brunch menu for open house- please help

[Anonymous]

You need more meat, protein.

[Anonymous]

Deli meat or smoked salmon to go with the bagels. Gives latecomers an option if the warmer things have gotten cold (or just those who are going back for seconds).

Don't forget coffee. And nix on the pumpkin drink--it's a weird flavor for drinks. Maybe some hard cider if you want a fall theme? Or a pear-ginger punch?

[Anonymous]

For eggs, I would just have several vegetarian quiches (enough for everyone) and no frittatas. The don't hold well at room temp.

I would add a spiral spiced ham (for a meat protein). Sauce on the side, and perhaps Kings Hawaiian Rolls for mini sandwiches.

I would have a large fruit tray, no kabobs. Keep it simple with just a few fruits like grapes, strawberries, and pineapple. No elaborate salad for a group this large. Maybe add a green salad if you feel like it.

I think your breads are good; this is easy, and people like carbs.

For the children, I would add a small table with things like clementines, cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, raisin boxes, and juice boxes. No sense in making the main foods kid friendly when you can just supplement with a few kid-friendly (and mess-friendly) things.

So here's my new menu for you:

PROTEIN
- vegetarian quiches (maybe have 5 ready to go)
- spiral sliced ham w/rolls and sauce on the side

SIDES
- big fruit tray; 3-4 fruits
- maybe a simple, dressed, green salad (something like mixed greens, cranberries, green onions, pecans, balsamic)

BREAD
- Pumpkin coffee cake with cinnamon strudel
- Blackberry French Toast
- Bagels
- Maple syrup, jam, cream cheese, Nutella

DRINKS
- Juice Boxes, Juice; Coffee; Tea; Hot chocolate
- Tangerine Mimosas

KID STUFF
- cheese sticks
- raisins
- clementines
- yogurt tubes

[Anonymous]

As is, you have a breakfast menu not a brunch menu.

[Anonymous]

Small chocolate chip pancakes.

[Anonymous]

You need several quiches. Maybe a green salad. What time is the party?

[Anonymous]

I think the above posters capture my feeling that you need a non-egg protein. Best breakfast my DH ever had was blackberry French toast 15 years ago. I have been looking for a recipe ever since. Thanks for posting a link for yours!

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much everyone! Based on your feedback, this is what I am thinking below.

Two outstanding questions:
* Unless it's a grave thing to not have a salad, I'm going to keep it at crudites- this is at 10 am
* Is it really weird to have a pumpkin drink? I'm thinking Pumpkin we can add (or not) alcohol to

--

Protein:
- Quiches
- Smoked salmon and/or cold cuts- rolled up. People can make sandwiches
- Hummus (see below)

Bread/baked:
- Coffee cake- pumpkin
- Blackberry french toast
- Bagels
- Syrup, jam, cream cheese, Nutella

Sides:
- Fruit salad
- Crudites and hummus

Drinks:
- Juice, Coffee, Tea
- Mimosas
- Still thinking like a pumpkin latte that we can add alcohol to...

KidsLove this idea)
- cheese sticks
- raisins
- clementines
- yogurt tubes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the above posters capture my feeling that you need a non-egg protein. Best breakfast my DH ever had was blackberry French toast 15 years ago. I have been looking for a recipe ever since. Thanks for posting a link for yours!

So glad to know! I hope you both enjoy it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My suggestion is to nix the fruit kabobs and keep the fruit salad. Not only is it more labor intensive to make the kabobs but with that many kids running around, it's asking for someone's eye/arm/leg to be stabbed with a skewer.

+1. I immediately pictured distracted parents breaking up sword fights.
OP how about yogurt and granola? Easy and gives ppl a lot of options - add fruit, it's fairly healthy, lots of kids will eat vanilla yogurt.

OP again- great idea. Maybe I will add a bowl of yogurt and a bowl of granola as well... for toppings to the salad.
I'll do the tubes idea for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Fritattas don't keep at room temp but quiches do? Aren't fritattas and quiches basically the same thing, but the quiche has a crust?

[Anonymous]

I just hosted a simple brunch with this menu, and it worked pretty well (no guests with dietary restrictions):

Breakfast casserole (hash browns, sausage, egg, cheese, peppers)
Mixed baby greens with vinaigrette, croutons
Vanilla Greek yogurt, mixed berries, granola
Juice, apple cider

I meant to add either bagels or muffins and completely forgot. No one complained, but it would have rounded it out better. You have a lot of great options listed.

I think that the Greek yogurt (with berries and granola) works better as an extra protein in a 10 am brunch than hummus would. The smoked salmon sounds delicious.

I've done a crockpot pumpkin latte recipe that was delicious, but it was a couple of years ago and I can't remember where I found it.