A breakfast buffet is a great idea for a large family gathering, or a small get together. These ideas work well for a casual sit down with your close friends, or to impress others with you set up. This idea is fairly simple to do. You should have a great menu, and ways of serving your foods. For a gathering of close family and friends, you can use simple foil serving dishes. They make it easy to keep your food warm, and people can serve themselves fairly easy. Now for a more elaborate gathering, I would get out large serving platters, and dishes. The guests that will be attending, will help you decide what you will be serving your items in. Make the serving convenient for your guests.
Condiments should brighten your table. You should never use the original containers for these items(unless it is your immediate family, they usually don’t care). Find small serving dishes that will accommodate your condiments. You should have one of each item on each table, or have a specific area for guests to use these items. You do not want them on the same table as the food. Your guests may feel over crowded. If you are going to use one table for the condiments, it may be a good idea to have two of each item. Your condiment options should suit the items you will be serving.
Condiments you may need:
- Butter
- jellies
- jams
- cream cheese
- syrup
- salt and pepper
- ketchup(if serving potatoes)
- Whip cream(for pancakes, waffles or fruit)
You menu will be the main part of your breakfast. Calculate the amount of people that will be attending, then decide on the foods you will be serving. In any buffet serving, people expect a small variety. With breakfast, you should include some typical breakfast items. Most people will attend without eating prior to the event, you do not want to let them down.
Foods you may include on your menu:
- Eggs-These should be a part of any breakfast buffet. You can prepare them in any different way, but wait to prepare them last. Eggs tend to harden when they sit for any amount of time. Scrambled are honestly the easiest for me.(2 eggs per person)
- Meats-There are many different meat options; Sausage, bacon, ham, or turkey. All of these may be prepared about an hour or so in advance, then kept hot in an oven. They are also easy to serve. (1-2 pieces per person)
- Breads-I would suggest a small variety of breads. You can include; Toast(White or Wheat), bagels, or muffins. Even if people do not opt for the heavier foods, most will choose bread.(1 bagel or muffin, or 2 slices of toast per person)
- Pigs in a blanket-These are very easy to make, and serves well. They can also be reheated if needs be. They can also be something to offer instead of the meats and breads. (2-3 per person)
- Pancakes or Waffles-The batter for these can be made the night before. If you run out, it is easy to prepare additional. They can also be made to order, since they are cooked in a matter of minutes. I would not suggest this for a large crowd, it can become time consuming. (1-2 per person)
The servings per person is just an estimate, and will depend on the type of crowd you will be serving. It will also vary with the more options you have on your menu. You want to offer a variety, but you do not want to have an extreme amount of food remaining after the event.
You may also want to opt for fruit trays. You should choose a few in season fruits to serve. Slice them nicely, then place on a couple of trays. Do not cut a large amount. Watch and notice if people are consuming a lot of the fruit. If they are, you can easily slice more if needed.
Plan your event out. Time the preparation of each item you will be including in your menu, then plan accordingly. You do not want your guests to eat without being able to speak with the host/hostess of the event. You should also be able to enjoy your hard work.
With the proper serving, and menu ideas, you should have a successful event. Prepare in advance, and take time with your guests. The idea for a buffet is for ease, and convenience. When you are done, sit back, relax, and see how your hard work paid off.
