Menu Selections for Last-Minute Entertaining

To continue orchestrating your Last Minute Entertaining brunch, you will want to be sure that you have a buffet station situated in a central location, to hold the foods that you will be assembling. Notice that food will be “assembled.” It will not necessarily be “prepared,” since there is not enough time with last minute entertaining to actually create your own dishes!

Besides bagel-and-cream-cheese selections, other food to add to the buffet area will include:

• An assortment of muffins. These treats can be purchased when you shop for bagels. Alternatively, swing by Dunkin’ Donuts and buy your muffins there. Finally, most grocery store bakery departments also sell freshly made muffins at a very reasonable price. If the muffins are large, only count on one half muffin per person. Otherwise, plan for one muffin per person.
• A platter of sliced or chunked fresh fruit. This item can be found in the produce section of your neighborhood grocery store, and although you will be paying a premium over uncut fresh fruit, the time saved in preparation is well worth the difference in cost.
• A decorative bowl filled with vanilla or strawberry yogurt. This item can also be found at your grocery store. Purchase the jumbo-sized container of yogurt, which will serve about ten people in this buffet setup.
• A smaller decorative bowl filled with granola. Also available at the supermarket, this granola can be eaten alone or stirred into yogurt, by your guests.
• A selection of quiche. This dish is a fantastic buffet addition, since it combines the heartiness of eggs, cheese and meat, in an easy to eat pie format. Quiche may be purchased in the frozen food section at the grocery store, and heated in your oven while you are preparing the rest of the buffet. Depending on how extensive your store is, the quiche may be full size or appetizer size. Either option will work well for this meal, as the quiches will be sliced by you before you set them on the buffet.

Beverage Selection

For a brunch, coffee is essential! If you have a coffee maker, feel free to create a fresh supply of coffee throughout the event. However, if you don’t want to be stressed with maintaining a full coffee pot during the brunch, consider purchasing Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Box of Joe” for your guests. You can serve it in the somewhat kitschy cardboard box with spout, or you can cleverly transfer the coffee into your own elegant carafes! Which ever way you choose to offer coffee service, remember to set out cream and sugar alongside the coffee cups.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds