“build your own” bridal brunch

It’s wedding week for one of my best friends so I hosted a bridal brunch to get the celebrations started the right way! I love cooking, I really do, but admittedly, I’m not the best at it. And I get totally stressed out when I have to cook for a large group of people. Enter a “build your own” brunch. It literally couldn’t have been easier. I set up stations for guests to make their own avocado toast, waffles, parfaits and of course, mimosas. I actually sat down and ate with everyone which doesn’t always happen when hosting. Less work for me = more mimosas I get to enjoy!

Scroll through for all the deets, a whole lot of photos and some of the recipes I used featuring Dole Fruit n’ Spice fruits!

Tables
I picked up a variety of brown colored glass jars, containers and growlers for the table from Target and Pat Catans. Then, I called Molly Taylor (absolutely love them) and they put together a great assortment of flowers and greenery that worked perfectly to fill the jars. I love my Crate and Barrel Mercer plates and my West Elm gold flatware and was happy to have an opportunity to use it all! I grabbed some white napkins from Pier One and tied them with a name tag and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Name tags added such a personal touch that I think everyone appreciated!

I used kraft paper over the buffet table and mimosa bar to label everything. I had fun writing all the toppings and garnishes on it and it made cleaning up those areas such a breeze!

Mimosa Bar
Champagne, orange juice, orange peach mango juice, pineapple orange juice, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries

What’s brunch without a good mimosa?! Our bar was stocked with a variety of juices (the orange peach mango was a fan fave) and fruits for garnishing. I love the decorative straws and think they add a fun touch!

  

Yogurt Bar
Vanilla yogurt, vanilla almond granola, white chocolate chips, pound cake, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries

I put all of my stemless wine glasses to good use by using them as little cups for a yogurt bar. Cups were pre-filled with yogurt so guests just had to pile on the toppings! The pound cake was sooo good and definitely my favorite!

  

Waffle Bar
Cinnamon apple waffles, plain waffles, cinnamon apple compote, cinnamon apple butter, syrup, homemade whipped cream, powdered sugar

Waffles are one of my favorite breakfast foods so I knew I wanted to incorporate them into the menu. I decided to do a different take on them by adding cinnamon apples to the batter. They were delicious! As a topping, everyone absolutely loved the cinnamon apple butter. So, so good!

Cinnamon apple waffles with toppings (6 servings)
-Preheat waffle iron
-Beat 2 eggs in a large bowl
-Mix in 2 cups flour, 1 3/4 cups milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Stir in 1/2 cup Dole Fruit n’ Spice cinnamon apples thawed and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
-Spray waffle iron with cooking spray
-Pour 1/3 cup mix onto iron and cook until golden brown
-Compote topping: Saute one bag of Dole Fruit n’ Spice cinnamon apples for about 20 minutes; serve warm
-Butter topping: Blend 1/2 cup very soft butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and one bag Dole Fruit n’ Spice cinnamon apples (thawed) in blender; serve chilled

Avocado Toast Bar
12 grain toast, italian bread toast, plain avocado spread, chili lime mango avocado spread, turkey bacon, goat cheese, tomatoes, fresh herbs, eggs

I’m pretty sure the avocado toast bar was everyone’s favorite. I made two different kinds of avocado spread – plain and chili lime mango. The goat cheese, green onions, eggs and turkey bacon made for great toppers!

Chili lime mango avocado spread (2.5 cups)
-Prepare 4 avocados by halfing and removing pits
-Scoop avocados out of skin into a bowl and mash with a fork
-Mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 chopped cup cilantro
-Stir in 1/2 cup Dole Fruit n’ Spice chili lime mango chunks thawed and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
-Spread on toast and top with eggs, goat cheese, onions or tomatoes
Tip: If you make this a couple hours ahead of time like I did, store in an air tight container with the pits on top of the spread to prevent it from browning before serving

All of the recipes I shared call for Dole’s Fruit n’ Spice product. I found it at Giant Eagle Market District (you knowwww I love that place) and right now, you can currently get a $1 rebate on each bag using the Ibotta app.

The possibilities for “build your own” brunch stations are endless and I’ll definitely be using this idea again in the future. It was so fun and the perfect start to what is sure to be a great wedding week!

Disclosure: Thanks to Dole for partnering with me on this post.