Brunch ideas needed.

Hi! My high school students are hosting a brunch. I would like to prepare some make ahead items to round out the menu. They are making: sausage breakfast casserole, strawberry nutella dish, strawberry bread, banana bread and sweet and salty crepes. I would like to prepare something lighter to round things out. Also, maybe a vegetable. Since there will be a crowd in the kitchen the day of everything I make needs to be able to be made a day or two before. Thanks!

Posted by: Rachelwrites
March 23, 2017

3696 views
16 Comments

16 Comments

Cecilia March 26, 2017

You've gotten some great ideas, you should be all set! My only contribution would be the suggestion of a "breakfast cobb salad," arranged as a bed of greens and topped with a lineup of containing any or all of the following: sliced, roasted sweet potato; avocado; thinly sliced apples; slivered almonds and walnuts; shaved carrots; roasted beets; orange and grapefruit segments; pomegranate seeds; granola. Serve alongside a dressing made of almond butter, yogurt, and a touch of honey blended together until creamy.

BerryBaby March 25, 2017

Or, a juice bar... you can make half orange juice with half pomegranate or half cranberry. Both are delicious and have an elegant look... pour orange juice first and one of the reds on top with lots of ice.

Sam1148 March 24, 2017

Well, I guess the bloody mary bar is out.

Rachelwrites March 25, 2017

yep, but I did think about a make your own smoothie bar as we do have a pair of immersion blenders.

dinner A. March 24, 2017

I really like citrusy herby roasted carrots as a side vegetable dish with brunch. I've made different versions of this roasted carrot salad many times (recipe at the bottom of this post http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2014/06/hotels/); it is wonderful with all the parts but it's also great with different greens, or no greens, and with or without the yogurt or avocado.

Nancy March 24, 2017

Roasted carrots sound great, but the link didn't work.
Would you please provide another way to get at the recipe?

dinner A. March 24, 2017

Looks like the web encoding fused my punctuation with the link. Here it is without extra characters:

http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2014/06/hotels/

Nancy March 24, 2017

Great, thanks!
2nd link yes worked.

Ali W. March 24, 2017

You can make baked french toast. Just assemble it the day before and pop it in the oven (if you're looking for a recipe, Food52's Baking cookbook has an excellent one). You can also make shakshouka ahead of time by preparing the tomato sauce base the day before and then just warming it op on the stove the day of and cracking the eggs; the shakshouka can be very vegetable-forward, depending on how you prepare the sauce. Quick breads are also great for making ahead of time, but it seems like they got that covered already.

BerryBaby March 24, 2017

Big bowl of yogurt plain or vanilla (think punch bowl size depending on how many you are serving). Have smaller bowls if berries, granola, coconut, nuts, all kinds of toppings available. It's delicious, easy and doesn't require much preparation. Have fun! BB

Rachelwrites March 25, 2017

I think this is what I'm looking for. I like that it is light, customizable and low effort!

BerryBaby March 25, 2017

Please report back and let us know how it turned out. Happy to offer suggestions! BB

Nancy March 23, 2017

Quiche or frittata, made in a sheet pan for a crowd, served at room temp.
Salad of mixed bitter & sweet baby greens, topped with slices of blood orange, black brined olives, toasted pignoi and golden raisins.
Smoked fish (small whole, fillets or chopped into a salad with mayonnaise).

Rachelwrites March 25, 2017

I didn't consider making a large quiche. Would I make it on a sheet pan or in a 9x13 casserole dish?

Nancy March 25, 2017

For the quiche, either pan works. Here are some links:
quiche for a crowd
https://food52.com/hotline/17291-quiche-for-a-crowd
sheet pan
http://www.thekitchn.com/brunch-recipe-for-a-crowd-country-ham-onion-quiche-in-a-sheet-pan-168509
lasagna pan (9x13 inch)
http://tikkido.com/blog/quiche-9x13-pan-recipe

creamtea March 23, 2017

A platter of slice navel oranges, and dates lightly sprinkled with orange flower water, covered with toasted almonds and confectioner's sugar is delicious. Or just the oranges without the rest. Or, for a vegetable, asparagus (roasted in olive oil or steamed until crisp-tender). Or a salad of cucumbers, radishes, peas (shoots or sugar snap), butter lettuce with a dressing of citrus juices such as blood orange, lime and lemon plus olive oil and a little salt as a spring-y and refreshing side.

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