Deviled eggs are always one of the first things to disappear at any gathering, so why not make them the star of the table? This Deviled Egg Snack Board is a simple and beautiful way to serve a variety of deviled eggs alongside easy, crowd-pleasing bites like crackers, cheeses, and fresh fruit. Perfect for Easter, spring brunch, or any casual get-together, it’s an effortless way to create something festive and memorable.

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Fall happiness for me is not really about my home decor, but about creating special memories with food with new and old friends. I love to get a pot of tomato soup simmering on the stove, and then taking sour dough bread to make the cheesiest, most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. If you want a shortcut, you can also make our grilled cheese sliders.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Every hosting moment is so unique. But honestly, I still get a little nervous, even when serving a simple meal, like a tomato soup and grilled cheese tray.

Why I love this recipe

• I love to serve food on a board or a try, because it’s casual and easy.
• Everyone loves grilled cheese! You can make them in so many ways (with varieties of cheese and bread).
• Tomato soup is a natural to pair with the sandwiches for dipping! Oh, so good!

Gather these ingredients

This lunch board/tray is super easy. Gather a few simple ingredients:

• Your favorite tomato soup recipe [try my Best Orange Basil Tomato Soup]
• Favorite bread
• The best cheese you can find for a grilled cheese
• Butter
• Apples
• Potato chips

How do you make Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese?

1. Prepare your soup according to directions.
2. For the grilled cheeses, broil cheese onto the toasted slices for about 3 minutes under a low setting. Press slices together to make 8-10 sandwiches.
3. Prepare board by placing soup in the center and spread sandwiches, apples, and chips around. Serve hot and enjoy!

What cheese is best for grilled cheese sandwich?

• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Colby
• Provolone
• Monterey Jack

You can also make a Cobb Grilled Cheese or Grilled Cheese Hot Dogs!

What is good with grilled cheese?

Tomato soup. This is a classic grilled cheese side, and for good reason! …
Salad. A good grilled cheese needs a salad of fresh lettuce with nuts, pear or apple, and a goat or blue cheese.
Fries. Sweet potato fries are our favorite.
Cookies. Try my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies.

Planning ahead to make a lunch tray

Follow these steps and try something new.

1. Decide who you want to invite. Decide who needs to meet who, and put a small group of friends together.
2. Invite and get a date on the calendar.
3. Make the soup ahead. Soup tastes better the next day or two anyway!
4. The day of, heat up the soup, make the grilled cheese.
5. On a tray, arrange the grilled cheese, chips, and apples around the soup in the center.
6. Open your door, serve soup and sandwiches, forget about “perfect” and give freely.
7. Give it all away, because you’ve got nothing to lose.

More grilled cheese ideas while you are here

• EPIC Kid-Friendly Grilled Cheese Charcuterie Board
• Blackstone Grilled Cheese
• Grilled Cheese Flatbread Sandwich
• Sweet Potato Soup and Grilled Cheese

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Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup

Set out a Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup board or tray. We love it served with our favorite chips and crisp red and green apple slices! Make my Orange Basil Tomato Soup Recipe!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 480kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

Soup

• 32 oz Tomato Soup Make our Orange Basil Tomato Soup recipe.

Sandwiches

• 16-20 slices bread toasted
• 16-20 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• butter

Extras

• 2 Apples sliced
• Potato chips

Instructions

• Prepare your soup according to directions.
• For the grilled cheeses, broil cheese onto the toasted slices for about 3 minutes under a low setting. Press slices together to make 8-10 sandwiches.
• Prepare board by placing soup in the center and spread sandwiches, apples, and chips around. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

Reposted from October 2019.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1059mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1031IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 483mg | Iron: 3mg

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Who doesn’t love pie? I sure do, but serving pie to guests can be messy and isn’t quite so pretty when you’ve got a bunch of sliced pie sitting on plates. Enter this Summer Mini Pie Board. You can load it with your favorite mini pies and other treats. Then, just put out a carafe of coffee and a pitcher of iced tea and let everyone dig in!

Summer Mini Pie Board

This mini pie board is ideal for dessert, but it’s also fun when having company over in the afternoon or after dinner. The best part is that you can get it all ready ahead of time, so it’s ready to go when you are.

I built this board on my Big Board. It is a 26-inch food-safe board with handles for easy carrying and raised sides so nothing slips off. Wait until you see the amazed looks on your guests’ faces when you bring out this fully loaded board! 

Why I love this epic Summer Mini Pie Board

• This is a no-cook board! This easy dessert board is loaded with mini pies that you can purchase premade. All you need to do is add some whipped cream and garnishes to the board, and it’s good to go!
• Mini pies are so much better than big pies. They’re cuter, and people can try a few different kinds.
• You can prepare it ahead of time, then whip the cream and serve! It’s that easy!

Gather these ingredients

• 4-inch mini peach pies – You’ll need about 6.
• 4-inch mini lemon pies – About 6 mini pies.
• 4-inch mini berry pies – 6 mini pies.
• 4-inch mini cherry pies – 6 mini pies
• Fresh blueberries – 1 pint.
• Fresh raspberries – 1 pint.
• Fresh blackberries – 1 pint.
• Peaches – 2 peaches, peeled and diced.
• Cherries – 2 cups fresh cherries.
• Heavy whipping cream 
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

How to make this epic Summer Mini Pie Board

1. Ensure you’ve got a flat, sturdy spot to place your Big Board loaded with goodies. Have plates and napkins nearby for your guests.
2. Place a large bowl in the center of the board. You’ll add your whipped cream to this bowl.
3. Arrange the mini pies around the board. You can add cute little tags so that your guests know what kind of pies they are.
4. Place the fruit in the spaces between the pies. I love using these pie-shaped dishes. They look so cute on the board when loaded with fruit and other garnishes.
5. Before serving, whip the whipped cream until thick. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla and gently mix with a large spoon.
6. Transfer the whipped cream to the bowl in the center of the board, garnish with cherries or fruit, and serve!

Tips & substitutions

• I find mini pies at Walmart, but many other bakeries and large grocery stores sell them. Use your favorite selection of mini fruit pies. Just ensure you have a good variety for your guests.
• Use fresh fruit to garnish your board, not frozen. Frozen fruit will be too watery and hard to eat.
• For the best texture, make the whipped cream just before serving. 
• Where did I get the cute little pie shaped dishes? Easy to buy, they fit so nicely on the big board.

Serving suggestions

This is such an amazing board to share with friends. I love serving it after a summery Chili-Lime Chicken Thighs or Lemon Chicken Gnocchi dinner.  Sometimes we skip the meal and just feast on finger foods. This mini pie board goes well with appetizers like Lemon Ricotta Bruschetta and prosciutto-wrapped mini peppers. 

Storage

Store any leftover pies in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days. The fruit can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 days, but the whipped cream will not keep once it’s been whipped.

Check out these awesome summer board ideas while you’re here

• Summer Camping Charcuterie Board
• Summer Bruschetta Board
• Summer Snack Board

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Summer Mini Pie Board

Super cute and easy to assemble, this summer Mini Pie Board is perfect for sharing with friends and family. Forget whole pies; go mini! Made on 26-inch BIG BOARD.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 112kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 6 4-inch The Bakery Mini PEACH Pies
• 6 4-inch The Bakery Mini LEMON Pies
• 6 i4-nch The Bakery Mini BERRY Pies
• 6 4-inch The Bakery Mini LEMON Pies
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blackberries
• 2 peaches peeled and diced
• 2 cups fresh cherries

Whipping cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

• On a large serving board, arrange a large bowl in the center (to hold the whipped cream).
• Next, arrange the pies and fruit around the whipping cream.
• To whip the cream, pour the heavy cream in a bowl and using a hand mixer, whip the cream for 2-4 minutes, until thick.
• Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and gently mix with a spoon. Pour the cream into the large bowl and place in the center of the board.
• Garnish the whipping cream with cherries or fresh fruit. Serve!

Notes

Optional to add tags or labels for the kinds of pies (ex: lemon, cherry, berry, peach).

 

Reposted from July 2019.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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I love a dip that tastes like my favorite sandwich! A B.L.T is my all-time favorite combination for a sandwich, especially in the summer months with fresh tomatoes. This dip has a “zip” to it, with the chipotle and lime, and and is delicious with chunks of fresh corn off the cob!

Chipotle BLT Dip

Here’s a quick tip if you don’t have a jalepeno in the fridge–just reach for Chipotle Chili Pepper and it adds just the right amount of spice. It’s a great way to bring this recipe up a notch! 

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We love this Black Rice Caprese Salad served cold, at room temperature, or even slightly warmed (which melts the cheese). The flavors of balsamic, tomatoes, and fresh basil makes this caprese salad my favorite summer salad for guests!

Black Rice Caprese Salad

This salad is also so colorful and a great gluten-free option. Black rice is naturally gluten-free and is a good ingredient to use for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Even though we are not experts with gluten-free diets, this salad has proven to be a real crowd-pleaser (our guests rave about it).

Why I love this recipe

• It comes together quickly.
• Great for a dinner party (as it’s a gluten-free salad).
• Perfect for summer months with fresh tomatoes and basil. Delish!

Ingredients for Rice Salad

• Cooked forbidden black rice: we buy at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods
• Dijon mustard
• Balsamic vinegar
• Virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Grape tomatoes: or fresh heirloom or garden tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Mozzarella balls: you can use the ones that are marinated if you prefer
• Fresh basil

How do you make Black Rice Caprese Salad?

The pleasantly earthy flavor of black rice pairs well with the balsamic vinaigrette. If you can’t find it, use wild rice instead.

1. Cook the rice according to package directions; cool.
2. Make the vinaigrette: combine Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a small dish. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust accordingly.
3. Toss the cooled rice with the vinaigrette, but reserve a little for the end.
4. Add handfuls of tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella cheese into the rice. Add chopped fresh basil. Gently mix.
5. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and add salt and pepper. Serve cold or room temperature, or heated to warm. Garnish with more fresh basil leaves.

Tips and substitutions:

• Swap out the black rice for regular rice.
• You can use grape tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes (will be juicy).
• Double the recipe for a large party! (or triple!)
• Meal prep is easy, and I love to make this recipe early in the day when we are entertaining. The flavors really settle in, and it can even be made the day before!

More info on forbidden black rice

Here’s some interesting facts. Antioxidant-rich black rice, also called forbidden rice or “emperor’s rice, earned its name because it was once reserved for the Chinese emperor to ensure his health and longevity. It was forbidden to anyone else–thus the name.

This salad? Perfect served with these summer foods: Buttermilk Chicken Recipe, Watermelon Chile Lime Feta Salad, and this Ricotta Gnocchi with Berry Compote

And it’s hard to not go back for seconds … just sayin’!

More caprese salads to try:

• What to serve with caprese salad?
• Summer Fruit Caprese Salad
• Pesto & Asparagus Caprese Salad

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Black Rice Caprese Salad

Black Rice Caprese Salad is made with forbidden black rice, mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and olives; drizzled with a balsamic dressing! A great gluten-free option.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 312kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black rice
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes cut in half
• 1 cup kalamata olives cut in half
• 1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella balls cut in half
• 1 cup packed fresh basil chopped (plus extra)

Instructions

• Cook the rice according to package directions; cool.

Mak the vinaigrette:

• Combine Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a small dish. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust accordingly.

Assemble the salad:

• Toss the cooled rice with the vinaigrette, but reserve a little for the end.
• Add handfuls of tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella cheese into the rice. Add chopped fresh basil. Gently mix until combined.
• Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and add salt and pepper. Serve cold or room temperature, or heated to warm. Garnish with more fresh basil leaves.

Notes

Reposted from June 2020.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg

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Friends, have you thought about hosting a summer dinner with a friend and serving a Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad recipe? Sometimes hosting together can take the pressure off of the hostess, because you don’t have to do it all. You can share expenses and divide up the recipes. Easy and fun!

Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad

Today I’m sharing a delicious recipe to share at a dinner party, a Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad, served on a big platter. You can also add berries, like this tomato and burrata appetizer (or summer berry salad). (more…)

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Friends, we enjoyed our time around the table with new friends this past weekend, and enjoyed this Honey Sriracha Salmon recipe. It’s a baked salmon recipe that is so easy, you won’t believe it. This recipe is adapted from The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

Honey Sriracha Salmon

This is honey baked salmon recipes is one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. I love a recipe you can prepare ahead (check it off your list). The marinade is a delicious combination of spicy, sweet, and savory. Bake for 10-12 minutes. BAM! A great dish to serve your guests!

The reason why we gather? We need and crave connection. We are social beings, and we survive through our social connections! Which is why I always say: Get a date on the calendar and invite people over for dinner! (more…)

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This summer spin on the classic Waldorf salad has fresh summer peaches in place of apples. But wait, you can also add in apples. Or chicken for extra protein. Mix up the herbs – make it your own for summer entertaining. This post is updated from August 2016 with new photos and text!

Peach Waldorf Salad Recipe

We adore this salad because it’s light, refreshing, and if you add a protein to it, it becomes a great lunch or main-course salad on a hot summer day. (more…)

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Friends, this Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad has been on my blog for years. We love this coleslaw salad recipe because it’s light, fresh, and the first to be devoured at a party! Of course it’s delicious for any holiday–or as simple as a weeknight meal. This recipe if a must for Asian salad lovers.

Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad

This Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad is so good, I think you might be adding this to your monthly rotation, if you are a menu planner! We call this our “anytime salad” because it’s literally good for any season. But if you love a good summer slaw, try this Sweet Asian Slaw with Apple and Corn. (more…)

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How do you caramelize onions? If you were to ask me if I had a signature holiday appetizer, I would point you to this Caramelized Onion Crostini recipe without hesitation. It’s a classic that has been around for decades, with very simple ingredients. Oh, and did I mention that these little bites get gobbled up at every party?

Caramelizing onions until they are richly browned, is a wonderful way to pull flavor out of the simplest of ingredients. Maybe you’ve tried my Caramelized Onion Brie En Croute!

Easy Caramelized Onion Crostini

The secret to caramelizing onions is that you need a little time. But with time, you get very soft and nicely browned onions – but not too dark. As you slowly cook the onions, this brings out deep, rich, sweet flavor, as the natural sugars in the onions begin to caramelize.

Make a crispy appetizer, ready in an hour. (more…)

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