Help me with my Xmas brunch

justkris10

• I got my beverages down (Kringle Kocoa, Champagne Eye Opener, Bloody Mary bar, coffee, juice)
  
• I've somewhat selected the menu (French Toast Casserole, Fruity Breakfast Pizza, Ultimate coffee cake, brown sugar bacon, crowd omelettes, maple sausage, fruit skewers and sandwich wraps)
  
• I've got my serving dishes all ready to go and have cute Xmas place cards that will indicate what each dish is

I need help figuring out if the menu is good or am I missing something?
I also want to know how I go about cooking orderly, most of the recipes say cook xx minutes and serve immediately...how do I accomplish this with one oven?

Clearly I'm pretty new at entertaining but having a great brunch is very important to me, its my first shot at Xmas in our house!

SA7206

Chafing dishes will be a big help since you'll be able to have the food ready before everyone comes while still keeping it warm.

When I have to server multiple hot dishes, I try to choose things that cook at the same temperature, that way I can put in a couple of things at a time.

As for your menu, it looks good, but I have a few critiques.

I'd probably skip the breakfast pizza unless it's a crowd favorite.  You already have two sweet dishes: french toast and coffee cake, so I don't think you need another one. It'll save you some time and stress.

Also, I'd probably add some sort of potato dish.  Homefries or roasted potatoes.  Homefries are probably easier because you can make them ahead of time and then just reheat them.  I know reheating isn't probably what you have envisioned, but I think reheated homefries taste just as good, and the less you have to do last minute the better you'll be. Trust me, I'm guilty of taking on too many last minute things and end up feeling super stressed, which can sometimes make guests feel uneasy.

I don't know what a crowd omelette is, but if it's like an egg casserole bake. If all you need to do is throw that in the oven then that is fine, but if it's more of an omelette station, I would pass. Choose a quiche or egg casserole. You want to enjoy the company of your guests, not be stuck at the stove.

Because it's brunch you want a lunch option. I see that you have sandwiches, but I don't feel like it fits in with the rest of your menu. Can you make a lasagna or a simple chicken dish?

 

Some tips in general:

Do as much as you can a day or two before (cofee cake, fruit skewers, cleaning, setting the buffet table, decorating,etc).

Make sure you're showered and ready for the party an hour before people are due to arrive.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. 

Prep the food ahead of time, so that all you need to do is just throw it in the oven.

If things don't go perfectly, don't worry about it. No one will judge you.

 

Good luck!

 

 

TarHeels&Rebels

Your menu seems heavy on sweet items to me.  Even the bacon and sausage are sweetened versions. 

Here's the trick: you don't fix all those and serve them all at the same time   You search for recipes that are make-ahead.  Any one of us can probably tell you about the time we chose too difficult a menu and the meal was late and we were running around in front of company lol

Coffee cake - choose one that can be made the night before or buy sweet breads at the store

Omelettes - swap for a quiche that can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning

French toast casserole - ditto above - choose one that can be assembled the night before and can bake with the quiche

Bacon and sausage - there's really no nice way to prepare this while being a hostess.  I guess microwave it.  Even then you're dealing with greasy paper towels...  Can you assign this to your DH?

Fruit pizza - I'm not sure what this is, but there's this and fruit skewers - a bowl of cut fruit is just plain easier

Sandwich wraps - consider putting out croissants and chicken salad, egg salad, etc for people to make their own so you're not spending time making roll-ups

I'dd add cheese and crackers, as well.

seneedha

I know I usually like to serve some sort of fruit and am figuring that may be why you're fitting the fruit pizza in. Have you ever made hot fruit dessert? There's a recipe I use sometimes at http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/hotfruit.html. Its made like 4 hrs ahead of time and left in the crockpot. Good for brunches. Check out the other recipes on that webpage, too. Crockpots are extremely useful when you only have 1 oven but would like an extensive menu. You can always put the dishes from the pot to a serving dish RIGHT before serving. 

justkris10

Thanks for the wonderful tips ladies.  So I revamped the menu a bit

Savory: Piggy Pudding, Sausage, Quiche and/or omelette

Sweet: Coffee cake, fruit skewers, french toast casserole, brown sugar bacon

Additional items: spinach dip bread bowl, croissant-wiches, shrimp platter

In response to comments above,

1. The french toast thing is prepared night before, cooked before serving as is the coffee cake
2. The crowd omelette are personal omelettes but they are SUPER easy to make you put the mixture in a baggy and throw the sealed baggy in boiling water - although I'm doing indiv quiches should l I skip the omelette then?
3. I've decided to add a pumpernickle bread bowl of spinach dip (which is a hit amongst my fam)
4. Good idea with the croissants and "salad" sandwiches - I was going to do a cocktail shrimp platter (small one) too?
5. Do I still need to add a potato dish?

I can probably get chaffing dishes from work to keep the french toast casserole hot, I don't think the coffee cake is supposed to be hot? So really the only other issue now will be the piggy pudding, the bacon and quiches - I'm sure I can figure something out...the piggy pudding can be kept in a chaffing dish too I'm sure

SA7206

Menu looks better.  I'd say you can skip the potatoes. I never heard of those crowd omelettes, what an interesting way to make them. I still think I'd stick to the quiche since it will be less last minute work for you.

I'm intrigued by piggy pudding, what is this?

 

justkris10

Crowd Omelettes are very easy and quick because depending on size of pot you can make 5 or 6 at a time -- take 2 whisked eggs + whatever ingredients (say spinach/feta chz/olive) and throw in a sandwich baggy (I personally use the 'snack size'), make sure its sealed and drop into an already rapidly boiling pot of water, give 'em a few minutes (you can tell when they're done) and voila! individual and personalized omelettes with ease

 Piggy Pudding (from good ol' Paula Dean) is a casserole of sorts: cook 16 link sausages in skillet, arrange in a 9 inch square dish, layer sliced tart apples (peeled, cored, etc.) on top, then on top of that you pour corn bread batter (which you make from a box according to directions 7.5 ounce package) and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until the cornbread is done - serve with warm maple syrup and garnish with sage

so I should nix crowd omelettes and stick with indiv quiches?

TarHeels&Rebels

There's no need to do both quiche and omelettes.  One egg dish is fine. 

I wouldn't do individual quiches - you're creating more work for yourself again   I'd do a regular 9" quiche.  I agree with SA, I'd do just that instead of omelettes, but it's your morning and you know whether you have time to get everything on the table in a timely manner.

I don't know that many people are feeling shrimp at 10am, but that's up to you. 

I also have no idea what piggy pudding is.