Help! Need inexpensive breakfast ideas for 50-75 people!

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Crepes sometimes stick together when pre-made unless you separate with wax paper and/or parchment paper - just a word to the wise.

Personally, if it were me, for the first couple of times I'd stick to something relatively easy like the French Toast, fritatta/quiche, even breakfast burritos made with tortillas. Then, as you learn to deal with the crowd and get more confidence and see what your teammates abilities are, try something a little more new and original. Better to go out with a couple of weeks of BANG than come in first time with a BUST!
 
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Baked Oatmeal is a really neat breakfast food you can make ahead. It's like an oatmeal cookie styled as a brownie! Here is one recipe but you can find more online. Also you can use other "extras" such as raisins, craisins, nuts, other dried fruit chopped into bits instead of or with the cranberries:

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a (greased) 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
 
Another recipe that is a favorite at our church is an egg/sausage casserole. You make it the night before and bake it before serving. There are endless variations if you google it - some use tater tots rather than the cresent rolls:

  • 1 pound pork sausage
  • 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions

  1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with crescent roll dough, and sprinkle with crumbled sausage. In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs, mozzarella, and Cheddar. Season the mixture with oregano, and pour over the sausage and crescent rolls.
  4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
 
Another recipe that is a favorite at our church is an egg/sausage casserole. You make it the night before and bake it before serving. There are endless variations if you google it - some use tater tots rather than the cresent rolls:

  • 1 pound pork sausage
  • 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions

  1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with crescent roll dough, and sprinkle with crumbled sausage. In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs, mozzarella, and Cheddar. Season the mixture with oregano, and pour over the sausage and crescent rolls.
  4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is a favorite as well. I have made it for my Sunday School several times.

I didn't think about being able to make it in advance. That would be excellent.
 
I want to have one sweet and one hearty item each week. So, for instance, on the week that I make the casserole, I will have some type of pastry and sweet breakfast item (like red velvet pancakes.)

I don't know how the Southwestern Dishes with beans and salsa would work here.
 
Monkey Bread! (Although you might want to slice it rather than having people pull it apart (and the raisins and walnuts are both optional):

Ingredients

  • 3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.
  2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.
 
If you want to go with a casserole, try making a Strata, which is a breakfast bread pudding, or an Italian freeway. There are plenty of different recipes for Strattas, some with meat, some with just vegetables, on the internet. Just Google it. Or, if you have a "used bread store" in you area, you know the bakery outlet where they sell off the day old bread at a huge discount?, you could try this fabulous Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding Recipe.
 
There are some really great ideas here.

Awhile back in the thread breakfast burritos were mentioned I think, but not elaborated on. We did this when I was apprenticing at a catering company and I expanded on it when cooking at the camp for staff brunch (170+) on Sundays. It is super easy and you can prep ahead if that helps.

Allow 1/2 egg per burrito and beat them as for scrambled eggs. Add finely chopped onion, grated cheese (old cheddar or tex mex are good), salt, pepper, a drop or two of hot sauce per egg (not too much, just to up the flavour not burn), red and/or green bell pepper finely chopped if desired, and some ground beef, ham, or other cooked meat if desired (don't let meat over take egg). mix up and put in rectangular cake pans or restaurant inserts, to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Bake at 350 for about 20 - 30 minutes or until set but not dry. Remove to cooling racks until egg is at least workable with hands (or cool completely, cut and refrigerate in the pans up to overnight). cut into approximately 3" long by 1 - 1 1/2" wide pieces. Place 1 tbsp of desired salsa in the centre each 6" tortilla, cover salsa with egg piece and top that with 1 tbsp each of salsa and cheese. Roll up and place tightly together in pans. Cover with more salsa and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly (20 - 30 minutes). They heat faster if egg, salsa and cheese are at room temperature when assembling.

There are a lot of good ideas here for you. Let us know how it goes!
 
While I was initially excited about doing crepes, and I am going to practice tomorow evening, I may do just a breakfast casserole and monkey bread. If my team is smaller than I initially want, I can prepare it all in advance on Saturday morning, and store it in the refrigerators.

So, for my entrance as lead cook, I will have a breakfast casserole which a base of smashed biscuit dough, covered with a topping of sausage and egg, and covered with cheese. For the other item, we'll have monkey bread.

How does that sound?

What could I add to that as a "nice touch?"
 
While I was initially excited about doing crepes, and I am going to practice tomorow evening, I may do just a breakfast casserole and monkey bread. If my team is smaller than I initially want, I can prepare it all in advance on Saturday morning, and store it in the refrigerators.

So, for my entrance as lead cook, I will have a breakfast casserole which a base of smashed biscuit dough, covered with a topping of sausage and egg, and covered with cheese. For the other item, we'll have monkey bread.

How does that sound?

What could I add to that as a "nice touch?"

Sounds great! Are you talking about a garnish? sliced oranges make a bright touch, mint leaves...
 
While I was initially excited about doing crepes, and I am going to practice tomorow evening, I may do just a breakfast casserole and monkey bread. If my team is smaller than I initially want, I can prepare it all in advance on Saturday morning, and store it in the refrigerators.

So, for my entrance as lead cook, I will have a breakfast casserole which a base of smashed biscuit dough, covered with a topping of sausage and egg, and covered with cheese. For the other item, we'll have monkey bread.

How does that sound?

What could I add to that as a "nice touch?"

How about fruit kabobs with a yogurt dip. Or chocolate dipped strawberries. Strawberries are in season now, affordable & delcious.
 
You could do some stratas... this is my favorite breakfast for a crowd. A strata is s baked egg casserole and you can add all kinds of fun ingrediants. Seasonal veggies, sausages, cheese... they hold well and are do ahead. Plate it with a scone and some fruit - heavenly.
021011-RoastedRedPepperSpinach&GoatCheeseStrata53web.jpg


You could also do an oatmeal bar which is especially fun for kids. Serve oatmeal in an icecream dish and then have a toppings bar - like an icecream sunday bar.

Eggs Benedict is good for a crowd.

I love the idea of strawberry shortcake and am stealing it at the very next opportunity.
 
I could get some strawberries and dip those in chocolate..for a side dish. I need to see the prices on strawberries. I'd probably get 25 strawberries, and then slice those up, so, we can have 50 chocolate dipped strawberries.

I think this is going to come together nicely.

Now, I just need some entertainment for us to do.
 
I could get some strawberries and dip those in chocolate..for a side dish. I need to see the prices on strawberries. I'd probably get 25 strawberries, and then slice those up, so, we can have 50 chocolate dipped strawberries.

I think this is going to come together nicely.

Now, I just need some entertainment for us to do.

BINGO is always a good idea. Make your own cards instead of the word Bingo use the word JESUS.
 
The Bingo idea won't work, namely because of time. We have 45 minutes, and we are trying to build relationships here..but, 1-3 three minute icebreakers would do the trick just nicely.
 
With this many people I would absolutely avoid crepes or anything that requires personal attention to assembling during service. That is a MAJOR bottleneck situation waiting to become a disaster... messy, cold, slow... etc.

I would stick some of the suggestions already put forth such as that baked cinnamon bread, the strata sounds nice and soe does a fritata, which you could make a few varieties.

I also like the idea of quiche because all your ingredients can be prepped ahead of time and all you have to do is assemble them in the morning and let the oven do the rest while you create a nice fruit dish or green/fruit salad combo and some rolls/biscuits/scones. You can have 2 or 3 different varieties of quiche as well. Traditional Lorraine, spinach and bacon, and maybe a vegetarian version of tomato, peppers and olives perhaps.

Hope all goes great for you.
 
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