Eggcellent ideas for Easter entertaining

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I’m still finding Christmas ornaments all over my home that I haven’t put away. Yet, Easter’s just a few days away! Where has the time gone?

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People are still getting used to having holiday family gatherings post-pandemic, and many are transitioning slowly into opening their doors to family and friends.

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This Easter, why not consider entertaining with breakfast or brunch ideas, instead of long-drawn-out affairs.

Eggs have always played a symbolic role during the Easter season. At their core, eggs represent rebirth, and new life. And – they’re perfect for brunch!

Just recently, the Egg Farmers of Canada teamed up with a group of seasoned Canadian professional chefs, who shared their own special recipes for Easter – perfect for brunch ideas. Keep them handy, as you know Mother’s Day is just around corner!

Leek, Bacon and Cheese Mini Frittatas

These mini frittatas courtesy of Chef Dale MacKay are flavourful and easy to make. Filled with smoky bacon, tender leeks, and gooey cheese, they are the perfect bite-sized brunch dish. Serves 12.

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3/4 cup bacon, chopped

1 cup leeks (or onion), finely diced

1 cup white cheddar cheese, finely grated

Egg Mix:

2 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

1/2 Tbsp. dill, finely chopped

Salt/pepper, to taste

1/4  tsp. smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium pot, fry bacon on medium heat until almost crispy. Add finely diced leeks (or onion) to pot and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes). Set mixture aside to cool.

Very lightly spray mini muffin tray with baking spray. Divide mixture evenly into mini muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks, season with black pepper, salt and smoked paprika and fill mini muffin tin halfway full. Sprinkle evenly finely grated white cheddar cheese evenly on muffin tins. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Once complete, garnish with a spring of fresh dill.

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Serve warm or let cool and reheat later at 300F for 3-4 minutes. These frittatas can also be served at room temperature.

Chef Tip: Make use of your leftover egg whites by making a delicious pavlova or crunchy meringues

Jammy Egg Toasts with Herb Cream Cheese

A tasty twist on everyone’s favourite – jammy eggs! Quick to prepare, this dish courtesy of Chef Lynn Crawford will surely wow your family and friends at brunch anytime throughout the year. Serves 2.

4 eggs

4 thick slices country bread, toasted

Cream Cheese Mixture:

6 oz. plain cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Shallot Mixture:

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 small shallot, finely chopped

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1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1/2 tsp. thyme leaves

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. whole-grain mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, dill, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread cream cheese mixture on toast slices, dividing it evenly.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, tomatoes, thyme, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir oil, mustard, and parsley into shallot mixture and set aside.

Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil. Separately, fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Reduce heat, allowing water to come to a rapid simmer, gently add eggs and simmer for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to ice water to stop cooking. Drain and peel eggs.

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Coarsely chop eggs and arrange on top of bread. Spoon shallot vinaigrette over top and sprinkle with more thyme, parsley and freshly-ground pepper if desired.

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Savoury Egg Casserole with Mushroom, Bacon and Kimchi

Bring some cheer to your brunch table with this delicious Asian-fusion egg casserole packed with flavourful mushrooms, bacon and kimchi. This dish courtesy of Chef Minh Phat is a crowd-pleaser and is perfect for entertaining. Serves 4.

5 thick slices of bacon

1 cup prepared kimchi

1 Spanish onion

1/2 cup white button mushrooms

1 tomato, diced

1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

2 cups baby spinach

2 Tbsp. EACH light soy sauce and maple syrup

1 Tbsp. gochujang (red chili paste)

4 eggs

1 baguette or 4 slices of toast

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Preheat oven to 350F. Using a sharp knife, slice bacon into small pieces, about 1/2-inch in size. Finely chop kimchi, Spanish onion and mushrooms into small pieces; dice tomatoes.

In an 8-inch cast iron skillet or frying pan, fry bacon at medium heat until crisp. Add chopped garlic, onion and mushrooms to skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Add baby spinach to skillet. Add diced tomatoes, kimchi, light soy sauce, maple syrup and gochujang to skillet and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

Transfer mixture to an 8-inch baking dish. Note: Omit this step if using a cast iron skillet.

Crack eggs on top of mixture and finish baking in oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until egg whites are cooked through. Serve with toast or baguette slices.