The holiday season is filled with fun, family, friends and eating! Yes, good food is such a part of our social fabric that it is often the focus of most get-togethers, if not all get-togethers! Not everyone is a gourmet chef or has the means to create these elaborate meals to entertain their guests, so instead of dinners, why not invite your guests to holiday brunch? You can easily wow your crowd with these easy techniques that give Martha Stewart a run for her money.
Choose your board(s). The internet is filled with those cool combo resin-and-wood charcuterie boards, but that’s not a requirement. In fact, the more creative you get with your board, the more fun it is for your guests. I’m sure most of you have holiday themed trays, like stars, Christmas trees or even round trays that you can make look like an ornament. You can use multiple round trays in different colors to create an assortment of ornaments across your table. If your group is large and you have a big table, use a toboggan! You can buy one new for less than $30 or, if you have one already, wash it well and then use parchment paper as the base so no food is touching the sled.
An easy and cheaper option is a gift box. A low-profile box is ideal. They are plentiful at any dollar store, already decorated with a holiday motif. Cover the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper and voilà – a perfect holiday brunch box!
Choose your “star.” Brunch boards should have a featured item – a focal point or a “star,” if you will. These stars are items like waffles, French toast, eggs Benedict, or quiche. They are the main component of your board and they are what you base the rest of your board on to complement it. Being the star, it needs to be centre stage, so when you assemble your board, keep that in mind. You could make a pinwheel with French toast triangles in the centre of the board or a circle with eggs Benedict, with a space in the middle of the circle for sausages or bacon.
If you are going sweet with your star, make sure you have a lot of savory accents like bacon, sausage, or prosciutto and cheeses (like cheddar, goat cheese, or flavored cheese spreads) to balance out the sweet.
Now, there is nothing saying you can’t do an all-sweet board. If that is more to your liking, then think about different textures like flaky croissants, crunchy biscotti, sticky cinnamon buns, or fluffy muffins. Mmmmm, are you drooling yet? I am!
With sweets and textures in mind, adding fruit, both fresh and dried, is a perfect addition to a brunch board. Choose your favorites, but just make sure you dip your apples, pears, and bananas in a little lemon juice if they are sliced for your board. You don’t want them to turn brown.
Sauce it up! Condiments are needed with a brunch board, even if it’s just butter. Butter is a breakfast staple – you can even infuse it with fresh herbs for a tastier spread. Jams, jellies, mustard, ketchup, hollandaise, maple syrup, or even pesto can really amp up your brunch board. They also add beautiful color to your board.
Mind the gap! You don’t want any gaps in your brunch board! You want it to look full, decadent, and absolutely scrumptious. Great fillers for any board are things like nuts, granola, seeds, blueberries, cranberries, or even olives.
Bring in that holiday vibe. It’s holiday time, so you want to give your board that extra holiday cheer. The obvious choices are cranberries, rosemary sprigs, or even mini Christmas trees for extra cheer. If you sugar the cranberries and rosemary, then you are taking it up a notch, and it’s so easy! Mix equal parts sugar and water, mix until dissolved, dip your berries and sprigs of rosemary into the mixture and then into a bowl of white sugar and, boom, ice-frosted decor.
You can cut pieces of cheese like trees or snowmen. You can even sprinkle icing sugar through a sieve over top of your board to mimic fresh fallen snow.
Another way to bring in the holiday spirit is through flavors. Peppermint, orange, ginger, cranberry, warm spices, pecans, and eggnog can all be incorporated into your board, either as additions to your baked goods or by adding pre-made holiday treats like peppermint bark.
If time is of the essence, grabbing festive items like foil-covered chocolates, festive candies, or candy canes are a quick fix to make any board a holiday board.
Happy Brunching!
Tanya is the Head Curator at Menagerie Parties & Cakes, handcrafting boutique party experiences through custom decor, engaging activities, and show-stopping sweets. For more information email
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