How to Build A Beautiful Brunch Board

This stunning Mother’s Day brunch board is full of your favourite breakfast and brunch foods! It makes Mother’s Day brunch — or any brunch event — so easy to host! Cue the mimosas!

 

When it comes to honouring mom (and given our current and particular circumstances), it’s time to get a little creative. After years of sticking through it all, she truly deserves a special (and pretty!) treat this Mother’s Day. Our mom, step-moms, Grandmas, the mom-like-figures, and pseudo-Mamas in our lives have really stuck through it all. Isn’t it funny how we can look back now and really appreciate all the things, big and small, that they did to ensure we lived the best life possible? Well, as you let those grateful thoughts roll in, let me tell you: this Mother’s Day putting together this brunch board and including some of her favourite things… It’s the way to go!

While I absolutely love this sweet, little charcuterie version of a traditional Mother’s Day brunch, it would be perfect for almost any other brunch event too! Here’s the thing: it’s so simple, so pretty, you can use what you have, and who doesn’t love having a few bites of this and that? Imagine not having to choose between savoury and sweet! You can have it all, girl! Alas, over the years, these brunch boards have become a big hit… So, today I’m sharing all my tips for making the ultimate brunch board for any occasion. Though, honestly, bonus points if you make it for Mom this weekend!

 

 

How to build an Easy brunch board

 

The placement of each item is equally important to the actual food you choose. Arranging a board can seem daunting. How do you decide where everything goes? How do you make it look balanced? What goes where? Where do you start? While your brunch board will reflect your own choices, personality, and style, I’ll give you a few tips on how easy it really is.

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOARD

 

The easy first step? Choosing the board. The board is key as it’s the canvas for your soon-to-be masterpiece! Be careful not to choose a board too big or too small; make sure you have enough items to fill your board(s). Decide whether you’d like to use one large board, or if you are planning to do multiple boards, use a few smaller ones. You can use wood serving boards, ceramic platters, large plates, and even cutting boards! For this one, I used a large wooden cutting board to really let the food on the board shine. Honestly, the beauty of this creation is that anything you have lying around your kitchen will do.

I also like to use different size bowls for things like spreads, dips, nut butter, honey, to add visual variation. Now that you have your board and bowls, it’s time to get creative!

PRO TIP #1: Although the planning seems arduous, try not to stress over it too much… Your mom wouldn’t want that anyway!

 

SWEET & SAVOURY OPTIONS

 

When putting together a traditional brunch, more often than not, you would incorporate sweet and savoury options. The sweet options like pancakes, waffles, fruit, jams all pair beautifully alongside savoury dishes like bacon, sausage, avocado, eggs, and spreads like butter and mustards. Ideally, you will want a balance of the two. That is the beauty of brunch after al! 

PRO TIP #2: The dips and spreads are your secret weapon: they create balance on the board and your pallet. Jams, honey, butter, and mustard (yes, mustard — you’ll thank me later) are the aspects of a brunch board that really make it stand out.

Speaking of mustard, I have been OBSESSING over Smak Dab Mustard lately. Mustard has to be one of the most versatile condiments known to the kitchen. From salad dressings to the standalone queen of burger condiments, and even adding a subtle kick to tried-and-true recipes, I PROMISE YOU, it’s about to be the niftiest condiment and ingredient in your kitchen. A flavour powerhouse that adds body, a zip of acidity, sweetness, texture, and umami to any dish. It’s even delicious straight from the spoon, and I don’t judge anyone for that because I’ve been doing it too! (Honestly, when you try these unbelievable flavours, you will, too… Trust me.)

 

 

For this board, I used Smak Dab’s Canadian Maple & Hot Honey Jalapeño! The Canadian Maple uses pure Quebec maple syrup and prairie grown mustard seeds. A few spoonfuls can take a dish to the next level. Then I cranked it up a notch with the Hot Honey Jalapeño with the sweet heat of this lively blend of Manitoba honey and spicy jalapeño. I used them both on a bagel with prosciutto and avocado and, OH MY GOODNESS was it out-of-this-world tasty! It would also be fabulous to dip your brunch meats in, like sausage and bacon.

 

 

VARY TEXTURES ON THE BOARD

 

Using a variety of textures is pleasing to the eye and the palate. Start placing the small bowls on the board, then follow with the larger components. Think about texture, shape, and colour when deciding what goes where. A good rule of thumb is placing similar colours and sizes further apart from one another. Don’t worry about filling in all the space right away — that comes in the final stage.

PRO TIP #3: Reserve smaller or more neutral items for last to fill in the empty space. I filled mine in with granola and chocolate chips! Nuts are a great option, as well!

 

LOTS OF COLOUR

 

As mentioned, when putting together this brunch board, keep colour in mind! People love seeing colour. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got enough bright and fun colours to keep it aesthetically pleasing! Remember, don’t place all the same colours together, make sure you are spreading them out!

 

 

Charcuterie board Food Ideas

 

Choosing what you’ll put on your board is really the most exciting part of all this. Since this is a brunch board, I wanted to give you some fun ideas to add to your board!   

 

PANCAKES OR WAFFLES

 

My mom loves pancakes, so that’s what I decided to add to this board! I made my Gluten Free & Vegan Fluffy Pancake recipe, which is AMAZING if your mom is vegan or celiac (or just wants to try a new yummy take on a classic pancake)! You could also add waffles, french toast, crepes, or if you’re tight for time, just add some bagels or toast and your mom can add the jams and jellies to make it sweet!

 

 

GARNISHES AND CONDIMENTS

 

Okay, okay, okay so Smak Dab Mustard won this board. I don’t think words would do it justice, but if you don’t believe me, you need to try it.  I’ve always been a fan of mustard in general, but this stuff is next-level delicious. I cannot say enough about it. I also added some whipped cream, strawberry yogurt, honey, peanut butter, and jelly to this board!

 

 

DELICIOUS FRESH FRUIT

 

The fruit is where you can really have some fun. I chose strawberries, blackberries, and banana, but anything goes! You could also add some grapefruit, oranges, kiwi, the possibilities are endless! Switch things up every time you make one of these boards to see what looks and tastes best!

 

BREAKFAST MEAT

 

In a classic brunch board it’s common to use meats like salami, prosciutto, chorizo, et cetera. Some great options are bacon, breakfast sausage, and I also added prosciutto to mine because it’s my mom’s favourite! Again, you can use whatever you have on hand! You can get creative with your own ideas or use the same type of meat that I did. 

 

 

Why this breakfast board is perfect for mothers day

 

• Visually beautiful and will impress your mom to show her how much you care
• You can do most of the prep ahead of time
• Speaking of prep, extra bonus: whatever you don’t use becomes pre-prepped food for the week. Hello, lifesaver!
• So much variety with all the sweet and savoury options
• When everything is served you can enjoy the board with your mom, and even have a mimosa or two with her!

 

 

 

I LOVE making brunch boards because you are choosing all of your favourite things and bringing them all together in a beautiful way. Ensure you are thinking about flavour, combinations, and textures. It’s really customizable, so use whatever you want and eat it all up!

Now it’s time to go try it out yourself and impress your friends and family! I hope you find time this Mother’s Day to make a delicious brunch board with all my tips and tricks, and of course, Smak Dab Mustard! You can find this mustard online as well as at Choices Market, Thrifty Foods, Safeway and Fresh Street Market. 

I can’t wait to see what you create! Share your brunch board with me by tagging @basicswithbails on Instagram or Pinterest. Let’s get the party started!This post is sponsored by Smak Dab. Thank you for continuing to support the brands who help make Basics With Bails possible!