Whether you're a diehard fan of Parks and Recreation or you're just looking for an extra reason to spend some quality time with your closest gal pals this February, Galentine's Day is the perfect excuse to celebrate what's most important in life: friends, waffles and work. Though the holiday itself is made up (let's get on that calendar people!!!), we're big proponents of celebrating it nonetheless with a big brunch filled with some good, old-fashioned diner classics (think pancakes, bacon and eggs), along with some festive treats that feature flavors like strawberry and rose — or look extra pretty because they're pink or shaped like hearts.

And, while there's guaranteed to be some brunch-worthy cocktails involved, we can't help but start this roundup with the boozy dessert-inspired waffles pictured above. They're a take on the beloved flavor combination of chocolate and cherries, but with a rum flambeed cherry topping. Flambee refers to lighting the rum on fire, which burns off the alcohol while still imparting a rich flavor into the cherries and syrup. Don’t forget to serve with ice cream for a waffle sundae that Leslie Knope herself would approve of!

Roses might be red, but these candied strawberries make a wayyy better Valentine's and Galentine's Day gift. To give them their glistening, ruby-red sheen, you'll dip a dozen long stemmed strawberries into a sweet mixture of heated corn syrup and sugar. Place your bunch in a short bud vase and use it as a super chic centerpiece — trust us, absolutely everyone will want to get their hands on it!

Mini pancakes, waffles and French toast sticks are the star of this breakfast charcuterie board, but the homemade hot honey, blueberry maple syrup and vanilla whipped cream add the perfect touch of sweetness that’s sure to impress. A breakfast charcuterie board is a fun way to make hosting easy, giving you plenty of time to chat with all your gal pals.

No brunch is complete without a boozy drink or two. Enter this bubbly French 75 recipe. Apart from its light pink hue — which makes it the ultimate Galentine's Day beverage — this lovely libation also contains refreshing notes of passionfruit tea-infused gin and champagne. To give it some extra razzle-dazzle, follow the recipe's suggestion and coat the rims of each of your cocktail glasses with strawberry popping candy.

Deep-fried biscuit dough makes an incredibly delicious doughnut: crisp and golden outside and fluffy and soft inside. These doughnuts are extra decadent thanks to a chocolate filling and a creamy glaze. Here, they’re cut into a heart shape for Galentine’s Day, but you can use any shape you like.

Elevate that can of salmon that’s been hanging out in the pantry by combining it with sweet sauteed leeks and tangy goat cheese to create an easy frittata. Perfect for feeding a crowd in a hurry, this elegant dish will be all the rage at your Galentine's Day brunch.

Your squad is sure to experience love at first bite when they munch on a handful of this whimsically colored and flavored snack mix. It's made up of a tasty combination of freeze-dried strawberries, rice and oat cereal squares, chopped white chocolate, red and white sprinkles and M&Ms, though you can add in other things like lip-shaped gummy candies or ruby chocolate chips. Serve it alongside your other brunch items, or pack some up in cute Valentine's Day designed goodie bags as a portable party favor.

While we're sure that Leslie Knope would approve of a big ol' pile of diner flapjacks (no frills needed, except maybe some whipped cream) we know she'd appreciate these heart-shaped pancakes, too. Served over a sweet strawberry sauce, they're the perfect way to tell all your girls just how much they mean to you.

In creating this recipe, we tried out many different methods — folding in egg whites, milk versus buttermilk, a yeasted batter. But at the end of the day, this simple dump-and-stir was our favorite by far. Someone in the test kitchen may have even said this was the best waffle they'd ever eaten! The buttermilk makes this waffle ultra-light while the generous amount of butter makes for a super crispy exterior, leaving the inside custardy and soft. Finally, we kept the sugar to a minimum, making these the perfect foil for sweet toppings like maple syrup, berries or jam.

Want to add a savory option to your Galentine's Day spread? This playful take on classic avocado toast is sure to be all you avo wanted. The recipe also includes a quick and easy hack for making traditional hollandaise sauce (hint: all you need is a blender!) Want to make sure your avocado rose looks just as professional as the one pictured above?! Be sure to check out our step-by-step knife skills guide. It's truly easier than you might think!

This vibrant pink spin on classic tiramisu is perfect for Galentine's Day — or any time you want a gorgeous, creamy make-ahead dessert. Blood orange juice and orange liqueur combine to make the perfect dipping sauce for the ladyfingers, while three versions of raspberries (fresh, freeze-dried and raspberry liqueur) add pops of color and sweet-tart flavor.

This decadent and beautiful casserole is perfect for a brunch. English muffins are soaked in a custard and baked along with Canadian bacon, then topped with poached eggs and lemony hollandaise before serving.  

If you've found yourself longing for all those sugar cookies you ate on Christmas Day, we're here to introduce you to an equally yummy way to end your heartbreak. Not only are these Valentine's Day-inspired cookies just as crispy and buttery as their holly jolly counterparts, but they're just as festive too thanks to their mesmerizing marbled icing. To really impress your friends, take the extra step and pipe each one of their names across the front of your cookies in white icing gel. They make an adorable edible place card.

This vibrant fruit board showcases beautifully cut and arranged ripe fruit paired with cheeses, honey and creamy homemade dips. It’s perfect as an addition to a brunch table. We include easy directions for making your kiwis look extra fancy and perfectly cutting cantaloupe into half-moons — the ideal shape for dunking. You can slice the fruit ahead of time and both dips can be made the day before, making it easy to prep ahead.

One of Leslie Knope's most-celebrated Galentine's Day quotes goes as follows: "Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas." So naturally, we needed to include a frittata recipe in this gallery. These miniature ham, Parmesan cheese and parsley-stuffed ones from Giada De Laurentiis make the perfect bite-sized party treat, plus they can be made inside a mini muffin tin, so each one is guaranteed to get a beautifully golden-brown top. The recipe also yields 40 mini frittatas, so you can use whatever's left to make these flavor-packed Leftover Frittata Sandwiches for lunch the very next day.

Bellinis are a brunch staple, so give yours a romantic makeover by adding a sweet mixture of pureed strawberries and lemon juice into your favorite brand of sparkling chilled rośe like the Pioneer Woman does. We also love the idea of serving your bubbly creation in these adorable stemless flute glasses and garnishing them with a prosecco gummy bear (or twelve.)

No party is complete without a slice of cake to enjoy at the end, and this striking strawberry layer cake makes a berry worthy final act. Though the cake's baby pink hue makes it the picture-perfect Galentine's Day dessert, it's the homemade strawberry puree that gets added to the cake's batter which truly makes it sensational. The cake itself takes 4 hours total to make from start to finish, so go ahead and make it the night before your Galentine's celebration, so you can have some more time to socialize with your crew.

This sugary candy-coated bacon is always a crowd pleaser and is surprisingly easy to make. Kardea likes to use sorghum for its rich flavor, but maple syrup or molasses work well here, too.

These devilishly delicious hot berry-topped waffles are a must at any ladies brunch. Bordering on dessert, thanks to a dusting of confectioners' sugar and a drizzle of fudge syrup, they're the best way to indulge on a special day.

Paper valentines are sooo 2002. If you really want to show all your besties just how much they mean to you this year, these love letter cookies are truly doughp. While they take quite a bit of elbow grease to put together — 8 hours and 45 minutes to be exact — you can break the entire process over a few days to give yourself a fun baking project. Though you can fill your cookie letters with the message of your choosing, we suggest throwing in some food puns like, "You're all that and dim sum" and "Olive you so much."

While waffles are a must at any Galentine's Day celebration that doesn't mean you can't have some other carby options on your party table. This delectable French toast recipe from Girl Meets Farm star Molly Yeh is full of surprises. Not only is each slice stuffed with a luscious cream-cheese-and-strawberry-jam compote, but you'll also top them with luscious drizzles of sweetened condensed milk. It's a berry sweet way to spoil all your "special someones."

Fair warning: Your heart might just skip a beet (or two) when you take your first bite of this quick and easy beet carpaccio burrata dish from Food Network Magazine. To give the recipe some Cupid-worthy swoon, arrange your slices of roasted beets in the shape of a heart, then layer your toasted bread slices and burrata around it.

These ooey gooey mozzarella treats are sure to make your friends melt. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter will help you achieve their holiday-ready form while crushing up three bags of Flamin' Hot Cheetos will create their red hot and crunchy outer coating. Pulling them apart is also a lot of fun for anyone in your friend group who might be experiencing a little heartbreak this February.

Black & Whites are a time-honored treat, so give them the adoration they rightfully deserve by showering your besties with these unique variations from Molly Yeh. The 5-star recipe replaces the cookie's signature vanilla glaze with a bright pink, strawberry-flavored one that's made from staples like yogurt, corn syrup, powdered sugar, salt and freeze-dried berries. For some added allure, plate them on a tiered stand and sprinkle some real rose petals across your tabletop.