Brunch for a Crowd menu
Moroccan Brunch for a Crowd — A Big Weekend Griddle Spread
A Moroccan brunch is generous by nature, which makes it a natural way to feed a big weekend crowd. This menu scales the classic spread for ten to twelve: stacks of msemen and baghrir with honey-butter, a large baked khlea-and-egg dish, boards of olives and cheese, sfenj if you are feeling ambitious, and jugs of fresh juice and mint tea. The trick to serving many is to griddle the breads in batches ahead and keep them warm, and to bake the eggs in a big tray rather than frying to order. Set it all out buffet-style, keep the breads coming, and let a hungry crowd graze happily all morning.
The menu
Griddle breads
Trays of msemen and baghrir
Big stacks of flaky msemen and lacy baghrir, griddled in batches ahead and kept warm. Served with a large pool of honey-butter for the crowd.
Big hot dish
Baked khlea and eggs
Preserved spiced beef and eggs baked in one large tray rather than fried to order — the efficient way to give a crowd the savoury egg course.
Cold boards
Olives, cheese, jam and butter
Generous boards of black and green olives, soft jben cheese, apricot jam and butter for endless bread building. Set several around the table.
Sweet extra
Sfenj doughnuts
Airy fried ring doughnuts dusted with sugar — a crowd-pleasing treat if you have a fryer going. Make a big batch as things wind down.
Fruit
Orange and date platter
A large platter of sliced oranges and dates to lighten the rich griddle spread and add fresh colour to the buffet.
Drinks
Jugs of orange juice and pots of mint tea
Multiple jugs of fresh orange juice and a couple of big pots of mint tea, refilled throughout the long, sociable morning.
Shopping list
- Flour and fine semolina in quantity (for msemen and baghrir)
- Yeast, sugar and salt
- Khlea (preserved beef) or spiced sausage
- Two to three dozen eggs
- Black and green olives and soft cheese (jben)
- Honey, butter and apricot jam
- A crate of oranges for juicing
- Dates and extra fruit
- Gunpowder green tea and several bunches of mint
- Oil for griddling and frying
Prep timeline
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Night before
Make large batches of msemen dough and baghrir batter and refrigerate. Set out serving boards and platters ready.
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Early morning
Griddle the msemen and baghrir in batches, stacking and keeping them warm under cloths in a low oven. Juice the oranges.
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1 hour before
Assemble the khlea and eggs in large trays and bake. Set out the olive, cheese and jam boards around the table.
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30 minutes before
Warm the honey-butter, arrange the fruit platter, and brew the big pots of mint tea. Reheat the bread stacks through.
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Serving
Lay it all out buffet-style, bring the egg trays out hot, and fry sfenj in batches as the morning goes on.
Host's tips
- Griddle the breads in batches ahead and keep them warm under cloths — you cannot griddle to order for a big crowd.
- Bake the khlea and eggs in large trays rather than frying individually; it feeds many at once and stays hot.
- Set several olive and cheese boards around the table so a crowd is not queueing at one spot.
- Make more bread than you think — msemen and baghrir vanish alarmingly fast at a hungry brunch.
- Keep two big pots of mint tea and several jugs of juice going so drinks never run dry.
Questions about this menu
How do I serve a Moroccan brunch to a big group?
Batch and buffet. Griddle the msemen and baghrir ahead and keep them warm under cloths, bake the eggs in large trays rather than frying to order, and set out several boards of olives, cheese and jam around the table. This lets a crowd graze buffet-style all morning without you cooking to individual order.
Can I griddle msemen and baghrir in advance?
Yes, which is essential for a crowd. Griddle them in batches earlier and stack them under a cloth in a low oven to stay soft and warm. They reheat well and are meant to be eaten warm rather than piping hot from the pan, so making them ahead barely affects the result.
How much bread do I need per person?
More than you expect — griddle breads disappear fast at brunch. Allow two to three msemen or baghrir per person as a rough guide, and make extra, since leftovers keep well and are easily reheated. It is far better to over-cater the breads than to run out midway through a hungry gathering.
What is the easiest hot dish for a brunch crowd?
A baked khlea and eggs is ideal — assemble the spiced preserved beef and eggs in large trays and bake them all at once, rather than frying pan by pan. It stays hot on the buffet, feeds many, and gives everyone the savoury egg course without you standing at the stove all morning.
How do I keep drinks flowing for a crowd?
Prepare in bulk. Juice a whole crate of oranges into jugs ahead, and brew two large pots of mint tea, refreshing them with new mint through the morning. Keep the jugs and pots topped up on the buffet so guests help themselves. Almond milk in a jug is a good caffeine-free extra.
Learn to cook this menu with a local in Marrakech
Every dish here is taught, hands-on, in a Marrakech cooking class — or taste them across the medina on a guided food tour.