Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Family Friendly Charcuterie Boards

There are few things that I love more than putting together family friendly charcuterie boards.  I just love them!  They're so easy and such a fun way to use up all the little bits of food in the pantry and the fridge.

Today I'm going to talk to you about how to get started making your own boards at home.

I hope that my tips will give you a little boost of confidence to make a board for your family or friends.

Tip 1 // You don't actually have to have a wooden board - any big plate will work!  A tray, a cookie sheet, a large serving plate - Use whatever you have to make your boards.  We love a lazy susan wooden board and the most affordable places I've found to buy those is at TJMaxx.  They're around $20 and about double that price online.

Tip 2 // Start small on your menu at first if you A. aren't sure your family will love a charcuterie board and B. start with 3 or 4 meats and cheeses to find out what your family favorites are.  Start with basics - favorite lunch meat, basic salami, pepperoni and some kind of meat stick.  Then for cheeses do basics - any cheese you know your family enjoys and then try one or two new ones.  Once you figure out what they like, it'll be easier to plan your boards.  I also like to ask my family what they want on our boards and try to include things they request - fresh pineapple, a certain brand of salami or cheese cubes.

Tip 3 // Add in fruits and veggies your family loves.  Add one or two new ones to introduce them to new things.  Same strategy with salty snacks, nuts and dips.  I like to chop the fruits and veggies during nap time or in the evenings when the kids go to bed.  This really helps assembling the boards to be a quick process when everything is pre-chopped.

Tip 4 // Then go over some charcuterie ground rules - you only grab one thing at a time, you need to eat a variety of things (not all the strawberries or wiping out a whole stack of pepperoni) and enjoy picking out your own dinner.

Tip 5 // My last tip is: Shop at Aldi for your charcuterie boards.  It is wild how much cheaper their meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, produce and holiday treats are.  You'll save yourself a lot of money at Aldi.  If you don't have an Aldi, Walmart is a nice back up option.


Here are a couple of our favorite family friendly charcuterie board dinners from this month.

I love to pair them with something warm like soft pretzels or a fresh loaf of crusty bread.

These are the easiest dinners - no dishes, very little clean up and a great variety of foods.

 

Family Friendly Board #1

Family Friendly Board #2




 

These charcuterie boards are great for family, friends, tailgating or sharing.

Do you have any charcuterie questions or hang ups that I can help you with???

1 comment:

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