NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH

GAME PLAN

4 Weeks Before

• Invite guests: Send evites early as people may have established New Year’s Day traditions

3 Weeks Before

• Plan menu: My menu had some food that needed to be kept warm. Omit this if you don’t have equipment like a chafing dish.
• Arrange support staff or kitchen help if you will use it

2 Weeks Before

• Finalize menu
• Make detailed shopping list
• Decide what you will buy readymade

7 Days Ahead

• Get out dishes, glasses, silverware, napkins and all serving dishes
• Finalize logistics: bar set-up, coffee station set-up

6 Days Ahead

• Do grocery shopping: non-perishables, ice, frozen orange juice, blintzes, etc.

4 Days Ahead

• Set-up buffet table

3 Days Ahead

• Do grocery shopping: perishables, cream cheese, smoked fish, fresh orange juice, eggs, etc.

2 Days Ahead

• Prepare and bake Pumpkin Monkey Bread
• Roast leg of lamb for Lamb Hash
• Bake potatoes for hash
• Chop onions for hash
• Buy and arrange flowers
• Buy bagels, pastries, breads, fish, cream cheese, etc.

1 Day Ahead

• Organize playlist
• Thaw frozen orange juice for Fresh Fruit Salad
• Prepare and refrigerate Blintz Souffle
• Prepare Lamb Hash
• Clean mushrooms for Chicken Livers Chasseur, rinse livers
• Make tomato sauce for Shakshuka
• Prepare Apple Fig Crumble
• Wash all fruit for Fresh Fruit Salad
• Make Fresh Fruit Salad (omit bananas and grapes until the morning of the party)

Morning of Party (My party started at 12:30 p.m.)

• 8:00 a.m.
• Roast potatoes
• Roast tomatoes

• 9:00 a.m.
• Bake Apple Fig Crumble

• 10:00 a.m.
• Prepare fish platters (2 hours ahead)
• Slice breads

• 11:00 a.m.
• Bake Blintz Souffle (1 hour and 10 minutes)
• Bake Lamb Hash (45 minutes)
• Add bananas and grapes to Fresh Fruit Salad
• Prepare Shakshuka
• Prepare Chicken Livers with Mushrooms
• Set-up bar and coffee station
• Arrange pastries

Have a drink and wait for your guests to arrive!