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Sure, every restaurant around you might flaunt their Mother’s Day brunch special – but if you’re hoping to throw a truly unforgettable brunch, the best approach is to make it at home. Not only can you completely customize the menu to your Mother’s tastes, but it gives you more opportunity to bond as a family as you prepare and enjoy the meal.

Throwing a brunch at home doesn’t need to be intimidating, either. Simple brunch dishes taste amazing, and many of your brunch faves can be made in advance and heated before the meal, freeing up time for other food prep. Read on to learn how to create the perfect Mother’s Day brunch menu – and where you can save time with advance preparation.

Beverages to Impress

Serving cocktails? Choose a light one, like a mimosa, that won’t overpower the rest of the meal. Try a creamy orange and vanilla mimosa, or add a tropical twist with this orange coconut version.

No brunch is complete without coffee, and you can make your Mother’s Day brunch extra special by whipping up a flavored coffee for your family. It’s easy, thanks to the magic of flavor extracts. Just a few drops can turn your ho-hum brew into vanilla or raspberry coffee.

Orange Vanilla Mimosa

Treat mom to a sparkling beverage on Mother’s Day with this mimosa that has a hint of vanilla.

Prep time: 1 minute

Ingredients: 3

Servings: 1

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup sparkling white wine

Mix orange juice and vanilla in beverage glass. Add sparkling wine; stir gently. Serve immediately.

Egg-Cellent Brunch Options

There’s no breakfast food that’s easier to customize than eggs, and you should plan to include at least one egg-based dish on your menu. If you’re short on time, opt for a quiche or frittata, which can be made ahead of time and heated before serving.

Make a deliciously smoky quiche by adding spinach and bacon, or go for a luxe frittata made with smoked salmon. Alternatively, try out these mini ham and egg quiches, which use slices of ham as the “crust” in place of pastry. They’re perfect if your mom doesn’t like pie crust (or if you’re just saving your carbs for the pancake course!)

Spinach and Bacon Skillet Quiche

A crisp hash brown crust stands in for pie crust in this spinach and bacon filled skillet quiche.

Prep time:15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Calories: 231

Ingredients: 11

Servings: 8

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, partially thawed

5 eggs

11/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Ground

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Nutmeg, Ground

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

12 ounces bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (about 12 slices)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Spread hash browns in bottom and up sides of pan. Cook 5 minutes or until potatoes form a crust.

Beat eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk. Add milk, pepper, nutmeg, onion powder and salt; mix well. Sprinkle spinach and bacon evenly over potatoes. Pour egg mixture into pan. Cover.

Cook 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Cook 5 minutes longer or until eggs are set and cheese is melted.

Upgraded Toast

Avocado toast is a brunch staple for a reason – it’s creamy, delicious and completely customizable. If your mom’s a fan, consider putting together an avocado toast bar for everyone to make their own. Mix and match sliced and mashed avocado, arugula, roasted red peppers, eggs and seasonings (especially cumin, sea salt and red pepper flakes), along with sweet ingredients such as sliced figs and honey to give your guests almost-limitless combinations. Or if you prefer to follow a recipe, try topping your toast with rosemary-smoked tomato jam and a poached egg.

Rosemary Smoked Tomato Jam with Poached Egg

Perfect for using abundant homegrown or farm-stand tomatoes. Make this jam by chargrilling the tomatoes, sweet onion and chile first, then simmer with rosemary, brown sugar and cider vinegar. The result is a tart-sweet spicy condiment for sandwiches, burgers and grilled meats.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Calories: 230

Ingredients: 10

Servings: 8

Rosemary Smoked Tomato Jam:

2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored, halved and seeded

1 medium onion, cut into thick slices

1 small poblano chile, seeded

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon McCormick Rosemary Leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Poached Eggs

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

8 eggs

8 slices thick-sliced rustic bread

For the Rosemary Smoked Tomato Jam, grill tomatoes, onion and poblano chile on medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until lightly charred, turning occasionally. Coarsely chop tomatoes, onion and poblano. Place in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar, cider vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 hour or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, for the Poached Eggs, fill large deep saucepan with 2 inches of water. Add white wine vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Break 1 egg into small dish. Carefully slide egg into simmering water (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Repeat with remaining eggs. Poach eggs 3 to 5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken. Carefully remove eggs with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

To serve, place 1 slice bread on each plate. Top with Rosemary Smoked Tomato Jam and a poached egg.

The Perfect Pancakes

Mother’s Day brunch is the perfect time to treat your mom – and that means serving up some decadent and absolutely delicious pancakes. Go for apple-cinnamon pancakes or maple- banana bread pancakes to get plenty of warm, comforting spices. Or make red velvet pancakes (such as this eye-catching heart cut-out version) for a more dessert-like option. Top them with a homemade maple flavored syrup or a rich cider caramel sauce.

Save time by mixing the dry ingredients in advance, then add the wet ingredients and make the pancakes the day of your brunch. And, of course, you can make the syrups and sauces ahead of time.

Red Velvet Cut-Out Heart Pancakes

Prepare breakfast in bed for your mom with these red velvet heart pancakes. Make it decadent by serving with confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream or maple syrup.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Calories: 263

Ingredients: 7

Servings: 5

2 cups pancake mix

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

11/2 teaspoons

McCormick Red

Food Color

Mix pancake mix, cocoa powder and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla just until blended. Divide batter equally among 2 bowls. Stir food color into 1 of the bowls.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto preheated ungreased griddle or skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning when pancakes begin to bubble.

Using a 21/2-inch wide heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from each pancake. Place a contrasting color heart cut-out into each pancake.