Breakfast at Christmas

[LovingLifesHurdles]

We have guests staying for a few days over the Christmas period. There will be around 6 adults for breakfast every day.

AIBU to expect everyone to help themselves to toast / bagels / cereals? What will you be serving?

I think it's reasonable to set this up for then to help themselves. There's a nice thread with Christmas day breakfast ideas if you're up for that. You're guests nice pitch in and help too.

Stocking chocolates. Christmas tree crumpets or if I'm feeling particularly energetic I go and find a mcdonalds x

There’s usually only me, oh and ds for XMas day so I have croissants and some fizz and I’ll make oh a fry up. Ds will have a croissant + his usual breakfast (he doesn’t eat much so getting him to have a croissant is a huge win).

We have guest over NY so I put out bagels, croissants, toast, crepes, eggs, yoghurts etc as well as the usual cereals. They can help themselves. If they want fry ups etc they can sort themselves out.

pain au chocolat from good bakery. They are currently frozen and can be warmed up whenever needed orange juice coffee tea. Guests can take it in turns to make breakfast for others with a supply of eggs smoked salmon bacon spinach etc. Also toast etc I will cook on one of the days

Just get some pastries, waffles etc.

Cinnamon buns!

We switch around, sometimes smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, other times bacon sandwiches (both are somewhat faffy). This year it'll be pre bought cinnamon rolls (from Gail's).

We always have a fruit platter with slices of oranges, melon, mango, etc with pomegranate, and a ginger and lime dressing, so we can feel moderately virtuous about having fruit.

I've ordered one of the eggs Benedict rings from Tesco serves six and there's two of us. When hosting I would make a full English and leave it to keep warm for people to help themselves as and when they got up.

I would put the breakfast basics on the table for people to help themselves to and let everyone know where the other bits are if they want them. I would also ensure everyone knew what time lunch was (if you're doing lunch) and what time you need everyone out of the kitchen. I would ensure that anything I was keeping for another meal was securely hidden away or labelled (smoked salmon in this house .. Always kept for the evening meal. We have our Christmas dinner at 1:00 and I want everyone out of the kitchen by 10:00. It's no hardship as a) everyone wakes up early to open their stockings and b) stockings are full of edible goodies.

On Christmas day we have coco pops. It's a treat because we don't have chocolate cereal during the year
For guests I'd have plenty of options in and would tell them to help themselves

When we stayed with relatives DH usually cooked porridge for me and him and asked others who wanted some. We had yogurt, fruits and pastries, sliced cheese and meat out and everyone helped themselves. A few times BIL cooked eggs so again he asked who wanted some. We all did breakfast a bit differently and there was a queue for the shower so it was more like people coming between 9-9.30 rather then at fixed time.
Lunch and dinner were at fixed time.

Do whatever works for you and your guests. Some people favour lavish big breakfasts, some very little. Think about the timings of other meals, if you are planning a full blown Christmas lunch at 1300 then a full English at 0900 is likely to be way to heavy and a hindrance in kitchen logistics. If you have early risers and others who prefer a lie in a self serve approach might be best.

May also depend on how well you know your guests, ie will you feel happy telling them to sort themselves or do you feel the need to play hostess? If they are there for several mornings I'd probably do a couple of cooked breakfasts, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, bacon sandwiches etc and the rest fresh fruit and pastries, crumpets or bagels and have decent bread, cereal, porridge, coffee, tea, fresh juice available for those opting for a simpler option.

Oh that sounds very interesting. Any hints where / how I can find it?

I do actually really enjoy cooking and love to treat guests but catering a full on breakfast, then lunch, then dinner for a number of days can get a bit much!

Thanks all for your suggestions on fresh pastries, crumpets etc. We have a nice bakery a fairly short drive away so that's definitely an option for at least one or 2 of the days. Also fruit platters are straightforward and a great crowd pleaser.

Starting to get hungry now...

Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or ham and scrambled eggs.

How about salmon and cream cheese bagels one of the days?

Scrambled eggs isn't a bad idea if everyone is eating at the same time, one huge pot, soft scrambled eggs, toast/toasted English muffins, the options of avocado, smoked salmon, baby plum tomatoes roasted in the oven with garlic olive oil, salt and pepper (bung a whole box of tomatoes in a roasting tin, use garlic oil of you can't be bothered to crush any, salt and pepper 15-20 mins in the oven).
I wouldn't do this every day though if you've got guests for nearly a week. A croissant/bagel day people helping themselves to jam/cream cheese etc, cereals out on the table another day, with Porridge as an option. Bacon sandwiches if your feeling generous with your time or rope someone in to take charge a couple of mornings. I'm always happy to help in the kitchen as a guest, I like to cook

Croissants on xmas day , bacon and eggs boxing day here
Other days normal breakfast toast and cereal

I think just do a help yourself thing on the days around xmas day then do something cooked on xmas day. Doesnt have to be anything too strenuous with all the other xmas day cooking, maybe just bacon/sausage butties?

Asda reindeer crumpets

Toasted bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, then chocolate coins.