Our Favorite Brunch and Lunch Ideas: Recipes, Tips, and More

There’s nothing better than enjoying laughs and conversation while indulging in a homemade meal, which is why we’ve assembled this list of recipes, tips, and other delicious ideas all focused on brunch or lunch. Best yet, each recipe features flavorful, tender grass fed beef. 

Brunch and Lunch Recipes Starring Grass Fed Beef

1| Brunch Beef Strata via Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

The beef pros at Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. created this recipe with the goal of keeping home chefs relaxed and diners satisfied! Pro tip: this healthy recipe starring ground beef, mushrooms, onions, Asiago, tomatoes, and fresh basil can be made the night before for less stress on the day of your family meal.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1.5 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds Grass Run Farms 100% grass fed ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups milk
• 5 large eggs
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 8 cups crustless bread cubes (3/4-inch)
• 2 cups shredded Asiago or fontina cheese
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• Thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings from skillet. Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.
2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Return beef to skillet. Add thyme; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Set aside.
3. Whisk milk, eggs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl until blended.
4. Spray 2-1/2 to 3-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of the bread cubes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half of the beef mixture in dish. Pour half of the egg mixture over the top. Top with remaining bread cubes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and remaining beef and egg mixtures. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Press any dry bread cubes into egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil; refrigerate 6 hours or as long as overnight. Cook’s Tip: To bake strata immediately, heat oven to 350°F. Assemble strata in dish as directed. Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake strata, covered, 55 minutes. Remove foil. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and basil, as desired.

2| Grass Fed Filets with Peppercorn Sauce

Our grass fed beef tenderloin is complemented by fennel, coriander, red wine, peppercorns, shallots, and butter in this recipe. It’s fancy enough for a special lunch yet easy enough for any casual afternoon.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Grass Run Farms 100% grass fed tenderloin steak
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fennel
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 2 tablespoons preferred cooking oil
• 1/3 cup medium bodied red wine
• Ground black peppercorn
• 1/3 cup sliced shallots
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup beef au jus

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat a skillet pan to high heat.
3. Season grass fed tenderloin steaks with a blend of salt, pepper, coriander, and fennel.
4. Pour approximately 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet pan and then place the seasoned tenderloins in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of butter and place in the pan with the steak. Toss the butter around the pan and coat the steak.
6. Take the steaks off the heat and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 6 minutes (for medium rare).
7. While the steaks are roasting in the oven, toss the shallots, ground black peppercorn, and au jus in the pan for 1 minute. De-glaze the pan with the red wine and reduce the liquid until it thickens and starts to bubble (WARNING, contents will be hot and may create flames).
8. Take off the heat, add a few tablespoons of additional butter to the pan, and stir in with the liquid.
9. Grab the tenderloin steaks out of the oven and dress them with the sauce.

3| Roasted Bone Marrow with Salsa Verde

This is the ideal dish for home cooks who want to serve up something new to excite the family and engage their taste buds! It’s fast, simple, flavorful, and will give you chef-level credibility if you happen to document your brunch adventures on Instagram.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 package of Grass Run Farms 100% grass fed beef marrow bones
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons gremolata seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 cup parsley with the stems
• 1 cup cilantro with the stems
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons bone marrow oil drippings

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Place the grass fed beef marrow bones on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle marrow bones with olive oil and salt.
4. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
5. While they are cooking, prepare the sauce. Grab either a mortar and pestle or muddler.
6. Start by placing both the garlic cloves and the salt in the mortar and begin muddling both together to create a paste.
7. Once a paste forms, add in chili flakes and continue muddling. When the chili flakes are incorporated into the paste, add in the parsley, cilantro, and mint. Keep muddling into the mixture until finely ground.
8. Mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
9. Slowly mix in the olive oil to desired consistency.
10. Once the marrow bones are done, remove from the oven and place on a plate.
11. Save a few tablespoons of the oil drippings and incorporate them into the salsa verde sauce.

Looking for more uses for our grass fed beef marrow bones? Try our savory and super versatile homemade beef bone broth recipe.

Desserts

Cherry Clafoutis via Cooking Journey Blog

Packed with cherries and fresh notes like lemon and rosemary, this simple dessert adds a little French flair to any spread. Cooking Journey Blog suggests trying this recipe with other fruits—whatever you like, or what’s in season!

Cinnamon Rolls via Ambitious Kitchen

Ambitious Kitchen is known for their cinnamon roll recipe … and we can see why. This fan-favorite recipe results in huge, fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls that rival any restaurant or bakery you’ve been to. Plus, Ambitious Kitchen provides freezing directions so you can have a fancy, convenient brunch experience anytime.

Cocktail

Cranberry Orange Mimosa Bellini via Crazy for Crust

Okay, it’s kind of a mouthful, but this drink packs tons of cranberry flavor, is fresh and fruity, and combines two brunch cocktail staples: mimosas and bellinis. Grab this recipe’s three ingredients and some tall glassware and you’re all set!

Table Settings

Fresh + Rustic

Place gold or distressed silver cutlery, simple white plates, and a single branch of greenery atop a solid colored tablecloth.

Pastel + Matte

Matte black dishes and small vases add tons of contrast to an otherwise delicate table. Vintage pink glassware would fit in just right on this spread.

Old-School Blue and White

There’s something about brunch served on blue and white china with an embroidered tablecloth that makes you feel pampered and classy yet down-to-earth. Grab some affordable blue and white pieces here.

Like our lunch and brunch recipes and ideas? Bookmark our blog for more family-friendly, nutritious recipes for every season! And, make sure to keep an eye out for our 100% grass fed beef products at your local grocery store—our cattle are born, pasture raised^†, and harvested in the USA, so you know you’re getting true grass fed goodness.

†Cattle must have continuous access to pasture during grazing season