Wondering what to serve a crowd at your next party? Make it easy on the hostess with a bagels and lox bar! You can prep all of the toppings the day before and serve everything on platters for DIY assembly.
A Bagel Bar Makes Hosting a Special Occasion Brunch So Easy!
Last year when my niece Chandler announced she was engaged, I knew I wanted to host a bridal shower for her. With her wedding date set for early May, coming up with spring shower ideas would be perfect timing.
So this past weekend with 20 to 30 guests arriving for her bridal shower party (why doesn’t anyone RSVP anymore???) something totally unexpected happened, and it pretty much blew my mind.
For probably the first time in my hostessing career, I didn’t freak the freak out while prepping for the party.
Why didn’t I have my usual pre-party hostessing melt down? Because I made it easy on myself by creating a build-your-own bagel and lox bar as the centerpiece of our day. When I easily pulled the bagels, lox, and schmear out of the fridge that morning, I patted myself on the back for planning such an effortless but delicious brunch!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Planning a Bagel Brunch
Buy the bagels day of, but prep the toppings the night before. You want the bagels to be super fresh, but no one will be able to tell if the cucumbers were sliced the day prior so long as you store them airtight overnight.
Choose a large platter for your party and layer spring lettuce greens or arugula as the base. I like using a platter to corral all the toppings and keep things orderly. Plus it saves space.
Slice the veggies thinly so they’re easy to stack and group on the lettuces. Put small toppings like capers in compact bowls to nestle within the other ingredients.
Before setting out for guests, use your fingers to gently separate the sheets of lox from one another. It’s a very delicate fish to work with.
Don’t forget the drinks! Start off your brunch on a festive note with a DIY mimosa bar or Bloody Mary bar. Also offer guests coffee, seltzers, and plain juices, too.
Pre-Ordering and Selecting Your Bagels
You’ve gone to all the trouble to lay out your toppings the morning of, so keep your bagels fresh too! I have an Einsteins bagels near me so it’s easy to order a variety the day before and pick them up the morning of the party when my husband does the last minute run for ice. When ordering, ask them to slice before pick up to save even more time.
I chose an assortment of bagels for my DIY bar, nearly all of them savory with 1-2 sweet options too.
Asiago was the most popular bagel choice at my party with plain following up next. For me, it’s a sesame or everything bagel all the way.
To toast bagels for a crowd: I like my bagels toasted, but if I have a big crowd, I keep things simple and save the toaster for another day. If you must toast for a crowd, place the sliced bagels on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until golden brown.
Topping Ideas for Lox Bagels
The fun part of this no-fuss bagel and lox bar is giving your guests plenty of bagel building-options to choose from.
Protein
- lox (see notes below on how much lox to plan for per person)
- crispy bacon
- sliced hard boiled egg
Herbs & Veggies
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- red onion (pickled onions are tasty too)
- radishes (watermelon radishes are so pretty if you can find them)
- avocado
- roasted red pepper
- arugula
- fresh dill
- sprouts (I love the look of delicate pea sprouts)
Spreads
- cream cheese
- jams (I love this 20-minute berry jam)
- Nutella
- nut or seed butters
Heidi’s Tip: I kept it simple and offered only plain whipped cream cheese. I figured there was enough going on with the toppings to add all the flavor.
Seasonings & Finishers
- capers (place in a small bowl to separate from the other ingredients)
- pickled asparagus, dilly beans, or quick pickles
- lemon slices
- flaky finishing salt
- everything bagel seasoning (I can never have too much!)
How Much Lox, Cream Cheese, & Bagels to Plan for Per Person
- Bagels: Plan on 1 bagel per person
- Lox: Plan on 2-3 ounces of lox per bagel
- Cream cheese: Plan on 2-4 tablespoons of cream cheese per bagel
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Build-Your-Own Bagels and Lox Bar
Ingredients
- assortment of bagels
- sliced cucumbers
- sliced tomatoes
- capers
- sliced red onion
- avocado
- hard boiled egg
- sliced radishes
- arugula or greens for plating
- fresh dill or chives
- lemon slices
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- finishing salt
- everything bagel seasoning
- jams, nutella or nut butters
Instructions
- Pick up your fresh bagels from a bagel store the morning of your party so they are fresh. Ask for them to be pre-sliced. Arrange the bagels on a platter or large bowl.
- Shop for the bagel toppings a day or two before the party. If your bagel bar is being served for breakfast, prep the sliced ingredients the night before. Before serving, lay a bed of greens as the base on a large platter or board and arrange the toppings on top with serving utensils. Serve the cream cheese in small serving bowls and remember to set out enough knives for spreading.
- Serve plenty of coffee, juices, and mimosas and encourage your guests to help themselves then sit back and enjoy.
What Else to Serve at Your Brunch Bar
- Drinks — Bloody Marys, Mimosas, or Tequila Sunrises
- Eggs — Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole or Poppable Egg Muffins
- Sweets — Fluffy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls or Banana Muffins
- Fruit — Fresh Fruit with Yogurt Dip, Strawberry Arugula Salad, or Melon Mozzarella Salad
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El
Great ideas and it all looks so lovely! My question though, is how do you keep the avocado slices from starting to brown or discolour? Slice at the last minute and drizzle with a bit of lemon juice?? Thanks!
Yes, you could give them a drizzle of lemon or lime jucie. And I discovered a new hack thanks to Instagram! Store the avocados with a sliced onion and they won’t discolor in the fridge. It works!
El
Thanks! Especially the tip about the onion!
Nelda Elaine GB
LOVELY….Thank you for sharing. Nelda Elaine Texas
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you Nelda!
Candice
I’m planning on hosting a vintage jewelry buying party and I always go overboard with food. This looks amazing and might actually give me some time to check out the jewelry myself before everyone else snatches it up!
thrissur jobs
Its very intresting.thanks for sharing
divorcee matrimony
Very intresting information thanks for sharing this information. it was very useful…
Sabrina
fun and festive spread, would have forgotten, even not known what options to provide in this brunch bar, love all of the savory flavors too, thank you