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What to cook in April: Brunch recipes for budget-friendly hosting

Dishes for when you want to treat friends to something special — without overspending.

Dishes for when you want to treat friends to something special — without overspending.

Jamey Ordolis · CBC Life ·
Left: top down shot of an eggy, sourdough strata baked in a silver pan; middle: closeup on a plate with a stack of pancakes; right: top down shot of a plate of asparagus leek chickpea salad.
(Allison Day, David Bagosy, Dhivya Subramanian)

For some of us, longer spring days mean one thing: more time for sprawling daytime parties. Every April, it's like our inner Martha Stewart thaws out and wants to host a big brunch. But with an eye on recession-proofing (and those rising tariff concerns), we might think twice before hitting send on that "Bottomless mimosas at my place!" text we're itching to share.

With affordability in mind, we've pulled together recipes to help host a spring brunch that will impress your friends — without breaking the bank. The key? Simple ingredients that turn into delicious dishes with plenty of volume: beautiful breads, inexpensive greens, in-season produce and lots of pantry staples.

From Amy Rosen's cinnamon streusel bread pudding to Bettina Campolucci Bordi's plant-based baked shakshuka — not to mention stacks of crowd-pleasing pancakes (classic or carrot) — this list is full of recipes to help you keep it simple, spend less and have a great time with friends.

Honey roasted pear and ricotta crostini

Overhead shot of sliced baguette topped with slices of pear and ricotta. The bread is on a pink tray and some are on a green plate, all sitting on a white marble countertop.
(CBC Life)

White bean, garlic and artichoke dip 

Overhead shot of a bowl of White Bean, Garlic and Artichoke Dip on a white table with a bowl of artichoke hearts next to it.
(CBC Life)

Homemade hummus

closeup on a bowl of hummus garnished with whole chickpeas, swirl of olive oil and black pepper.
(Photography by Kyla Zanardi)

Asparagus, leek and chickpea salad

Overhead shot of a platter with a salad of asparagus, leeks and chickpeas on a pink surface. Hands serve some of the salad onto one of the 2 small plates of salad sitting next to the platter.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Green tea muffins with sweet azuki beans

Closeup on hands holding a muffin tray of green tea muffins.
(Credit: Meg Tanaka and Zenta Tanaka)

Coffee smoothie 

2 clear glasses with chocolate smoothies in them, on a light blue napkin in front of a light blue background. Bananas and strawberries are in the background, and coffee beans are in the foreground.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Lemon iced tea concentrate

Closeup on 2 tall glasses of iced tea with lemon slices in them.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Fougasse 

A flatbread topped with salt and black olives, with decorative openings cut into the dough on the diagonal. It's on a black background.
(Photography by DL Acken)

Savoury cheddar and herb breakfast buns

Overhead shot of a batch of savoury buns. One is on a kitchen towel with butter spread on it, sitting next to a butter knife with butter on it.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Manakish, 2 ways 

Overhead shot of 2 manakish (flatbreads) on a blue and white plate. One is topped wth za’atar and the other is sprinkled with cheese.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Herby egg salad 

An above shot of two slices of toasted bread topped with egg salad and herbs on a plate.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Mediterranean dipping oil 

A serving bowl filled with a mediterranean dipping oil, on a wooden platter, next to a crusty loaf of torn bread.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Butter bean baked shakshuka

Overhead shot of a silver pan with shakshuka made with beans instead of eggs.
(Credit: Nassima Rothacker)

Shakshuka

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet with shakshuka in it.
(The Goods)

Classic pancakes

Stack of pancakes on a white plate on a bright blue background.
(Photo: David Bagosy; Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Puda (chickpea pancakes)

Two plates of thin, folded pancakes with a side of greens and topped with pickled sliced onions.
(Photography by Diana Muresan)

Carrot cake pancakes

Closeup on a plate of pancakes with a fork that has a bite of pancake on it.
(Credit: Greta Podleski)

Spinach and gruyere sourdough strata 

Overhead shot of a spinach and gruyere strata baked in a white enamelled cast iron pot, sitting on a grey kitchen towel.
(Photography by Allison Day)

Lebanese moussaka 

Overhead shot of Lebanese moussaka on a bright blue plate, on a blue and white tiled surface.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Passover board with sweet & smoky deviled eggs

An overhead shot of a platter covered with smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, matzah, celery, parsley, tomatoes and fresh flowers.
(Photography by Lisa Dawn Bolton)

Broccoli walnut slaw

Overhead shot of a blue bowl of broccoli walnut slaw on a table with blue and white decor.
(Photography by Debi Traub)

Sabzi polow (fragrant herbed rice)

Overhead shot of a large blue plate of Sabzi Polow (Fragrant Herbed Rice). The rice is in the shape of a circle and the top of the rice is golden brown and crispy.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Cheesy hashbrown casserole

Closeup on a blue casserole dish with a hash brown casserole topped with melted cheese.
(CBC Life)

Charoset quinoa

Closeup on a bowl of nut and grain-filled quinoa salad.
(Photography by David Loftus)

Cinnamon streusel bread pudding

Overhead shot of a white square baking pan with Cinnamon-Streusel Bread Pudding topped with icing sugar.
(Photography by Carmen Cheung)

Shahi tukda with leftover bread

Closeup on a white platter with slices of Shahi Tukda, sweet, fried bread topped with rose petals and cardamom. A ladle at the top of the image is pouring a milky sauce over the dessert.
(Photography by Diana Muresan)

Raspberry jam torte 

overhead shot of a cake cut into squares, cooling on a baking rack on a marble countertop at the top of the image. a slice of cake on a white plate sits below it. a ramekin of raspberry jam and a cookbook titled "A Treasure for my Daughter" sit on either side of the plate.
(Photography by Kat Romanow)

Guava bars 

Overhead closeup of a platter of baked guava bars topped with sugar.
(Photography by Johnny Miller)

Two-ingredient chocolate mousse 

Chocolate mousse in a tall glass topped with coffee beans.
(CBC Life)

Matzo brittle, 3 ways

side by side of two images. left: closeup on chocolate matzo brittle covered in marshmallows, sprinkles and nuts. right: a woman standing in a kitchen holding a plate of the chocolate matzo brittle.
(CBC Life)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamey Ordolis

Jamey Ordolis is the senior producer of CBC Life.

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