How To Make A Protein-Packed Breakfast Board + A Recipe To Try

Breakfast boards are an enchanting way to eat. Besides sheer versatility, this morning take on the classic cheese board is a fabulous opportunity to unleash your culinary creativity, perk up leftover food, or curate a selection of tasty ingredients.

Boards are all about the ingredients you use to create them, shares Shelly Westerhausen, author of Platters & Boards: Beautiful, Casual Spreads for Every Occasion. "Try to use ingredients that are as fresh and unique as you can find; this is a chance for you and your family to try something new, so stop by a farmers market or artisanal food shop to find unique jams and sauces," she says. "Not only will these items keep your boards interesting, but they will be conversation starters."

Choose ingredients that play well together and sound good to you—flavor, touch, smell, and texture-wise. The magic of creating a food board is that you can mingle and blend the components as you'd like, while pairing foods that complement each other.

To get started, think of your boards, trays, serving bowls, ramekins, trays—or any other type of food vessel—as your foundation, which will also determine the space and surface you'll work with.

Although options for displaying beautiful food might seem infinite, it's worth giving it some thought and attention beforehand. Using a pink Himalayan salt slab as your backdrop, for instance, makes food pop and look different than it would on a darker, walnut wood board.

Having a brunch gathering? Prepare this collection of fixings that allows your guests to customize their sandwiches.

Serves 12

Strategy: You have two options for presentation here: You can make an assembly-line table off to the side for guests to gravitate to when they are hungry, or you can set up a big spread on your dining-room table if you are planning for everyone to sit down at once to eat. If going the assembly-line route, buy presliced cheese and make sure to slice the bagels, croissants, and ciabatta beforehand to keep your guest line moving. Cluster ingredients onto several trays or boards based on these groupings: bread, toppings and cheeses, and spreads and garnishes.

Drink Pairing: You are making a huge spread for your guests, so if anyone offers to bring drinks, suggest Bloody Mary supplies and put them in charge of whipping them up when they arrive.

For an assembly line setting: Place serving plates and utensils for the guests to use on the far left of the table. Place the bagels, croissants, and ciabatta on the first tray (the one that is farthest to the left). Place the tomato slices on a rimmed dish (to keep the juices from spreading) and add to a second tray along with the arugula, baked eggs, bell peppers, and cheeses. Place the tongs near the cheese along with any spoons or forks that will be needed to easily pick up the vegetables. 

Place the pesto, mustard, and jam in three small bowls. Place the pesto bowl, mustard bowl, jam bowl, basil, pickled vegetables, olives, salt well, and pepper grinder on the last tray, along with serving spoons for each one, and put it to the far right of the table. As soon as it's all ready and set up, call your guests to the assembly line. Make sure they come and enjoy it while it's hot!

This tangy and spicy mustard (makes 2 cups) pairs nicely with sweet fruit and savory cheeses. Keep the mustard spicy as is, or add more honey at the end to sweeten it up to your liking. Don't skip soaking the seeds overnight in the vinegar mixture, as it helps mellow them out. Yellow mustard seeds are milder than brown, so feel free to use all yellow if you want a milder result or more brown to make it even spicier.