It’s that time of year for all the bridal and baby showers, engagement parties, and the girl’s get-togethers. If you are looking for a simple party menu, perfect for brunch, look no further!
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Menu
Most of the following items can be made in advance, are easy to serve and work for any size group! The menu itself is a good mix of sweet and savory, gives guests choices based on their personal taste and the overall presentation looks beautiful with minimal effort.
- Sausage Egg Bites
- Cobb Salad Skewers
- Cucumber Sandwiches
- Donut Hole Skewers
- Fruit and Yogurt Cups
- Chocolate Cherry Goat Cheese Petite Fours
I neglected to take photos of everything up close, but I have included the recipes and notes for each item below.
Sausage Egg Bites
I followed this recipe, except I used spicy breakfast sausage instead of the ham or bacon and chopped sweet peppers (rather than a green pepper) because I had those on hand. I think both the spicy sausage and sweetness of the peppers added to the overall flavor of the bites—there wasn’t one left at the end of the party! I’d plan on at least two bites per guest.
I made the bites in advance, cooking them until just before they were “done”. Then the day of, I popped them back into the oven (at 350) to warm and finish cooking.
Cobb Salad Skewers
I’ve made these several times for various events and they are always a hit! It’s a great way to serve salad without having to worry about tongs and big salad bowls–guests can easily pick up from the buffet line and either eat them right off the stick or with a fork when seated.
To begin, assemble your ingredients (amounts will vary depending on the number of people you are serving and how large you wish to make the skewers):
- cherry tomatoes
- iceburg lettuce
- bacon
- bottled Ranch dressing
- seasoned salt
- pepper
- blue cheese crumbles
- skewers
Cook the bacon following package instructions–I like to do it in the oven (less mess and you can do a large amount). For small skewers (just one tomato, lettuce wedge and slice of bacon) you can usually get three skewers from one slice of bacon. For longer skewers (two of each item), then 1.5 skewer per slice. Chop a head of lettuce into small wedges or cubes–1 – 2 inches wide. I made about 16 skewers with two items each, and I still had about a 1/4 of the head of lettuce left over.
I assembled the skewers in advance (bacon, lettuce and tomato) and stored overnight in the fridge. On the day of, drizzle with bottled Ranch dressing, season with seasoned salt (that is my little secret) and pepper and sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Every time I make these I wonder why we don’t eat them weekly–instead of just at fancy parties. They are incredibly simple and simply delicious. Make the spread (recipe follows) and slice the cucumbers ahead of time and assembly is a snap before the event begins.
Donut Hole Skewers
It would be impossible (and very off-brand) not to include something on the menu from Walmart. These donut holes from Walmart are SO good and all you have to do to make them look very elevated is to stick them on a skewer. These may also be made a day or so in advance, stored in an air-tight container.
Fruit & Yogurt Cups
At this point we should probably start a drinking game every time I write “easy”, “simple” or “make ahead”. Because these these are all three things. I used Great Value brand vanilla Greek yogurt–but you can change that out to your preference. Scoop into small plastic cups and top with fruit. Store overnight. For serving, sprinkle granola on top or serve on the side. To make them extra, insert these fabulous (might I say, very sexy) long-handled gold spoons.
Chocolate Cherry Goat Cheese Petite Fours
I am very upset I didn’t take photos of these but even more so that you can’t taste them through some internet magic. I purchased the pre-made chocolate cherry goat cheese log at our local Safeway–it’s simply divine on it’s own. But, BUT, my friends I urge you to grab a vanilla wafer and smear some of the divine goat cheese thickly on top and then add a little orange zest on top. That’s it and I’m telling you . . . out. of. this. world.
