Entertaining Ideas
TarHeels&Rebels
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Brunch menu check
I'm super swamped this month, so help me fight my natural inclination to complicate things. I think I've pared down the menu pretty well, but check for me.
Headcount: Somewhere between 15 and 35. I'll just buy more of the obvious things as needed.
Sausage-egg-bread bake (slices into squares like brownies)
Fruit tray
Baked ham
Pumpkin mac and cheese
Bread basket with biscuits, rolls, and maple scones; flavored butters; and jams
Chewy molasses cookies
Kentucky derby pie bites (IHO the bride who's from KY)
Punch, OJ, coffee
Not sure on: lack of veggies, general mix of flavors, having 2 desserts (maybe I just need 1). Any suggestions need to be cheap and easy. Thanks, ladies.
Re: Brunch menu check
Cheap and easy= roasted potatoes. It might be starchy with the mac and cheese, but I love potatoes with breakfast. vanilla yogurt and granola to do parfaits with the fruit?
The veggies are hard because there are no real breakfast veg unless you did a veggie egg casserole. A veggie tray pushes it more toward lunch and makes the egg casserole odd.
I would have a little mustard and possibly cheese in case people want to have a ham sandwich.
Keep both desserts.
Overall it sounds good, I'm just a sucker for potatoes.
You'd both the potatoes and the mac and cheese? Hm.
I've gone back and forth on the potatoes or mac and cheese. Observe:
Back: I have a great classic hash brown casserole (sort of like Cracker Barrel's) that's cheap and easy, and when is that not delicious?
Forth: But I like the fall flavor the pumpkin mac and cheese brings.
Back: But the pumpkin mac and cheese is a more expensive and complicated dish to make, so maybe skipping it is a good idea.
Back again: And I already have 2 bags of frozen hash browns in my freezer that didn't get used at Labor Day.
So I was going to buy a fruit tray and get some of that vanilla dipping stuff that goes with it. Does that count? Tell me if it doesn't and I'll do the parfaits. The parfaits would look cute sitting out...
At Labor Day, I had bought all this food expecting 9 people for 9 meals and it turns out that several members of DH's spacey family left during the weekend, so I had bought way too much food and have had to throw out lots of fresh fruits and veggies that didn't get eaten. Not happy. Moral: I'm now too cheap and throw-out-averse to buy yogurt and granola when I don't know if people will eat it. I don't eat granola, so it'd just sit around til it got stale and then I'd have to throw out the $5 box.
I originally had down a veggie quiche in place of the sausage-egg - should I bring it back? I was afraid the menu was too lunch-y with it, so that's why I brought in the sausage and egg for something distinctly breakfast.
I agree about the veggie tray, but had to ponder it.
Of course
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I went back a forth on suggesting the potatoes. You know what though? It's a party and you have the stuff. Go for it...especially since it's coed.
Fruit tray and yogurt dip will be just fine. I actually wasn't thinking of premaking the parfaits, just letting people make their own. My mom did a chocolate dip at the last party that got emptied. Might be a thought to make extra fruit and put out the chocolate for dessert time.
With 15-35 people I'm thinking you'll need more than one egg dish. Quiche can be either breakfast or lunch so I think you can go either way.
One other out of the box idea that is cheap and easy and could be made ahead is sausage gravy. You could replace the sausage casserole and do veggie ones.
Oooooh, if you want something pumpkiny I have a cheater recipe for Starbuck's pumpkin latte. I've not tried it, but that could be fun!
PS- If your fruit is about to go bad, blend it up and freeze it. It's perfect for smoothies later on.
Hi! Wanted to let you know that I think the menu is absolutely perfect the way it is. If you want to switch out the pumpkin mac-n-cheese for the hash browns - to utilize the potatoes you have in your freezer that would make sense too.
Of course for selfish reasons I'd love for you to try the pumpkin mac-n-cheese and review it for us...
I wouldn't worry about adding veggies either. I put them out all the time because I want guests to have a healthier option and I think the colors are pretty - but they don't always get eaten.
Re: your ILs... that would bum me out too. Hate wasting food.
GL!
PS. 6 could you please share the cheater "Starbuck's Pumpkin Latte" recipe.
What kind of punch?
Probably this one.
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I didn't think about that.
Regulars from last year know that I love this quick bread, so I could just do a loaf of it in place of the maple scones to put something pumpkin on the menu. That actually means I've taken out the two most complicated items (pumpkin macaroni, maple scones) and subbed them for super easy things. Win!
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OMG! I ABSOLUTELY LUVVVVVVVVVVVV THIS BREAD!!!! It's like crack I swear!!!! I actually add a little extra ginger and pumpkin spice to the batter and sometimes a few walnuts to mix it up a bit but it's absolutely delicious all on it's own if you don't. Now I have to go out and buy some just because you posted this. LOL
You could keep it simple and just do a broccolli (sp?) and cheese quiche. I love that. LOL
Or to keep it really simple, you can buy little mini quiches that are frozen and all you'd have to do is pop them in the oven. Costco sells them.
Hi chell! Welcome to the board - your enthusiasm is fab - please become a regular!
I've never thought to add anything to it. Walnuts and ginger do sound great!
There's a mimosa punch on the menu already, and I like your broccoli cheese quiche suggestion.
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