Pare Down Your Toppers
When it comes to garnish for your entrees, the options are unending. Pick up ingredients everyone will love—and that they can feel good about! Honey adds natural sweetness (and these surprising health benefits!); berries provide flavor and one of the five to nine recommended daily servings of fruit; and coconut, either flaked or shredded, offers good-for-you-fats and tropical flair. We could go on and on!
Prep the Good Stuff
The night before, portion out the nonperishable toppings and place them in their respective pinch bowls. Chop up fruit toppers and store in the refrigerator. If you opt for an overnight oatmeal recipe, dump that in your crock and let it cook. Finally, save making the smoothie till the morning, but luckily, our favorite blender will take care of it in a flash!
Assemble Your Setup
First thing’s first: leave room for your mains. We recommend serving your oatmeal straight from a slow cooker so that it stays steamy—even when guests are back for seconds! And serve up the smoothie in a pitcher. (In a pinch, even your blender’s pitcher works.) This makes for easy pouring, which means easy cleanup. Then, situate your garnishes in the remaining available space.
Have Some Fun with Serveware
The mix-and-match nature of this morning get-together means you can play around with the utensils, bowls, napkins and more. Reflect the array of the toppers’ colors and flavors with an equally vibrant variety of dishes. No need to get out your set of china this time! A cute honey pot adds some whimsy, and bright trays are a must in terms of both function and fun.
Don’t Forget Drinks
And, yes, we mainly mean coffee. Brew up a batch as big as your coffee maker will allow and be sure to refill throughout the morning if you’re running low. Oh, and in keeping with the other dishes, your mismatched collection of mugs will do the trick! For kiddos or those who just don’t crave caffeine, provide water and a number of juices.
Dig in!
Your not-too-hard hard work has paid off. Once you and your hungry partygoers have gathered, drinks in hand, it’s time to enjoy. Ask that everyone form a line in front of the brunch buffet and serve themselves as they please. But, hey, no taking too many toppings!