Whether you’re feeding a hungry crowd or looking for the ultimate centerpiece for an intimate party, these recipes are sure to satisfy and impress. Discover your new favorite game day food ideas with creative ways to style them for maximum impact!

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Think back to the popular bruschetta bar, where you set everything out on the counter, and everyone made their own combination of bruschetta on toasts. Today, we’re serving up a classy tray with your favorite bruschetta toppings (feta, olives, artichokes, tomatoes, bruschetta, salami, crackers) on a transportable tray! How delicious is this?

What is bruschetta?

Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer that has been around for years! It’s made with grilled or toasted bread, rubbed with garlic, and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper.

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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.

The post Deviled Egg Snack Board (Easy Easter Charcuterie Board Idea) appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Forget traditional hot dogs; give Taco Dogs a try! Imagine a tasty hot dog wrapped in a flour tortilla. With toppings like red onion, avocado, salsa, and refried beans to hold it all together, it’s a tasty fusion of Mexican and American favorites. 

Taco Dogs

Taco Dogs are so much fun to make and eat, and I love serving them on my Big Board. They are so appetizing when stacked up in the middle of the board and surrounded by chips to nibble on, your favorite salsa, and lettuce for people to add to their Taco Dogs if they desire.

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I absolutely adore this Christmas board for the holidays. Arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree on a 12×24’’ Board, these cheese balls make a fabulous focal point for your holiday table! A base of chocolate chip balls forms the tree trunk, while the rest stack upward to a single “tree topper” ball at the top.

Christmas Tree Cheese Balls

Serve with toasted baguette slices for spreading, for a crowd-pleasing dish that’s perfect for a Christmas celebration. This is easy enough to prepare at home, and bring the board right with you to your next holiday party. They will be scooped up in no time (and so delish!)

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I love a fun, pretty holiday appetizer! This “cheese board” says it all – Merry Christmas, with a Boursin Cheese Tree with toothpicks and olives. It’s so simple! We made this last year in 2023, inspired by the great @kitchenachim.

Boursin Cheese Tree

Serve this cheese appetizer with slices of crispy baguette and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a show-stopping addition to your holiday spread. Shared on Instagram last year, this crowd-pleaser feeds at least 12 and brings PURE Christmas magic to the BIG BOARD.

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I love a fun appetizer board to serve at Christmastime. These Lettuce Cups are so cute, shaped like a Christmas tree, that are filled with deliciousness. Each cup is filled with bacon, creamy Boursin cheese, cherry tomatoes (think BLT!), decorated to resemble ornaments, and topped with a cheddar cheese star at the top for a joyful touch. Plus, how fun that this recipe is served on our 12×36″ big board?

Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree

Drizzled with chunky blue cheese dressing and served with crackers at the base, these BLT lettuce cups are an eye-catching centerpiece to serve for your holiday guests! This is a fun display of food that can be set out as an appetizer or a side salad with a meal–during the holidays.

Why I love this recipe

• Lettuce Cups are a great appetizer for Christmas.
• They’re also delicious to serve as a “salad” alongside a “soup night.”
• For smaller bites, use the same ingredients and replace the lettuce gems with endive leaves.

Gather these ingredients

• Little Gem Lettuce – Trader Joe’s
• Bacon – cooked and crumbled
• Boursin cheese – crumbled
• Raincoast Crisp crackers
• Cherry tomatoes – halved
• Green onions – thinly sliced
• Cheddar cheese – thick slice – star on top of tree
• Litehouse Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing – small squeeze bottle
• Black cracked pepper

How to make Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree

1. Lay your lettuce leaves on a large BIG BOARD in the shape of a Christmas tree. Place progressively smaller and smaller leaves on the platter as you work toward the top of the platter, so it resembles the cone-shaped of a Christmas tree.
2. Add crackers to the base of the tree, to form a “tree trunk.”
3. Sprinkle on the bacon, Boursin cheese, and green onions in the lettuce cups. Strategically lay down the cherry halves, to look like ornaments.
4. Cut a thick slice of Cheddar cheese to make the star. Using a cookie cutter, cut a star out of the cheese and place it on the top of the tree for the “tree topper”. 
5. Drizzle the Blue Cheese dressing (lightly) over all of the lettuce gems right before serving.
6. Enjoy!

Tips & substitutions

• Swap out the Boursin for crumbled blue cheese.
• Add chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie or chicken breast) if you want to serve this board as a lunch or a more hearty appetizer.
• In place of green onions, add finely diced red onion.
• Don’t like blue cheese dressing? Use Ranch dressing.
• Make extras and store on a platter or baking sheet in the fridge. Add to the board as needed and as guests eat them. 
• Lettuce leaves with a good cupped shape works best for this recipe. I prefer Trader Joe’s Little Gem Lettuce that comes in a bag and works perfectly! They break apart beautifully.
• Optional to make smaller bites with endive in place of the lettuce gems.

Serving suggestions

Serve this Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree appetizer alongside a warm holiday soup, like creamy tomato or butternut squash, with a potato cheese bread. It’s also fun to bring a board to an “appetizer party.”

Big board sale

Use our big board for extra large (in photos) or halve the recipe for the 12×24″ board. Right now you can buy (2) 12 x 24″ boards and get $50 off the total. Use this code at check out: BUY2

Storage

These Lettuce Cups are best enjoyed fresh but can be prepared up to one day ahead and stored in the refrigerator (no dressing) to maintain crispness. Only drizzle with dressing right before serving. They are best served the day of!

Check out these other Christmas Boards while you’re here

• Christmas Tree Pull Apart Appetizer
• Christmas Nutella Dip Board
• Christmas Charcuterie

Print

Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree

Bring the holidays to life with a Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree of lettuce cups stuffed with bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and a cheese"star" topper. Make on the 12×36” big board. Feeds 12 for appetizers! Cut in half and make the recipe on a smaller board (12×24"); feeds 6.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 104kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Equipment

• 1 12×36" BIG BOARD

Ingredients

• 2 10 oz pkg Little Gem Lettuce Trader Joe’s
• 12 pieces bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1 5.3 oz Boursin cheese crumbled (or 2 pkg if you want more cheese)
• 1 5.3 oz Raincoast Crisp crackers for the base of the tree
• ¾ pound cherry tomatoes halved (or about 2 cups)
• 3-5 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 thick slice of Cheddar cheese for the star on top of tree
• 1 small squeeze bottle Litehouse Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing or favorite dressing
• Black cracked pepper

Instructions

• Lay your lettuce leaves (gems) on a large BIG BOARD in the shape of a Christmas tree. Place progressively smaller and smaller leaves on the platter as you work toward the top of the board, so it resembles the cone-shape of a Christmas tree.
• For the base of the tree, add the crackers.
• Sprinkle on the bacon, Boursin cheese, and green onions in the lettuce cups. Strategically lay down the cherry halves, to look like ornaments.
• Make the star: Cut a thick slice of Cheddar cheese. Using a cookie cutter, cut out a star out of the cheese and place it on the top of the tree for the “tree topper.”
• Right before serving, drizzle on the dressing (lightly) onto the lettuce cups.
• Serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Lettuce Cups Christmas Tree appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love a beautiful charcuterie for the holidays. Thanksgiving cheese boards are fun to make for the appetizer, and are usually devoured quite quickly. Last year we made this cute Veggie Turkey platter. This year we’re grabbing our 26-inch BIG BOARD for this beautiful spread of deliciousness.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards

The creative touch of using cheese cutouts to spell “GRATEFUL” adds a personal and seasonal flair. It’s a perfect “cheese board” to have ready  to graze at with guests before the big meal. This board is a perfect centerpiece for your holiday gathering.

Why I love this recipe

• It’s a beautiful board for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
• Awesome “cheese board” ready to take with you to a party, or when guests walk through the door. 
• Cheese cutouts of “GRATEFUL” give the board a heartwarming Thanksgiving touch. 

Gather these ingredients

• Cured meat (salami)
• Prosciutto
• Hard aged cheese
• Blue cheese
• Brie cheese (you can use a leaf cookie cutter, and then fill in with the jam?)
• Yellow cheddar cheese slices (to make the THANKSGIVING sign)
• Green olives
• Pumpkin seeds (make sure they are similar to the ones in the picture below)
• Marcona almonds
• Pecans
• Fruit (sliced apple, pears, dried apricots)
• English cucumber – small slices (use about ¼ to ½ of a cucumber)
• Assorted crackers (I like the little rosemary square ones from Trader Joe’s)
• Dried cherries or cranberries (to fill in any open areas on the board)
• Fresh sage and rosemary – for garnish
• Thanksgiving sweets (chocolates, maple leaf cookies, candy corn)
• Jam (can use a jar, or just fill a small dish with jam)

How to assemble the Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards

1. Place the larger ingredients on a BIG BOARD, such as the cheeses, jam and bowl of olives.
2. Spell out “grateful” using a cookie cutter and yellow slices of cheese.
3. Add the crackers, and fresh dried fruit to the board. Then add the fall themed treats and meats to the platter. On top of the salami, add the cheese slices “grateful.”
4. Fill in any gaps with nuts and seeds.
5. Garnish with fresh herbs.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & substitutions 

• Buy one of our BIG BOARDS! These boards are food safe and have a lip, so the food stays in place. 
• You can mix and match the cheeses, crackers, and meats.
• Use what is seasonal for fall and the holidays!
• Spell out any word that comes to mind for the board with the cheese slices – just make sure you have enough sliced cheese for the letters you need. Buy the letter cut-outs here.
• Slice the apples and pears right before guests come (so they don’t turn brown), or you can buy pre-sliced apples in the store.
• There are no hard rules with a charcuterie board – make it your own!

Serving suggestions

I always say, set it out, they will come. How wondereful to have a spread set out when guests walk through the door for Thanksgiving dinner. I usually have little appetizer plates and small cocktail napkins set out, too. People love to just dive right in and snack a little before the big Thanksgiving feast.

You can serve this board with our Organic Turkey (roasted to perfection), Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream, Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts and Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake!

Storage

Leftovers from Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards can easily be stored in ziplock bags or airtight containers to keep them fresh. Meats, cheeses, and crackers and nuts should be stored separately to maintain their textures. 

Check out these other Epic Holiday Boards while you’re here:

• Holiday Best Brunch Board
• Simple Holiday Cheese Board
• Holiday Charcuterie Board

Print

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards

Create stunning Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards with meats, cheeses, and sweets–beautifully garnished and fun to share with loved ones! Make on 20" or 26" BIG BOARD.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Calories 477kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• ¾ pound cured meat salami
• ¾ pound prosciutto
• ¾ pound hard aged cheese
• ¾ pound blue cheese
• 1 8 oz brie cheese filled with jam
• 4 yellow cheese slices to spell out "Grateful" with cookie cutter
• ½ cup green olives
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds make sure they are like in the picture below
• ⅓ cup marcona almonds
• ⅓ cup pecans
• 1 cup fruit sliced apple, pears, dried apricots
• 1 English cucumber small slices (maybe only use 1/4-1/2?)
• 12 ounces assorted crackers I like the little rosemary square ones from Trader Joe’s
• Dried cherries or cranberries to fill in any open areas
• fresh sage and rosemary for garnish
• 2 cups Thanksgiving sweets chocolates, maple leaf cookies, candy corn
• ½ cup jam

Instructions

• Place the larger ingredients on a giant board (with a lip, so the food stays on the board), such as the cheeses, jam and a bowl of olives.
• Next, add crackers, and fresh and dried fruit to the board.
• Add the fall themed treats and meats to the platter. [We buy at Trader Joe's a mix of leaf cookies, candies, etc.]
• Fill in any gaps with nuts and seeds.
• Garnish with fresh herbs, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1163mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love an epic charcuterie board, and many of you know this about me. Here at Reluctant Entertainer we have many recipes and hosting ideas using our large charcuterie boards. From holidays to birthdays, to game and tailgating or just a fun potluck, cheese boards are always a hit.

Large Charcuterie Boards

Just in time for Thanksgiving, you can get your order in this week to order a big board (to arrive on time for Thanksgiving). This size in this post is 12×36” inches and I love it because not only does it fit down the center of a long table, it’s also great for a smaller home, if you have a galley kitchen and that is where the guests will be grazing. These boards do NOT come with food on them, but we’ve listed the recipe below (with an ingredient list you can print off.)

Why I love this recipe

• I love this board for Thanksgiving (or fall) because it has all the fall foods (persimmon, pears, special cheese, etc:)
• This board feeds a crowd (up to 24).
• The food stays on the board, with a raised lip. Brilliant.
• The boards are food safe.

Gather these ingredients:

Crackers:

• 5.3 oz Raincoast Crisps
• 6 oz Pita Bite Crackers (TJ)
• 3 oz Crispbread (GF) (TJ)
• 3 oz Milton’s rice crackers (GF)
• Grapes
• Apple, sliced
• Dried Sweet Apple Rings (TJ)
• Dried Apricots (TJ)
• Sweet & Spicy pecans (TJ)
• Dark Chocolate covered Mini Pretzels (TJ)
• Mushroom Brie (TJ)
• Cranberry cheese (TJ)
• French Onion goat cheese (TJ)
• Laura Chenel Creamy Brie (TJ)
• Salami slices
• Mozzarella & Prosciutto rolls
• Cranberry Jalapeno dip (Costco)
• Carrot sticks
• Mini peppers
• 2 small pears
• 2 persimmons

How do you make large charcuterie boards?

1. Prepare a large epic board (with a raised lip) that is food safe.
2. Add your favorite fall dip (we used Cranberry Jalapeño from Costco) in a small bow and place in the center of the board.
3. Place down the 4 cheeses down the center.
4. Arrange the crackers, meat, fruit and veggies around the cheese and dip.
5. Lastly, lay down 2 small pears and 2 persimmons for garnish.

Tips and substitutions:

• Use what is in season.
• I find the best buys for cheese baords at Costco and Trader Joe’s.
• Buy a board with a raised edge so the food stays ON the board.
• Get (order) your BIG BOARD, a food safe board made in the USA, with undercut handles (easy to carry) & comes in various big board sizes.
• When you order a large board, it does not come with the food on it (only the beautiful board).
• Always add a variety of cheese. You can sometimes do without the meat, but you always need cheese!
• Use little serving spoons and forks to make the serving easier.

Serving:

Set out the big board with cocktail napkins and small plates & your favorite beverages.

We love this Thanksgiving board served as an appetizer for Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving, and then of course served with the bird, potatoes, Brussels sprouts salad, corn pudding, carrot souffle, corn au gratin, and our NEW Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake for dessert. Don’t forget the dinner rolls!

More epic charcuterie boards to you may want to try while you are here:

• Friendsgiving Pasta Bake Board
• Butter Board
• Leftover Turkey Sandwich Board

Print

Large Charcuterie Boards (Thanksgiving)

Looking for large charcuterie boards? We have a beautiful fall (and Thanksgiving) board to create for your holiday cheese board.

Feeds 12-24. Made on the 12×36” big board.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 219kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Equipment

• 1 12×36" BIG BOARD

Ingredients

Crackers:

• 5.3 oz Raincoast Crisps
• 6 oz Pita Bite Crackers TJ
• 3 oz Crispbread GF (TJ)
• 3 oz Milton’s rice crackers GF

Fruit, nuts & chocolate:

• Grapes
• Apple sliced
• Dried Sweet Apple Rings TJ
• Dried Apricots
• Sweet & Spicy pecans
• Dark Chocolate covered Mini Pretzels

Cheese, meat & dip:

• Mushroom Brie TJ
• Cranberry cheese TJ
• French Onion goat cheese TJ
• Laura Chenel Creamy Brie
• Salami slices
• Mozzarella & Prosciutto rolls
• Cranberry Jalapeno dip

Veggies:

• Carrot sticks
• Mini peppers

Garnish:

• 2 small pears
• 2 persimmons

Instructions

• Prepare a large epic board (with a raised lip) that is food safe.
• Add your favorite fall dip (we used Cranberry Jalapeño from Costco) in a small bow and place in the center of the board.
• Place down the 4 cheeses down the center.
• Arrange the crackers, meat, fruit and veggies around the cheese and dip.
• Lastly, lay down 2 small pears and 2 persimmons for garnish.
• Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Large Charcuterie Boards appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love a good bite of fresh summer crostini. If you’re like me and love shopping the Farmer’s Market for summer produce, then gather up as much as you can and serve up Caprese Crostini bites, served on a big board.

Caprese Crostini

What a fun way to serve “summer” and slice as you go! Of course we love the Mozzarella cheese balls for each bite, with fresh basil. Oh, it smells so good and looks so good. Everyone makes their own perfect appetizer!

Why I love this recipe

• Serving a board is casual and fun – so for each season you can set out what’s in season.
• Cheese, crostini, and fresh summer produce go hand in hand (delish!)
• This is a fun appetizer to bring to a party or potluck.

Gather these ingredients

• Heirloom tomatoes, cut in chunks
• Peaches, peeled and cut in chunks
• Cherries
• Mozzarella cheese balls, or burrata
• Fresh basil
• Blackberries
• Crostini crackers, or toasted crostini (baguette sliced and toasted)
• Balsamic glaze

The post Crostini Caprese appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.