The holidays are often full of evening activities and dinners, so a breakfast or brunch gathering can be a refreshing break in the rounds of holiday activity. Make your kitchen the morning stop for your friends with a prep-ahead buffet style meal with something for everyone, including some grab-and-go options.
Feel free to substitute store bought muffins and even frozen mini-quiches if you like. If you don’t have a bakery that you frequent, you may have luck at the grocery store. Many grocery stores have great bakeries that stock all sorts of muffins and pastries that would do just fine as a substitute for homemade when you’re pressed for time.
Menu:
Quiche bites
Cranberry orange muffins with cream cheese frosting
Overnight steel cut oats with toppings
Slow cooker French toast with maple pecan topping
Fresh fruit
Yogurt
Assorted teas and coffee
Hot chocolate
Fresh juice
Equipment you’ll need:
Stand mixer or hand mixer
1 large slow cooker (french toast)
1 medium or small slow cooker (oatmeal)
Cookie sheet
Muffin pan or mini muffin pan
Paper muffin pan liners (optional)
paper plates, napkins, plastic flatware, and to-go cups with lids
The night before:
Prepare two slow cookers for your French toast and oatmeal recipes by spraying the bowls with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare oatmeal recipe in small slow cooker; set at low for 6-8 hours. Prepare French toast recipe in large slow cooker, set at low for 6-8 hours.
Prepare muffin recipe as directed. Prepare cream cheese frosting as directed. Store muffins in zipper bag at room temperature overnight. Store cream cheese frosting in sealed container in refrigerator overnight.
Prepare quiche recipe as directed. Store quiche bites, covered, in refrigerator overnight.
The morning of:
Set the buffet on a kitchen counter, table or other serving area with plates, napkins, etc. at the head of the table. Next, place the slow cooker with french toast, with warm maple pecan topping in a sauce pitcher or bowl with ladle beside. Next, Oatmeal followed by toppings in small serving dishes. Place the quiche and muffins on serving platters next, followed by the bowl of fruit and yogurt.
At the end of the buffet, or on a separate nearby surface, place your tea and coffee service station. A beverage dispenser with ice water is always a good addition to beverage service. Here you will also place the cups and spoons, sweetener and cream.
Just before guests arrive:
The dining room is always a good place to gather to eat, but if your gathering is very informal, be sure to have side tables, a coffee table or tray tables available in your living room to make the meal comfortable and enjoyable, with places to set cups down, especially when holding one’s plate while eating.
Light your Christmas tree and turn on an instrumental collection of Christmas songs to play in the background while you enjoy breakfast with friends and get into the holiday mood before you start the day!
Holiday Breakfast Buffet
Entertaining
The Plan
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