The Brunch Bruschetta Bar, also known as my favorite kind of meal…
This board contains so many of my favorite go-to breakfast options. This is what I would call the ultimate brunch spread. There is SO much here to love! I’m really not sure brunch can get much better. You guys know I love creating a mean brunch spread, but I have never done anything like this. Typically, I always sway towards a sweeter brunch, but with this Brunch Bruschetta Bar there’s a good mix of both sweet and savory, so everyone can really customize their bruschetta to their liking. Since there is so much to chat about with this fun brunch bar, let’s dive right in.
I think the start to any good bruschetta bar is to use a really, really good bread. I used a seeded whole grain loaf, but using a mix of breads, or your very favorite bread, would all be great. Once you have the bread, it’s time to start thinking about everything you want to go on it. For me, this means both sweet and savory breakfast foods. I did scrambled and poached eggs, prosciutto, smoked salmon, crispy bacon, ricotta with honey, marinated mozzarella, Humboldt Fog goat cheese, homemade pesto, marinated cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomato muhammara, raspberry jam, plus tons of fruits, avocado, sautéed veggies and olives. As you can see, I really loaded it all on, but in my opinion, that’s what makes an epic brunch spread…lots and lots of options!
I definitely went the summery route with this spread, but what I love about this recipe (…err this idea?) is that you can customize it to the seasons and foods that you love most. Since it’s summer time, I used my favorite marinated cherry tomatoes, fresh berries, melons, sweet cherries, and zucchini blossoms. For the fall, I’d swap in apples, pomegranates and roasted pumpkin, in the winter, this spread could be filled with winter citrus, and in the spring, artichokes, asparagus and fresh strawberries. No matter the season, I love serving my Brunch Bruschetta Bar with a pitcher full of not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice. You can’t have brunch without a glass of OJ—it’s just a must! I like to serve my orange juice two ways: straight up in a cute juice glass, or with a splash of champagne for a fun mimosa!
OK, so that’s the base of my spread. I know it’s quite a lot, but like I said, you can customize this to your taste. Here are a few of my personal favorite bruschetta topping combos… …Humboldt Fog goat cheese + fresh cherries + honey + basil …peanut butter + raspberry jam + banana + honey …Humboldt Fog goat cheese + sautéed spinach and mushrooms + poached egg …basil pesto + marinated tomatoes + mozzarella + poached eggs + avocado …ricotta + honey + raspberry jam + fresh raspberries + basil …basil pesto + avocado + scrambled eggs …Sun-Dried Tomato Muhammara + mozzarella + basil pesto …goat cheese + smoked salmon + basil pesto The cheesy, fruity combos are my favorites. What are yours?
A few tips for success… …prepare most of this Brunch Bruschetta Bar in advance. The Sun-Dried Tomato Muhammara, marinated tomatoes and pesto and raspberry jam can all be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. The rest should be set out just before serving. Preparing the spreads in advance will make for a stress-free brunch! …cook the eggs just before you are ready to serve. …arrange the fruits, veggies, and spreads around the eggs, as they are the “heart” of the bar. I like to fill in almost all of the blank space to create a really pretty, over-the-top spread. …squeeze a little lemon over the avocado to keep it from browning while it sits out. This works really well, but don’t set the avocado out too early! Even with the squeeze of lemon juice, it will still brown after a couple of hours. …toast your bread in the oven or on the grill so you can prepare all of the bruschetta bases at once. I like to rub my bread with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Then either grill or bake the bread at 425 for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. I know it’s only Tuesday, but please tell me you guys are already planning this weekend’s brunch? It’s the second weekend of June, which means an outdoor brunch is sounding pretty perfect to me.
Bring on the weekend, the bruschetta, and all the OJ please!
{This post is sponsored by Florida’s Natural. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!! }
