One of my New Year’s resolutions is to entertain more often. Other than hosting major holidays, I don’t do much entertaining. Why not invite people over on a Friday night for pizza or a Sunday for brunch?
I love the idea of brunch because it’s something that can be made ahead of time, can be served at room temperature and I am not stuck in the kitchen putting food together and not enjoying my guests.
That’s how the Brunch Board came into play. Fresh fruit, some protein, and a baked egg dish and brunch is served!
Did you know that Jimmy John’s sells their day old bread for only 50 cents a loaf? It’s perfect for making homemade croutons, bread pudding and the hero on this brunch board, a baked egg loaf.
Heat oven to 350. Using a knife, cut the top of the loaf of bread and pull out most of the bread, leaving the outside of the loaf, careful not to tear the through bottom of the loaf of bread.
In a non-stick skillet, scramble 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon half and half, and ½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese.
Place the cut out loaf of bread on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Lay fresh baby spinach over the top of your loaf of bread. Take the scrambled egg mixture and place overtop the baby spinach. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the broiler on and broil until the cheese gets nicely browned and melty.
Arrange the baked loaf on a big cutting board. For the picture I left it whole, but feel free to cut into two inch slices. Now is the fun part – put anything you want on your brunch board! You could add waffles or pancakes for a sweet kick, nuts for some saltiness.
I chose to add cooked steak as my protein, and then added rosemary ham, Colby jack cheese, garlic green beans, feta cheese drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper, rosemary and butter sautéed mushrooms, pineapple, mango, blueberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, watermelon and grape tomatoes. Just use your imagination!
Set up a coffee station, ice water, and even mimosas to get the party started and brunch is ready!
What’s your favorite way to entertain? Are you a seasoned pro, or do you only handle holidays – I’d love to hear it in the comments below!
If brunch is your thing though, check out these upcoming cooking classes at both locations of The Chopping Block.