I think that instead of grilled veggies I would do a marinated veggie thing.....easier to prep all veggies ahead of time and early in the morning just put together with the dressing.
I have been to a fair number of brunch buffets where there are scrambled eggs in a buffet server, breakfast meat in another server, and platters of rolls and pastries, bowl of granola and another of yogurt and a cheese tray, sandwich meat (salami, sausages etc) and non sweet rolls and breads.

It would be nice if you could make about 3 9 by 13 egg casseroles and stagger bringing them out....would take the pressure off the ham.
qanother thing that would be wonderful is if you could talk someone into doing a "eggs to order" at a portable propane burner. With about 3 small pans, paper towels to wipe the pans out, a container of melted butter and a brush a bowl and a ladle of scrambled eggs and a bowl full of beautiful brown eggs ready to be broken into a pan for over easy etc.

I don't see it as a problem that you don't have an egg dish, but IMO people love eggs at brunch, and they are cheap!!
Good luck!!
Linda C

First, as the veteran of an appetizer reception for 600, a pig roast for 350 and italian buffet for 400, you definitely need a waitress, two would be better.

I like the menu, although the grilled vegetables for 100 are going to be problematic, I'm afraid, unless you plan to serve them chilled or marinated?

I don't think you need an egg dish, but you might want to add some bread so there can be ham sandwiches, instead of just muffins and scones. I don't think you need a salad either.

Annie

I have a problem with granola parfaits served alongside ham and grilled vegetables. I'd go with another sweet item like strawberries and pound cake and eliminate the coffee cake. If you put out some small rolls and honey mustard, then folks could make a sandwich and you could omit the scones and just have a selection of muffins.

Agree with the marinated vegetable salad instead of grilled vegetables. Will June be warm where you are? If yes, then I would go with potato salad instead of the potato casserole. With all this, I don't think you need an egg dish or breakfast casserole, but chile cheese bites can be made ahead and warmed slightly before serving if you want something egg-y....sort of like chile rellenos casserole.

Teresa

What a lovely gesture!
I completely agree with the above suggestions from Annie & Teresa. Eggs made to order were a disaster at a brunch for 60 that was catered at a friend's home. Too many lines and too crowded for that set up IMHO.
DEFINITELY GET HELP! That's the most important part of your budget.
When I cater a New Year's day gathering, I always buy some Honeybaked Turkey breast too. There are a number of folks that find ham objectionable for either the salt or the meat aspect. It's so easy to just add some turkey and the same condiments and bread/rolls apply, make it easy on yourself!

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

I think Linda is right, I should have the eggs. They are cheap, and will take the pressure off of the ham (very funny visual on that, BTW!). I guess I will just make several stratas the day before.

Maybe I should drop the granola parfait? Actually, it is more like a granola trifle as it is in one big bowl. I included it because it is EASY PEASY and can be layered together the night before, after I return from the wedding. If I include an egg dish, does the granola parfait "fit" better? I will still have berries on the fruit platter.

I *know* I need two waitresses, but I anticipate SIL balking because of the bottom line. I know she'll say that we have four teenage daughters between us, they can do a lot. And they CAN do a lot, but I don't even want to think about having to tell them what to do. The waitresses we hire need very little supervision. Anyway, I expect that I can convince SIL of getting at least one. (And if I can't convince her, I'll hire one waitress anyway, and pay for her myself.)

Maybe I will get some rolls for the ham, good point! I do want to keep the scones and the coffee cake, however, as I like the recipes, can make them ahead and freeze.

It's funny that everyone commented on the vegetables, because I am stuck on them as well. They are time consuming to prepare, but oh so good! DH insists that he can make them on Thursday (the brunch is on a Saturday), but I would prefer they be made on Friday. We grill them, then dress them with olive oil, balsamic, s&p.

Could you give me some examples or recipes of the marinated veggies you have in mind? Would they be cooked at all? Are they all jumbled up like a salad, or can it be served with all the vegetables separated, i.e., peppers with peppers, asparagus with asparagus, etc.? I prefer vegetables to be served this way so people can take the ones they like. (That's how *I* like it!)

I'm also a little concerned about the potato salad, I will probably need 15 pounds of potatoes. That's a lot of peeling! And boiling! And chopping! Making that, plus the 3 stratas, plus arranging the house and decorating for the next day, PLUS being busy with the actual wedding by 3 pm sounds like an awful lot for Friday. Do you agree or am I sounding like a diva? LOL!

teresa, you are pretty funny. I think it is pretty much warm everywhere in the North America in June. Then again, you southerners probably think 78* is a little chilly. It reminds me of when I got married at the end of May and DH's cousin from California came to the wedding in Michigan wearing her fur coat - LOL! I think she thought we were in the Yukon.

Nicole

How about a pasta salad instead of a potato salad? No peeling....

When I make a marinated veggie salad.....I have no recipe, just veggies of the sort and amount that seems good when I am at the store. I prepare the veggies and bag individually....certain veggies I give a brief blanch in boiling water and then quickly plunge into ice water. Those are carrots, broccoli and cauliflower...broccoflower if using.
Veggies I may use are onions, 1nch long pieces of scallions or 1/4 inch slices of sweet onion cut into 4ths, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow crook neck, sweet peppers of all colors, cherry tomatoes halves, inch long pieces of asparagus ( I blanch the tougher bottoms). Red cabbage shreds are pretty but will dye everything purple if it sits for more than an hour, and black olives are also good....but dye things black...so I omit both of those.
I t would be beautiful to arrange the veggies on a big glass platter....but oh what a lot of work!!!
For a church meal, I often kill 2 birds with one stone and add about an equal quantity of cooked pasta to the veggies....or less pasta.
I dress it all with the following dressing....and let it sit for about 2 hours before serving.
If I am adding pasta I like to cook and add dressing to the pasta the night before.....then dress the veggies and mix in the pasta about 2 hours before serving.
this is the dressing I use....I have posted this so many times I am almost embarrassed to post it again....but here goes!

Basic honey mustard vinaigrette
1T Dijon mustard
1 T honey or brown sugar�or splenda ( not as good as honey)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/3 cup rice vinegar�or 1 /4 cup cider vinegar and 2 T balsamic
1 tsp crushed dried oregano�or 2 tsps fresh.
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Whisk all but the oil and slowly add the oil while whisking

There's no peeling if you use baby red potatoes.

Here is an easy recipe that combines eggs and potatoes. It was posted by Woodie and became a favorite of ours.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

2 lbs. package frozen Hash Brown potatoes, thawed
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onions
1 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage (breakfast or Italian style - I use Italian) or cooked bacon or ham
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 -10 eggs
3 cups milk
S & P to taste

Spray 9 X 13 dish with cooking spray. Mix potatoes and onions, salt and pepper together and place in pan. Then spread sausage on top, then cheese. Beat eggs and milk (S & P) together and pour over other ingredients in pan, cover and set in refrigerator overnight.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350*.

Nancy

Nicole, I agree, that sounds like a lot going on Friday. As Nancy mentioned, use baby red potatoes and you won't have to peel them.

I've also seen a few strata type recipes that can be made in the crockpot and cooked overnight. Besides being cheap, a lot of people like eggs and they seem to hold and reheat well.

Elery and I made a bunch of little mini-quiches without crust for the appetizer reception and I froze them. They froze and reheated like a dream and were good at room temperature too. We did a spinach and cheese, crab and chese, italian sausage and mushroom. The sausage and mushroom was the favorite but a surprising number of people went for the spinach and cheese.

You could make full sized quiche instead of mini-ones, or some kind of fritatta and serve a lot of people easily.

Annie

If I were attending... :-)

By 11am I am starving! I'm looking for something more substantial than fruit and scones (although I could certainly finish with those!! They sound good.).
I think some people will have eaten breakfast and some will not.

I would love to see quiche! You can easily bake 9 x 13 pans and cut into small squares. Easy. Cheap. Can be done ahead and frozen.

I don't see any reason grilled veggies can't be done 2 days ahead. Put hubby in charge of that...including the reheating! It sounds like it is important to him and something he wants to do. I'd see if he's "up to it" after his surgery. If not, you can have a back up plan to purchase veggies on Thursday (researched ahead of time, of course!)

Baby reds or golds for the potato salad or macaroni. All works. Small bowls and bring out new ones when empty instead of trying to keep a huge bowl chilled enough to sit out for hours.

Definitely rolls and mustard(s) to make mini sandwiches. Bread is cheap and filling!!

Do you have a friend you could hire or get help from to direct the teens? Might be a thought to cut expenses, but yet give you the additional help you need. Make it official...black pants, white blouse or Tee, etc. Ask for the teen's ideas and involve them in the planning and they might be more than willing to cooperate and take pride in a job well done.

I love this idea of getting together afterward when all is relaxed and the stress of "Wedding Day" is behind them.

Deanna

Nicole - here is the Marinated Veggie recipe I like. It can easily be made a day (or two) before and gets better as it marinates. As far as the vinaigrette, use any recipe you like. Also, if you want it vegetarian you can easily omit the meats or swap out any ingredients that don't appeal to you.

Hope it helps!

Alexa

Marinated Antipasto

3 large carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 large handfuls fresh green beans
2 cups broccoli florets
2 red bell peppers, roasted and cut into strips (jar is fine)
2 yellow bell peppers, roasted and cut into strips
a 12-ounce jar peperoncini drained well
3/4 pound black or green brine-cured olives or a combination
3/4 pound marinated or plain bocconcini (small mozzarella balls,
available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets)
1/2 pound pepperoni or soppressata (hard Italian sausage, available
at Italian markets, some butcher shops, and, some specialty foods
shops), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and the slices
quartered
two 7-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained well
2 cans Hearts of Palm
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves plus, if desired, parsley sprigs for
garnish

Vinaigrette Dressing about 2 cups, use your favorite recipe

In a large pot of boiling water blanch the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender, drain them, and plunge them into a bowl of ice and cold water. Repeat for the Green Beans and Broccoli. Let the vegetables cool and drain them well. In a large bowl toss together the carrots, Green Beans, Broccoli, the roasted peppers, the peperoncini, the olives, the bocconcini, the pepperoni, the artichoke hearts, the Hearts of Palm, Vinaigrette dressing, the minced parsley until the antipasto is combined well and chill the antipasto, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Transfer the antipasto to a platter, garnish it with the parsley sprigs, and serve it at room temperature.

I can't imagine hosting a party for 100 plus guests with my husband in a cast! My blessings on your party but how anything for over 100 people could be called "Easy" is beyond me! You are a very brave woman!!!
Joann

Wow! Thanks again for all of your input. It is helping a lot.

I really like Woodie's egg and potato casserole. If I do that, can I eliminate the potato salad? (As a little aside, I think I should add that I don't eat eggs. I hate them! However, I do accept that others enjoy them, they are easy to prepare, and are cheap. So, they really are great for entertaining. However, I do have a hard time envisioning them as part of a menu.)

I think I will leave the veg dish up to DH. He claims he can do it, and his cousin (whose wife wore the fur coat in May) will be staying with us, and he is such a gem - will be a huge help, too. I can see the two of them outside, chopping vegetables and hanging out by the grill, and laughing it up! Or, maybe he wants to make life a little easier and make one of the marinated dishes posted here (they both sound yummy). As for his foot - he should be in a walking cast by that point. If he doesn't feel up to it, well... screw it. I'll call the market. I'm not going to get all stressed about it.

Bread, bread, bread, everyone mentions bread. I thought I had too many starches as it is. Along with mini-rolls for the ham, should I pick up some bagels, too? At first I thought no, but now I think it might be a good idea, especially to fill up the kids.

What do you guys say about the granola trifle? Keep it or cut it?

I must admit that this brunch is something I kind of fell into. The cousin is getting married, and we are all thrilled. She is a terrific girl who had waited a long time for Mr. Right (she is 34). Anyway, she mentioned her mom was planning an after-wedding brunch, and DH and I offered for her to host it here. The aunt has a small house and yard, and we have a great place for entertaining, so it made sense.

Then, SIL and I were discussing a shower for the cousin, and it would probably be at my house. Well, I realized that since I'm going to be getting the house ready for the brunch already, why don't we just do the brunch instead of the shower? It would be loads easier on the aunt this way. Sooo, I offered the brunch. At first the bride hesitated to accept our offer because they were planning on such a large guest list. I must admit that 120 invites was more than I was expecting. However, what could I say? "Forget it, that is too many people. Your mom can do it after all!"? So I assured her it was fine, and that is how I ended up looking like such a brave woman.

I am very happy to do it, I love DH's family and they have always been wonderful to me. I just wish that I had an extra half day and a little healthier budget! But hey! I've got the CF, and that is going to help a lot!

Thanks again, Nicole

I hate to add to your already stressed weekend but I would consider adding Mimosa's to your beverage list.

I made Alexa's Marinated Antipasta for a New Year's Eve party. It was a lot of work, but it was all do ahead. The platter was gorgeous and a huge hit and the leftovers were good for several days. It's going to be one of my regular party dishes from now on...

seagrass

Nicole, I'd skip the granola trifle and replace it with something less "breakfast-y" or just drop them.

I'm with you on the eggs; I hate the things and have to force myself to use them in recipes. Still, I would probably not serve a potato-and-egg casserole and potato salad.

I think that, if you are serving muffins and scones, bagels are not needed. If you want to cut down on work, replace one of those options with the bagels, although I don't see why you really need more than one of the three, especially if you are already having coffee cake and rolls for the ham.

I disagree....there will be some who eill want to make a sandwich.
As for the granola....why not put a bowl of granola and one ov yogurt out? That way the granola won't get too soggy if it sits for a couple of hours, and people can add some of the fresh fruit...if they are feeling a little "after the patry-ish". There have been a lot of times when I couldn't think of much to eat but a bowl of cereal!

So....
Bloody Marys, Oj and coffee
Fruit
Cheese and olives,
Ham
Egg and potato casserole
Veggies of some sort...grilled would be lovely....but marinated if the griller doesn't feel up to it.
Granola and yogurt,
bagels, scones, coffee cake etc.
Sounds good to me!
Linda C

I feel like it's being skimmed over a bit, but I think you need something seriously sweet. Sticky rolls would be my choice.

How about a couple of different quiches for the egg dish? You can make them in large sheet pans and cut them in squares or, if you can find the aluminum cupcake cups that stand on their own, line them up on cookie sheets and use those (omit crust to make things easier). Either way, you can make a large quantity quickly. You could also use frozen pie shells if you want to make them pie-size. Quiche is very easy to throw together--you can make the filling in advance and just pour onto the crusts when ready to bake, and it's good served at room temperature so you don't have to worry about keeping it hot on the buffet. You can even bake it ahead a day or 2 in advance and just reheat it, plus it goes great with salads and fruit.

I think it would be a shame to use your daughters as servers. I think they should get to attend as members of the family, in pretty clothes, not as workers in black and white uniforms. Of course they can be helpful, but that is not the same as being unpaid workers. Also, you need to be able to "attend" the party!

Professionals will make all the difference to the success of your party. I have three adult dtrs and three dtrs-in-law, all very capable women, and not very much money. But when hub retired, I hired two women to run the show in our backyard. My girls and I spent days cleaning, gardening, decorating the yards, and doing all the cooking for a dinner for 85 people. A few years before that we had similar parties in the yard when our dtr got married, and hired two women then, too.

Believe me, hire help! I love love love having parties big and small, but more than 65 or 70 guests and for parties that are more significant than just-for-the-halibut you need professional help.

Somehow I'm thinking
-an outdoor party
-in the summer
-with grilled stuff
-where people want a salad
-some are saying more veg
somehow just screams COLESLAW to me. It's easy to make a large quantity, relatively cheap, can be done, and is better done ahead of time, and holds well. Some might even put some onto that ham sandwich too. For something like this I'd doctor it up a bit, like a "Waldorf" style with some nuts, grapes, apples in it, or some dried (or fresh) cranberries, bacon, or whatever you like in it. You could even put some chicken, turkey, ham, pepperoni or whatever you like in it. I like a good coleslaw and so do a lot of people. It can be downright classy if you like.

Sounds like a good time... and a lot of work! Hope you have a great time and don't overwork yourself.

sherrmann, LOL! What ever gave you the idea that I would put my daughters in uniforms?? I would never do that. All I was saying is that I anticipated SIL wanting to handle the serving ourselves (we wouldn't be in uniforms, either) and since we have four able teen daughters they can help, too (a lot).

But no matter, I spoke with SIL and we are going with two waitresses. I'm feeling much better about that now.

cynic, call me crazy but I think you might really like coleslaw! My concern about coleslaw is that it seems to take the menu in a lunch or cookout direction, and we are trying to stay with more of a breakfast feel. A Waldorf salad might not be a bad idea, however...

Thanks again for you ideas! Would love to hear even more feedback...

Nicole