With Autumn in full swing, why not gather the family together for a Sunday brunch will all the warmth of a holiday without the pressure? With food that can be made ahead, inexpensive tableware and simple decorations, you can enjoy the day. On this post, I have a new recipe for you, and a reworked classic to scale up from two servings to 8. My mother and I once hosted an Autumn brunch for 15 guests with an all day affair starting with a tea breads course and working our way through more hearty dishes. We brought out courses as they were ready, with guests enjoying each course in a relaxed manner. They sat in chairs, around the TV watching football, or at the tables in quiet conversation, spread out over 3 rooms to mix and mingle. As new dishes were brought out out of the oven, all congregated in the kitchen to sample the latest offering.

On other occasions, we put out the hot dishes and cold dishes all at once on a buffet and let everyone serve themselves and come back as they wished. Slow cooker soup and a casserole on a warming tray sat beside cold or room temperature nibbles. Today, I’ll give you my best menu for a buffet meal for brunch, most of which can be made ahead. Just add family and friends. Nothing says autumn more than pumpkins, so start off with my Pumpkin Orange Bread. Moist and delicious with tea or coffee.

My Apple Cake Donuts make a nice complementary flavor to the pumpkin. The donuts and pumpkin bread can be made two days ahead of the brunch. Store in airtight containers.

Make my overnight Autumn Brunch Egg Casserole so all you have to do that day is slide it in a cold oven while you enjoy the morning. I have scaled up the recipe for you to a large 9×11 baking dish to serve 8-12. Just click on the link to get the pdf.

My Chicken Chili can be started the night before the party and finished in a slow cooker on high for about 2 hours then reduced to warm, ready to serve when the guests want to eat. It can hold in a warm slow cooker for hours, for guests to graze as they like.

Or maybe you’d prefer my Butternut Squash Soup. I do love serving fall soups in my pumpkin bowls. This one can also hold for a long time in a slow cooker on warm.

Or maybe my Butternut Squash Lasagne would be a nice choice. Once again, this could be made the day before and only need its final baking on the day of the brunch.

Add a veggie tray with ranch dip in the center when ready to serve. I parboil the broccoli for just one minute to moisten it up. It is such a simple thing yet makes all the difference. The color changes almost instantly to an appetizing deep green and the flavor is enhanced (so much more appealing than just throwing on dry, raw broccoli). The carrots are raw and add nice color to the platter. I like to do my Perfect Deviled Eggs using the last recipe you’ll ever need, too.

Add a tray of meat and cheese. I love prosciutto and brie.

Or serve Ham Rollups.

So, you have hot dishes, hearty soup and cold trays on the buffet. Now, dessert! I highly recommend my Pumpkin Toffee Dump Cake as an alternative to the usual pumpkin pie.

Add some biscotti made the day before. I have a new recipe for you! Cinnamon Toffee Biscotti is delicious and the perfect fall flavor to complement the pumpkin dessert.

So, there you go. New recipes for you, and a plan for a wonderful brunch. Make the whole menu or just a few dishes, add your own favorite fall treats, invite your friends over or just treat your family. Have a warm and cozy couple of hours, or extend the fun all day. However you celebrate Autumn, I wish you pumpkin kisses and all the delights of the harvest season.

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