# Business Breakfast Ideas



## juliet (May 9, 2008)

I cater a regular monthly business breakfast for about 25 guests and am running out of fun ideas that are still workable given the conditions. 

Since they have no oven, we usually bring a strata already baked and heat up the side dishes in toaster ovens that we bring with us. It's a working breakfast with a speaker, so fancy and complicated is not the goal (plus the budget is small). 

Here is what we have done in the past:

Fresh Fruit Starter
Baked Strata with bacon, mushroom and cheese
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Refried Beans with cojita cheese (this being México, they do expect this almost every time!)
Basket of sweet breads
Butter, salas, and pickled jalapenos
Juice & Coffee

So, I am looking for something I can bake off and serve upon arrival. I don't want to do a strata every time, but am limited by the cost and equipment constraints. Any ideas on other main dishes that would work? Thanks!


----------



## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Blintz Casserole....or something along that premise.....sweet cream cheese filled crepes with or without jam, topped with crema and sugar

How about frittata, just sub potatoes for bread in the stratta
or a corn tortilla casserole.....

I make poached eggs, lardons, salad greens, roasted potato salad alot for brunch/breakfast

I've heard of caramelized french toast casserole.

Check out B&B cookbooks, several have recipes gearred to holding over a certain amount of time and there are interesting twists in some.


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Chilaquiles, por supuesto. Un desayuno sin chilaquiles no es un desayuno.

Quiche con tocino -- "El continental touch."

Tortilla Espana [siento, no tilda], que Shroomgirl se dice una "strata de papas."

Eggs Benedict -- transporte el hollandaise en un thermos, y recalanta los huevos escalfados en agua caliente

Chiles relleno con queso

Chiles relleno desayuno -- con queso, huevos y tocino. (Buenos, actualmente)

Quesadillas con un poco de chorizo

Pudina de pan con maple syrup -- ye se llama, "Pudina 'French Toast Americano"

Pudina de pina -- okay, pineapple upside down cake bread pudding. I can't write Spanish without pinche tildas dammit!

Yema

Migas

Empanadas de sausiche, hongos, y manzanillas (en "puff pastry")

Corned beef hash -- recalanta los huevos escalfados en agua caliente.

Grits Casserole -- se llama "cazuela gabacho" -- con semola, huevos, queso, y sausiche o tocino.

Cazuela de tortillas, huevos, queso, y mole verde o ranchero

Burritos desayunos-- de chorizo con huevos y calabicitas, arroz y frijol; o de tocino con huevos y papas y frijol -- o cada con los frijoles sirven aparte. Cualquier.

Platanos con crema y frijoles con tortillas estilas Salvadorena (poca gordita)

Tamales de eltoe con crema -- que ricos!

Por fin y por supuesto, "Corn tortilla casserole" con un gran sentido de humor y muchas sonrisas

Buena suerte,
BDL


----------



## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

nice touch answering in spanish 
could you be so kind as to post a translation for the rest of us non spanish speakers - sounds like you have a bevy of great ideas


I was going to suggest a savoury bread pudding
also american style breakfast
with hash brown casserole
scrambled eggs
bagels and cream cheese
danish
croissants
etc

you could do a croissant bread pudding
or croissants stuffed with ham and cheese (warm or room temp) could keep warm on top of a domestic type plug in griddle (we use them to make quesadillas at at station for an event)

you could do breakfast burrittos - they are very popular throughout california and in the film industry 
scrambled eggs, potato, salsa 
possibly cheese, chorizo, mushrooms, spinach what ever - think omelet

can predo them wrap in paper then tin foil and keep warm in chafers.
can even make the night before and reheat in oven

oh for scrambled eggs try adding cream cheese to keep moist and from getting rubbery when sitting in pan

another thought that just popped into my mind is doing something like a cornish pasty but with an egg and some ham in the center. forgot what its called but it's an old school british breakfast item#

as for european breakfast#
sliced deli meats like ham and turkey
sliced cheeses
olives
baguette
yogurt 
fruit
sliced cucumber and tomato


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Chilaquiles is a Mexican breakfast dish made of partially fried tortillas covered with red or green sauce (usually) with cheese (usually) and scrambled eggs (usually) -- it all combines into something rather special. It is, perhaps the most typically Mexican brunch dish of all.

Quiche Lorraine

Tortilla Espana is a Spanish style omelette/fritata made with a potato filling. It's actually more a tapas thing than a breakfast thing. I was mostly translating on behalf of shroomgirl, but it is a good idea.

Eggs Benedict doesn't need much translation. I suggested poaching the eggs ahead and reheating them on-site in hot water; and transporting the hollandaise in a thermos bottle.

Garden variety chile rellenos. Interesting how the "s" moves words from the Spanish plural to the English plural, isn't it?

Brunch chile rellenos, stuffed with cheese, egg and bacon.

Quesadillas with cheese and a (Mexican) chorizo crumble. You have no idea how good Mexican tortillas tortillas and cheese are until you're there.

A standard Mexican style bread pudding served with maple syrup and called American French Toast Pudding.

Already translated.

A sort of eggy donut. You may (or may not) know them as bunuelos de yema.

A scramble with this and that, but always containing eggs and leftover tortillas. After that, it's up to you.

Puff pastry turnovers with sausage, mushrooms and apple.

The Spanish refers to transporting and reheating poached eggs.

Grits is grits. "Gabacho" is the actual word used by Mexicans to refer to what you would call "******," only it's marginally profane.

A cazuela is a casserole. In this case, tortillas, eggs, cheese and green sauce. See what I wrote about migas. There are an infinite number of possibilities.

Breakfast burritos with the usual suspects.

Fried plantains served with beans, _creme fraiche_ and small, chewy, fresh corn tortillas. It's a very traditional meal in El Salvador and the southern parts of Mexico.

Tamales with elote (ee - LOW - tay) -- a sweet corn mush -- served with _creme fraiche_. "Ricos" means "delicious."

shroomgirl's suggestion, "corn tortilla casserole" tickled me as a business breakfast in DF (Mexico City). I suggested it be served with a sense of humor and lots of smiles.

Good luck
BDL


----------



## foodie5951 (Apr 19, 2008)

You mentioned they don't have an oven, but if they have electrical outlets, you could do things in crockpots and electric skillets, or portable electric burners. I stayed a week in a Residence Inn once and they had hot breakfasts every morning in the lobby and happy hour tapas using the above methods on a regular counter top. Just a thought.


----------



## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

several spainish options cazuelas sound an awful lot like corn tortilla casserole to me.....a rose by any other name........:smiles:


----------



## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

nice...
great to be able to have ideas that are culturally appropriate...

will be filing for future reference


----------



## foodie4life (Jun 29, 2007)

I just catered a breakfast at a law firm for 50 and we had

Asparagus and Gruyere Quiche (also good with Parmigiana)
Plain Quiche
Mini Ham biscuits with a Mustard Sauce
Potato and Leek Casserole
Fresh Fruit with a Honey Lime Dressing
Banana Bread
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread with a Lemon Glaze

It went over very well...if I think of something I will let you know!


----------



## juliet (May 9, 2008)

Muchisimas gracias for all your great suggestions! I just came back from doing the breakfast. I did a baked strata with chorizo and cheese, scalloped potatoes and black beans, pan dulce and fruit platter.

They wanted a buffet this time, which will make it easier in the future to place things in chafers to keep warm.

They want me to continue doing the monthly breakfasts, and I am excited to try many of your ideas. Thanks!


----------



## fullon (Jul 10, 2007)

I have done several breakfast gigs (just starting out, so I don't have a ton of experience at this yet), but I have had great success with a breakfast sandwich that I do on a croissant. I have actually picked up some new clients with this because they loved it so much.

Prepare a seasoned butter with curry powder, onion powder, dijon mustard and scallions. Spread the butter on the cut croissants and then put some sliced ham (experimented with several types of ham and regular old sliced deli ham works the best), scrambled egg and grated gouda cheese on it. Throw them in the oven at 350 until the cheese starts to melt. They hold pretty well in a chaffer for an hour or so.

Good luck!


----------



## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Oh my!! That sounds delicious! I'm going to make that one for dinner right now! Shoot- no croissants....

ONe question... How "curry" to you make the butter- just enough for flavor or so people realize it's curry they're eating? Explain how you do them for a breakfast that you have to transport. I'm curious as to whether they get soggy in their own steam. Are they wrapped separately? Sorry, that was more than one question. Thanks!


----------



## fullon (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks, they are delicious.

I generally make the butter just slightly curry flavored. For a pound of butter I'll put in about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder, along with 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons of dijon mustard and a 1/4 cup of sliced scallion. I'll then taste it and adjust as needed. You really want a balance of flavors in the butter, slight curry/onion flavor with the dijon adding some body and very slight heat to it. I really try not to go overboard with the curry or it will over power everything.

As far as transporting them, I arrange them in a single layer in a hotel pan and bake uncovered until the cheese and butter melt. I then take them out, cover tightly with heavy plastic wrap and two layers of foil. They go into the cambro and will stay hot for an hour to two hours. They don't get very soggy unless they sit in a chaffer for a good long while. Just make sure you always have them in a single layer or they will mash down and get pretty nasty.

Good luck with them, they are really great!


----------



## juliet (May 9, 2008)

That sounds fabulous! I think that they will really like this. I'll try it for the June meeting. Thanks!


----------



## jamiee79 (Nov 28, 2007)

Sounds delicious! Have you got a catchy name for it?


----------



## djr1976 (Jun 3, 2008)

Do you have any suggestions to substitute for the curry? As a caterer in the midwest, I find that the curry/cumin mix doesn't go over to well but this sounds absolutely great.


Donald Roberts
Sugar & Spice Catering


----------



## fullon (Jul 10, 2007)

I just call them French Market Breakfast Sandwiches.



You could just leave out the curry entirely and maybe put a little more dijon into the butter, not too much or it will overwhelm the taste of everything else. Balance is the real key here. You could also kick up the onion in it just a bit. 

Try it with the curry in it first, though. The curry flavor is not terribly strong, so it won't blow your customers away. It's subtle and one of those tastes that you notice, but can't really identify what it is. Curry is just so great with eggs, ham or potatoes. I love the stuff! Fried potatoes with curry powder and Tabasco is about the best thing ever for breakfast!


----------



## djr1976 (Jun 3, 2008)

Ok, you have me sold! I'm a sucker for Tabasco and adding that in might just make all the difference. I will give it a whirl with the Curry prior to simply opting out - also, the Dijon idea sounds intriguing as well!

Cheers.


----------

