About Reluctant Entertainer

Welcome to  “About Reluctant Entertainer” page. This blog is about recipes, entertaining ideas, charcuterie board and The Big Board® ideas – and many travel posts from around the world.

About Sandy, author of Reluctant Entertainer

My story isn’t uncommon. I fell in love with entertaining as a little girl as I watched my mom and her sisters entertain. Their main mission was to get a beautiful spread on the table for their guests, so everyone could linger around the table for hours…concluding with a cup of coffee in one hand and a dessert fork in the other. It was in those hectic moments that my life changed forever. 

Since then, I’ve become a wife, a mother, and in 2006, I became the creator behind Reluctant Entertainer–feasting on life every minute I can. 

Here on RE, our home together, I’ll show you how to entertain with confidence. Trust me, it’s easier than you think.

Travel with Sandy

I also love to share my travel adventures. Recently I’ve been to Prague, Maui, a European and Canadian cruise (Viking Cruises), and we’re headed to France in the Fall . Last year to Prague, Australia, Switzerland, and France! Follow along on my Travel page on RE! In 2021 we were in Bermuda, and 2022 we traveled to Greece, Italy, Croatia, France, and Ireland. Then 2023 and 2024 Canada, Spain, and a lot more!

The Big Board®

I’m proud to say that I started the “epic charcuterie board” and THE BIG BOARD concept back in September 2017, the original creator of the epic Pier One board. What sets me apart from many charcuterie makers is a board with a lip, or raised edge.

I’ve partnered with JK Adams and their premier woodmakers in Dorset, Vermont, with my own line of The Big Board® in October 2020. The boards are food safe with a raised lip, with perfectly designed undercut handles. They are exclusive to RE, come in 9 epic sizes, and you can buy them, HERE. Plus, check out all the other accessories in the store!

Gathering friends for a meal comes naturally for some but it intimidates a lot of people. Even the most seasoned host can over complicate matters and place unreasonable expectations on themselves, especially around the holidays.

I’m here to tell you it’s possible to gather friends and offer them a unique experience with minimal effort. One of my core philosophies is this: you don’t have to be a great cook or perfect hostess to entertain. In fact, I’ve made it my life’s work to encourage reluctant entertainers. My signature? Big Boards.

Presenting beautifully arranged meals on one large show-stopping platter—or Big Board, as I call them—is one of the easiest ways I know to simplify entertaining. The process is relatively easy and the possibilities are endless. This method of service fosters connection, models hospitality, and creates meaningful table experiences. It’s fun, collaborative, and for the most part, you can easily pull it off ahead of time. All you need is a large board, basic kitchenware, adequate inspiration, and the food to pull it off.

This is what I love most about the Big Board concept: it’s versatility. You can easily customize a board to suit your gathering. Appetizer nights, theme parties, baby showers, birthday celebrations, summer barbeques, bonfire feasts, simple weekend dinners—if you can dream it, you can do it on a board and make it memorable.

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The Reluctant Entertainer’s Manifesto

• Our tables exist to serve people, not ourselves. It’s where hearts are heard and bodies are fed.
• There is beauty in a “not perfect” board, because often it’s about creating something lovely with what you already have in your fridge and pantry.
• It’s a sacred calling to be watchful and purposeful about who gathers at our tables, even when it’s spontaneous.
• Be generous in love.
• Unique style means you have your own style, and you don’t compare it to others.
• Uncomplicated hosting is a blessing to everyone.
• The size of your house doesn’t dictate the size of your hospitality.
• A board doesn’t have to be over-the-top–it just needs to be festive and delicious.
• Our tables should be where we show up, take risks, and talk about real things in life.
• The table is where our world expands and we listen and learn.

Let’s Connect!

For the days when a visit to my website isn’t enough… 

• Like my RE FB page!
• Check out my pins on Pinterest.
• Peek inside my life on Instagram  (@ReluctantEntertainer)
• I love to get emails. Email me any time with a question or just to say hi!
• Subscribe to my blog by email, here.

I hope that joy and grace spills over to you on the pages here at RE! Thank you for being here with me today!

My Bio & Features

Sandy Coughlin is the delightful cheerleader and guru of all things related to food, travel, “big board” dinner and charcuterie ideas, and hospitality on her blog, Reluctant Entertainer. Her love is to help readers and reluctant entertainers with easy tips, tasty recipes, and inspiration so they, too, can open their hearts and homes to beloved guests.

Find out more at RELUCTANTENTERTAINER.COM

• Sandy’s been featured here at Rachael Ray’s magazine, FoodieCrush Magazine, The Huffington Post, Harry & David, Buzz Feed, The Inspired Room, and was a contributor at Tsh Oxenreider, RecipeGirl, Bush’s Beans, The Bean Life, Country Living, Woman’s World, and more!
• Sandy’s contributed to the following books: Gift of Friendship, by Dawn Camp, and Where Women Cook: Celebrate!
• Better Homes & Gardens – July 2021
• Woman’s Day online, April 2019
• Article in The Food + Diet issue of Simplify Magazine, June 2019
• Eating Well – August 2021
• Modern Texas Living Magazine – Summer 2021 (print)
• Taste of Home – October 2021
• Everyday Faith – Fall 2021
• The Best Cookbooks for Kids – April 2023
• The New York Post – February 2024
• The Epic Baked Potato Dinner Board went viral in January 2020 on Facebook in Australia, reaching millions.

Previously Published Book: The Reluctant Entertainer, Bethany House (2009)

Reluctant Entertainer® is a US registered trademark. Also The Big Board® is a US registered trademark. Please ask my permission before reposting any of my photographs anywhere. Please do not copy any content or recipes I have posted on this site without permission. Here’s an awesome article about recipe attribution. Thank you!

I do not accept article submissions or guests posts on RE! Thanks!