A Quick Crowd Pleaser Brunch

Holiday get-togethers are in full swing and if you’re anything like me, you either volunteer or get volunteered to host at least one gathering during the holidays. With the exception of the one brunch I’m about to go into detail about, this year we decided to take things easy and have enjoyed being guests at our family gatherings. Last year we hosted a New Years eve party for family and friends in our small home and while it was a total success, I think we need a break from that party planning madness! If you’re in the midst of hosting family, even if it’s just breakfast or brunch, read on as I share some (hopefully) helpful tips on hosting brunch for a crowd.

The Brunch Board

I have grown to love boards for gatherings because there is so much variety of food. I’ve also noticed people enjoy mixing different foods together, whether it be different cheeses with cold cuts or nuts with dried fruits. So, I decided to make a brunch board that our guests could enjoy from the moment they walked in and throughout the time they were visiting. These are some things I found helpful when creating the perfect brunch board:

Mini is better

I had mini bagels, mini waffles and cut up the croissants into thirds. Having small versions of these carb-loaded favorites can be a lifesaver because your guests don’t feel like they have to commit to just one of them. They can try all three options if they so desire without guilt. Also, you waste a lot less food because again, if your guests have a full sized croissant, for example, and didn’t want the whole thing, that’s a portion someone else could have had.

Variety is key

So you’re serving a big crowd, and chances are everyone will have different taste buds. Well duh right? Actually, not everyone realizes that and think that having one option for food is good enough. I don’t mean to sound needy but no, one option of food is sometimes not enough. Not enough if you really want to please your crowd. Having a variety of options is key, even if it’s just having an additional side, or two different toppings! If you’re putting together a board, chances are, you’re already on the right track! For this brunch board I had a variety of cold cuts and smoked salmon so our guests could add it to their bagel or just enjoy on it’s own. Imagine if I only had smoked salmon? I wasn’t sure if everyone else liked it, so I made sure to have other options.  I also had different spreads like whipped cream cheese, strawberry jam, and ricotta with honey.

Make it a little healthy

I know it’s holiday season, but do we really have to be that unhealthy? I’ve been to so many gatherings where there is no fruit or veggie in sight. If there is, it’s covered in something creamy or sugary. Give the crowd what their stomach needs! I made sure to have plenty of fruit for the ones that wanted to have their recommended dose of fiber and added a healthy amount of spinach to the quiche I served aside from the brunch board. I’m not saying to serve a bowl full of steamed veggies, but you’d be surprised at how happy a bowl of fresh fruit can make some of your guests.

For this brunch we were serving 8 people (including my husband and I) and no matter how big I made the brunch board, I knew I needed a “main dish”, so I decided to make quiche! It’s easy to make, loaded with protein and veggies (depending on how many you want to add), and it’s a little more interesting than just serving scrambled eggs. Win win. I got caught up in the actual serving moment, that I forgot to take pictures of the quiche, BUT, you can get the complete picture and recipe here! I’ve made this tons of different ways, but for this one I skipped on being super healthy and used the whole eggs instead of just egg white and 1% milk. I made two pies but we only ate one, probably because everyone was pretty full with the other food.

Lastly, I made a berry croissant bake for “dessert”. Another one of my favorite and easy things to make! Again, I got caught up in the moment and didn’t take pictures of the finished bake! However, you can go here to see the exact recipe I used and what the berry bake looks like.

• 

• 

• 

Other tips:

We found all of the things we needed for this brunch at Trader Joes and Tom Thumb. I recommend Trader Joes for cheese, cold cuts and a few other things! The mini bagels and croissants aren’t sold at Trader Joes so you’ll have to shop somewhere else.

Full list of ingredients for brunch board:

Mini bagels (Tom Thumb)

Pancake/waffle mix (Tom Thumb)

Croissants (Tom Thumb)

Cinnamon Croissant Loaf (Trader Joe’s)

Ricotta (Trader Joe’s)

Whipped Cream Cheese (Trader Joe’s)

Avocados (Trader Joe’s)

Strawberry Jam (Trader Joe’s)

Pomegranate seeds (Trader Joe’s)

Mangos (Trader Joe’s)

Cantaloupe (Trader Joe’s) 

Blueberries (Trader Joe’s)

Syrup (Tom Thumb)

“Spanish Brand Deli” cold cut meats (Trader Joe’s)

Smoked Salmon (Trader Joe’s)

Pepper Jack Cheese (Trader Joe’s)

I hope you find this helpful if you’re hosting family this holiday season! Thank you for stopping by and please let me know if you try this at home!

xoxo,

Cynthia Rojas