Smoked Salmon Brunch

Welp.

I've been telling you about all these dumb cream cheeses.

I'm sorry about that.

There was a reason for it, though!

I know you're relieved to know that the time has come for you to know the reason.

We're going to have a smoked salmon spread for brunch!

Or lunch.

Or a shower.

Or a wedding.

Or a party.

You get the picture.

This is fun stuff, and easy, since smoked salmon comes nicely prepared in packages that you don't have to do anything to.  It's delicious, too!

So there.

The links below will take you to any recipes you might need, but here's what I think you should do the next time you're feeding a gang that likes seafood.

Gather up the following:

• packaged smoked salmon (¼ lb per person will be MORE than enough.  The flavors are strong!)
• capers
• diced red onion
• sliced lemons
• bagels
• toasted baguette slices
• goat cheese cream
• garlic chive cream cheese
• plain cream cheese
• jelly - for our non-fish loving friends
• fruit
• OJ and champagne - you need mimosas here!

Both of the blended cream cheeses can me made a few days in advance, so there's very little prep work when you actually want to serve this - just cut up the fruit, toast the breads, and get everything else out of the fridge!

Now, I like to take the salmon out of the package and spread it out on a platter so it doesn't stick together.  Add some toast and bagel halves (or quarters, here) to the platter with some pretty little bowls of lemon, capers, and onions.  Yum!

This is definitely easiest if you serve it all buffet-style, so make one end of the counter for drinks with glasses, cups, and any drink ingredients you need.

Then, put the cream cheeses and fruit out with some serving utensils, plates, and napkins, and you're DONE.  Delicious, varied, and reasonably healthy compared to some brunch foods!

The fun part about this is seeing what combinations people come up with with whatever ingredients you provide - there are so many different things you could do!

Enjoy this one - the cheeses that you make yourself make it especially fancy, and it isn't hard AT ALL.  You could add anything to the assortment of toppings too....hard cheeses, bacon...oh my.