For those of us who enjoy nothing more than a great breakfast to start the day off right, hosting a morning get-together with friends can be just as enjoyable. But if the thought of slaving away in the kitchen whipping up custom omelets for each guest makes you cringe, check out these 5 Easy Breakfast Bar Ideas for quick prep and a relaxed morning.
1. Self-Serve Beverages
Fill insulated or Sterno-heated urns full of coffee and set out all the fixings your guests might need for a self-serve coffee station. Check if your nearest coffee shop sells travelers of brewed coffee, or set an automatic coffee maker to start brewing first thing in the morning. A single-serving coffee maker works too, and you can set out a variety of coffee pods for guests to pick and brew their favorite. Fill a couple of carafes with different types of juice – either on their own or next to some champagne – and fill up dispensers with infused water. Lastly, make sure there are enough glasses and mugs available for each guest, and your beverage station is complete!
2. Breakfast Sandwiches
While it may seem like breakfast sandwiches would be a time-consuming meal to serve each guest, there are a couple of tricks to make prep a breeze. First, you’ll want to cook your hot ingredients in bulk and keep them warm in chafers. That way, all the hard work is out of the way by the time your guests are ready to eat, and the food will still be fresh and hot. You can cook a large amount of bacon or sausage at once on a large propane griddle, or try baking them on foil-covered baking sheets for easy cleanup. For the perfect sandwich-sized eggs, coat muffin tins with non-stick spray, and break one egg in each hole. Season them however you like – salt, pepper, cheese, spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, or anything else. Once they’re ready to go, arrange as many muffin tins as you can into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. With the eggs, bacon, and sausage ready to go in chafers, set out a spread of different sauce options, like mayo, hot sauce, aioli, or hollandaise. English muffins or croissants are go-to favorites for bread options, and setting a toaster nearby will allow guests to make create their own sandwich exactly how they like!
3. Build-Your-Own Parfaits
Yogurt parfaits are a perfect self-serve food, since they’re fun to put together and everyone’s taste is a little different. Set out some favorite toppings, like fruits, nuts, granola, honey, chocolates, and dried fruits. Store the yogurt in the refrigerator as long as possible, and once on the table, put the serving bowl on ice to keep it cold.
4. Top-Your-Own Waffles
Similar to the build-your-own parfait station, a waffle station offers lots of opportunity for individual creations. Waffles can be cooked and frozen up to a couple of days in advance, so you can do the hard work ahead of time, take them out of the freezer the morning of your party, and set out a toaster for guests to heat up their own waffle when they’re ready. Waffles can be a base for nearly any kind of topping – from gravy to fruits to almond butter – so you can pick a few or provide them all!
5. Something Extra
If you feel like you need another addition to your breakfast spread, don’t overthink it! Donuts, pastries, and fruit are staples for a reason, and they require basically no effort. Just load them into a serving tray and your guests can take it from there.
Products pictured: 50 Cup Fancy Stainless Coffee Urn, Ivory Polyester Tabledrape, Bubblegum Polyester Tabledrape, Cosmo Coffee Mug, Bistro Bread and Butter Plate, Mint Julep Cup – Small, Glass Wine Carafe, White Melamine Square Bowl – 11″, 2’ x 3’ Propane Griddle, 8 Quart Stainless Chafing Dish, Rustic Antique Serving Tray, Market Pub Table, Gunmetal Barstool, Highball Glass.