Is your mouth already watering for the delicious-looking, kid-friendly Easter “Bunny Brunch” in the photos below? I know mine is!
I am so very excited to share these great recipes and photos, which come from a talented Kingsland mom, Marissa Velasquez.
Marissa was gracious enough to write this fun post for Mamamelia readers. Thanks, Marissa! ~ Mamamelia
Make your children this fun “Bunny Brunch” for Easter morning. Get more great ideas at domesticadventuresofmrsv.com. / All photos courtesy of Marissa Velasquez.
Easter is such a beautiful holiday- the colors, the flowers, gorgeous Springtime weather… everything about Easter is just delightful! This is our first year celebrating the occasion with our 1-year-old son Jacob, and our niece and nephew happen to be coming into town for the festivities too. I want to make the day extra special for the kids, but also want it to be fun and tasty for the adults. So, I came up with the “Bunny Brunch”. These are recipes I created to appeal to both adults’ and kids’ tastebuds alike. The dishes also have a whimsical element to them that everyone will find fun and festive!
First we have the Strawberries and Cream French Toast Bunny. This is sure to “wow” everyone at your Easter table- it’s elegant, but the kids will love the playful bunny shape and obviously the sweetness of it all!
A French Toast Bunny
What you will need to serve 8:
- 16 pieces of sandwich bread (white will work best)
- 7 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 package of cream cheese (softened)
- 1 carton of strawberries, thinly diced
- ½ cup powdered sugar (plus more for dusting bunny with later)
- 2 Tbsp. butter (or coconut oil if you want to lighten things up)
- Whipped Cream (in the can will work the best for making “bunny tail”)
- Bunny-Shaped cookie cutter (Mine was a hand-me-down from my Grandmother, but I have seen them all over at places like Target and WalMart)
To make coconut grass:
- 1-2 cups shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
- About 8 drops of green food coloring
The Process:
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together and set aside with strawberries.
Heat butter or oil in skillet on medium heat. Meanwhile, cut out bunny shapes in your bread (Tip: My cookie cutter only allows me to make one bunny for each slice of bread so there are a lot of leftover crusts. Instead of throwing these away you can save them and make more French toast sticks for another day!).
After you have all your bunnies, whisk together eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Take each bunny and dip them in the egg mixture, flipping to make sure that each side is nicely coated. Put each piece into the skillet and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until you see the egg mixture cooked through.
Now you are ready to assemble. Lay one bunny down and spread with cream cheese mixture, then top that with strawberries. Lay another bunny on top and dust with powdered sugar. Take your whipped cream and make a cute little “cotton tail” on the bunny’s backside.
If you want to serve your bunny on a bed of coconut grass, simply shake the coconut in a bag with green food dye. Sprinkle the “grass” on your plate and serve bunny on top! This actually gives the bunny an added layer of flavor if you are a coconut fan, and makes the dish look really cute for the kids!
Our next side dish is the “Bird’s Nest” Quiche, a take on hash browns and eggs all wrapped into a single portion-sized serving. The little ones will love the fact that they have a “bird’s nest” on their plate and the adults will enjoy the flavors of this filling hash brown crusted quiche.
What you will need to serve 8:
- 1 bag of frozen hash browns
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a Monterey Jack and cheddar mix)
- 7 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Add-ins are totally customizable, but I used:
- 8 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cooked and chopped spinach
- 2 diced Roma tomatoes
The Process:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. When oil is hot, add in hash browns and let them cook and thaw for about 10 minutes, or until they just begin to turn brown. Add in the cheese and cook for another 5 minutes. Take off heat. Take your hash browns and press them into the bottoms and sides of each space in your muffin tin so the potatoes make a little “nest” or cup shape. Place in oven and let the hash browns get crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Do not let them burn!
While you let hash browns cook, beat eggs with milk. When that mixture is incorporated, stir in tomatoes and spinach. When the “nests” are ready, take them out of the oven and pour egg mixture in each space, filling to the top. Then press bacon pieces into the egg mixture. Cook in the oven for another 10 minutes or until eggs have set. Let cool and gently loosen each quiche with a spatula. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Our last component to the Bunny Brunch is the fruit salad, which is again, totally customizable. I wanted to make this part really entertaining for the kids, so I put their fruit into plastic eggs. I used fruit that would not be too messy or make the inside of the egg sticky or juicy – so I went with blueberries, grapes, and tangerine slices. How fun is it to get a bunch of colorful eggs on your plate and find out what yummy things are inside?! It’s an engaging way to interact with food and make even the pickiest of eaters amused. Feel free to serve a huge bowl of fruit filled eggs for everyone to pick out and take pleasure in – and hey, it will be really amusing for adults who do not get to hunt for eggs anymore!
*These eggs would also be adorable served on the coconut grass !
There you have it – an Easter brunch that everyone will enjoy! Not only are these dishes super easy to make, they are time-friendly too! I think I put this all together in less that an hour: that’s plenty of time to get the entire spread ready for egg hunters after their exciting morning.
Bon Appetit!
Marissa is a teacher turned stay-at-home-mom/military housewife who loves to cook, craft, plan events, and dress to impress…all while sticking to a budget and chasing after an active toddler! She likes to show others with her same interests or those who are in her same situation that you can “do it all” – or at least, do whatever it is that makes you happy in life while being a mom, wife and watching your finances.
