What nicer way to get the new year off to a good start than to enjoy a celebratory brunch on the first of January? This mix and match menu provides lots of choices, whether you’re dining alone or only with other members of your household. Even with pandemic lockdowns and other restrictions, New Year’s Day Brunch will help you start 2021 in style.
A Mix & Match Menu
Your plans to celebrate this new year may look very different than usual, as do mine. But even without our customary gatherings, as we all do our part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still possible to enjoy a special brunch to mark the first day of what promises to be a better year than 2020.
With the idea that there may be only you or the few members of your household around your table, simply pick and choose from the options presented to put together the right menu for you. Many of the recipes lend themselves to cooking for one, whether big batches of things that keep, like granola, or others where you can freeze or keep a portion at room temperature for a few days (like muffins). And you can always scale back some recipes, like making a half portion of the bread pudding or waffles.
The New Year’s Day brunch menu includes options for:
- Festive beverages
- Out-of-the-ordinary granola
- Showstopper baked goods
- Muffins, pancakes and waffles
- Accompaniments
Even if you just have a smoothie and a muffin for your New Year’s Day brunch, I hope you dine well and festively, in the spirit of welcoming in a new year.
A Festive Beverage
The mimosa is the beverage of choice for celebratory brunches chez moi. But why not add some extra pizazz to the usual orange juice and champagne with this Blueberry Mimosa from Food Bloggers of Canada?
If you would rather have a non-alcoholic beverage, freshly squeezed orange juice (the blood red variety looks stunning) or grapefruit juice is always welcome at the table. For something more substantial, a Tropical Fruit and Mint smoothie is a festive and refreshing choice, while the Raspberry Cacao version takes smoothies into the decadent yet healthful zone.
Not Your Ordinary Granola
There’s granola and then there’s what I like to call premium granola. Either of my Pomegranate Pistachio Granola or Chocolate Ginger Granola with dried sour cherries bring festive crunch to the table. They both make beautiful yogourt parfaits.
Showstopper Baked Goods
New Year’s Day calls for pulling out all the stops. Nothing says celebration like Raspberry Chocolate Bread Pudding or Apple & Blackberry Kuchen.
Muffins, Pancakes and Waffles
You may feel that a bread pudding or yeast dough sweet bread is a little too much for perhaps one or two people. In that case, why not make muffins, pancakes or waffles?
There are a lot of muffin recipes to choose from here on Urban Cottage Life. A recent favourite for me are Blueberry Almond Muffins, while Triple Berry Jam Muffins are one of the easiest to make while still lending a festive air. (You can make them with whatever jam you have on hand.)
When it comes to pancakes, you can go simple or you can venture into fancier territory. You know I’m going to choose the latter option, right? Both Porter Beer Pancakes with Porter Maple Butter Sauce and Caramelized Apple Sour Cream Pancakes signal special occasion.
Waffles are welcome on my table any time, especially for special occasions, and in my home waffles means Belgian Waffles.
Accompaniments
There are many side dishes you can add to your New Year’s Day brunch. I always like to have a bowl of supremed oranges (both regular and blood oranges) plus grapefruit (pink and/or white). Baked eggs are easy and versatile, and if you like bacon at brunch, oven-roasted bacon is easy to make without all the spattering. A fruit chia seed pudding is also a nice way to round out the menu. If you like to end your meal with a leisurely coffee, Hazelnut, Sour Cherry & Orange Biscotti are the perfect accompaniment.
Happy New Year!
No matter what you have on your table for New Year’s Day Brunch, I wish you a safe and healthy 2021 and offer up my sincere hope we can soon move back toward normal life.
