I love a good brunch spread. On holiday, I wake up early just to get those fabulous brunch spreads with those delicious breakfast boards. I love a breakfast board more than I love chocolate, and I really love chocolate. I love a breakfast board on a weekend more than I like sitting in absolute silence, and I really love sitting alone in silence because I’m overstimulated and exhausted.

Brunch alone is sad, though. I’m not sure if it’s even really brunch. Brunch with family and friends is what I want. But I don’t want to slave away in the kitchen, and I don’t have time for it. But I also want to be greeted with “wow this is so amazing and delicious” when I give people food.

Basically, I want it all.

My trick to serving up a great breakfast board that everyone will enjoy is to include lots of variety but keep it extremely simple with no cooking involved (which makes this also perfect for a picnic breakfast!). That way, you can enjoy a relaxing weekend brunch with the family where you get to unleash your inner Martha Stewart, all without breaking a sweat.

The Appeal of the Breakfast Board

I love breakfast boards because they’re perfect for a weekend breakfast or a picnic brunch with the whole family. I’m talking kids, grandparents, friends, neighbours’ dog (you do you). It requires minimal prep, gives your family and friends loads of choices, and caters to all tastes. It’s basically a holiday breakfast buffet at home and even people who “don’t do breakfast” love those.

I recently had family stay over for the night and I decided to have a big brunch the next morning before seeing everyone off – I was going for fabulous. I have two kids, though, and neither has the word “brunch” in their vocabulary. I needed to do something simple. This breakfast board doesn’t involve any cooking if you don’t want it to, so it was super easy to do while still being really delicious. I love no-cook spreads for a large group breakfast because there is no need to time your food perfectly to keep it warm.

Also, I don’t want to spend all morning rushing around in the kitchen. I’d much rather be eating breakfast and enjoying the company while looking glamorous and sipping orange juice because I’m so relaxed and life is effortless – huzza darling.

So, I went for a simple option and I laid out a spread of breakfast essentials—croissants, smoked salmon, and a selection of fruits and cheeses. Not only did it look impressive, but it also allowed everyone to pick and choose what they wanted so they could create their perfect meal. Even the kids were happy – that was the most shocking part, if I’m honest.

How to Prep Your Breakfast Buffet

When putting together a breakfast board, think of it as a breakfast buffet condensed onto a single platter. The key is to include a variety of breakfast essentials and breakfast buffet food that offer a mix of flavours, textures, and comfort levels. By comfort levels, I mean there are options for the “I need a filling breakfast” and for those who like to keep it fresh and light.

Here’s a list of everything I used to create my breakfast board:

• Croissants: Who doesn’t love a croissant? They can be eaten plain, or stuffed with cheese and salmon, or with some jam. If you want to add extra variety, you can include some chocolate and almond croissants.
• Crumpets: These English classics are perfect for soaking up butter or spreading with avocado for a savoury option.
• Avocado: Sliced or mashed, avocado is a great healthy option that pairs well with almost everything on the board.
• Gouda: A semi-hard cheese like Gouda offers a rich, creamy contrast to the other items on the board. It can be eaten with fruit, in a croissant, or just plain if you are a lover of cheese.
• Cucumber Slices: Fresh and crunchy cucumber adds something refreshing to the board
• Smoked Salmon: No breakfast buffet at home is complete without smoked salmon. It’s a protein-packed option for a more filling breakfast that’s absolutely delicious.
• Grapes & Other Fruits: Sweet, juicy grapes and other fruits are a great way to round out the board. I love adding fruit to my granola, but its also great with cheese or on its own.
• Jam, Butter & Honey: For those with a sweet tooth, a selection of jams is the way to go. I usually opt for a good strawberry jam and marmalade. Butter is a must, especially with kids around and honey for those who enjoy it in tea, on toast or with granola.
• Granola & Greek Yogurt: For a lighter option, offer a bowl of granola and Greek yogurt. It’s fresh and another great health option.
• Orange Juice, Tea & Coffee: These are breakfast staples that you simply can’t do without. If I want to be extra fabulous, I go for a selection of teas it just adds a little interesting twist to things.

Optional

• Scrambled Eggs: You can try my garlic and tomato scrambled eggs recipe (included below). It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s packed with flavour.
• Sautéed Mushrooms: These add an earthy, savoury note that complements both eggs and smoked salmon.

As I said, this is a no-cooking necessary breakfast board, so you can skip making eggs and mushrooms. The board still works perfectly and has loads of options.

Extras

If you want to complete your table setting and want a bit more of a party feel you can try and include:

• Fresh Flowers: They just somehow make everything a bit more beautiful and special.
• Infused water: I like to include a jug of ice-cold water with slices of lemons and limes. The slices floating around in the jug with the ice cubes not only taste good, it looks good.
• Labels: If you have a big crowd for breakfast, you can add some food labels. That way, you don’t need to explain what’s what twenty times and everyone can easily find what they like.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to prepping your breakfast board for a stress-free and timely breakfast:

1. The Night Before:
   • Pre-slice and store: Slice the cucumbers, prepare the grapes, and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
   • Prepare the yogurt and granola: Pour your Greek yogurt into a serving bowl and cover. Have the granola ready to sprinkle on top in the morning. 
   • Butter the croissants and crumpets: Slice the croissants and crumpets in half, and lightly butter them. Wrap them in foil, ready for warming in the morning.
   • Gather your Dishes & Cutlery: Gather all the cutlery you will need to serve your breakfast board, this includes knives and forkes, serving spoons, serving dishes, drinking glasses, coffee mugs and water jugs. 
2. Morning Of:
   • Warm the bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the wrapped croissants and crumpets in the oven for about 5-7 minutes to warm them through.
   • [OPTIONAL] Prepare the scrambled eggs: Make the garlic and tomato scrambled eggs (recipe below) fresh in the morning, just before serving (see recipe below.)
   • [OPTIONAL] Sauté the mushrooms: In a pan, sauté the mushrooms with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden brown. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
   • Assemble the board: On a large serving board or platter, arrange the croissants, crumpets, avocado slices, sautéed mushrooms, Gouda, cucumber slices, smoked salmon, grapes, granola, jams, and Greek yogurt. Make sure everything is easily accessible so your guests can build their plates with ease.
   • Serve drinks: Pour orange juice into a pitcher and brew a fresh pot of coffee. These can be served on the side.

Making eggs and mushrooms is completely optional for this breakfast board. As I said, this is a no-cook board if you want it to be, and it works perfectly even without the eggs. There are plenty of options for everyone, even if you skip the eggs, and I definitely have many times.

Recipe for Garlic and Tomato Scrambled Eggs

If you are feeling the urge to make some eggs for hungry hoards, these garlic and tomato scrambled eggs are an easy way to add something hot to your breakfast board while keeping things simple. You can find a recipe for my super simple garlic and tomato scrambled eggs below (they are a favourite at my place.)

Additional Breakfast Board Ideas and Tips

My whole plan when it comes to creating a breakfast board is to avoid stress and rushing around in the morning. The beauty of a breakfast board is it really can allow you to minimise cooking so you can enjoy your time with your friends and family. Here are a few additional breakfast board ideas and tips I’ve picked up over the years:

• Mix and Match: Don’t be afraid to combine different elements to create variety. For example, pair croissants with Gouda and smoked salmon for a savory twist, or with granola and Greek yogurt for something lighter. If you are feeling fancy, you can write up a little menu with these ideas for your guests – if nothing else, it will definitely get a conversation going.
• Vegetarian Options: For a large group breakfast with vegetarians, try adding items like hummus, roasted vegetables, and a variety of cheeses.
• Picnic Breakfast Ideas: If you’re planning a picnic breakfast, consider items that travel well. Everything on this breakfast board, aside from the scrambled eggs and mushrooms, will. If you need your egg fix, try mini quiches.

Final Thoughts

Creating a breakfast board is one of the best ways to serve breakfast for a crowd without getting exhausted or overwhelmed in the kitchen. Try going for a range of breakfast essentials with lots of fresh options to keep it healthy and simple.

Whether you’re planning a breakfast buffet at home, a brunch buffet, or a picnic breakfast, these easy breakfast ideas for groups mean you’re free to entertain without any hassle. You just need to do a good shop at the supermarket!

So next time you’re planning a weekend brunch, you can give my approach a try and skip the complicated recipes and go for a breakfast board. My friends and family always love it, and you’ll actually get to enjoy the morning with them instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Win win.