almond extracts. Garnish with a selection of fresh fruit.

Visit www.McCormick.com, www.Facebook.com/McCormickSpice and www.Pinterest.com/mccormickspices for simple ideas and recipes that will inspire you to make sure your Easter brunch is unforgettable. Look for McCormick Spices, Extracts and Food Color in the spices and baking aisles of supermarkets and mass merchandisers nationwide.

To download food photography, visit the digital press room at www.mccormick.com/FoodMedia.

About McCormick
McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor with more than $4 billion in annual sales. McCormick manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry – retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses – in more than 125 countries and territories. Since Willoughby M. McCormick founded the company selling root beer extract in 1889, McCormick has demonstrated a strong commitment to the communities in which it operates and the planet as a whole. Innovation in flavor and a clear focus on employee engagement and product quality has allowed McCormick to grow its business globally and become the flavor leader it is today. Visit mccormick.com, mccormickcorporation.com and Facebook.com/McCormickSpice for more information.

SOURCE McCormick & Co., Inc.