The Art of the Party Board
It is hard for me to imagine throwing a party without a party board - a board filled to the edges with tasty snacks and treats, served to my guests until the meal is ready to be served. It immediately satisfies my friends who traveled to me, and gets the party started while I put the final touches on the main event.
Party Tip #1 - Always give your guests a light bite to start the event!
I have created simple party boards, themed party boards, simple charcuterie boards, french-toast breakfast party boards, and many more. Making a stunning board is really easy, I promise. Check out my tips below - I believe you can make a board that looks good, and tastes even better, using my formula!
First things first - what kind of board are we making? What is the event? How many people? And, what is the occasion? Answering these questions will get your creative juices flowing.
NOTE: Keep the crowd that you are serving in mind. Are there vegetarians? Do they eat pork (like salami and prosciutto)? Do they have any allergies? This is super important - with foods sharing the same board, be mindful of how your arrange your board so no one is excluded from enjoying it. Consider grouping similar items close together if there are selective eaters at your event. Or, have a few separate boards to address dietary concerns.
Next, make a list of what items will be on your board. There are 7 main categories of foods for my traditional party boards - cheeses, produce, nuts, meats, sweets, breads and condiments. But keep in mind, the options are truly endless - any food can make it on to the board, just make it make sense together!
Here are the items that I added to my board in the video, above!
Cheese - white cheddar, pepper jack, brie
Produce - black grapes (my fav for party boards), blueberries, raspberries, maraschino cherries
Nuts - truffle marcona almonds (from Trader Joes - major key!), glazed pecans
Meats - salami, prosciutto, smoked salmon
Sweets - chocolate
Breads - crackers, crostini bites
Condiments - honey, spicy mustard, green olives
The next thing you want to do is map out your board. Write down what items you want to include on your board, and literally map/draw out how you will construct your board. I use parchment paper, and detail out what goes where on my board.
Finally, it is time to construct your board by adding all of your favorite foods! I make my boards 15-30 minutes before they are to be served, and I leave them out on the counter so everything can come to room temperature (trust me - food tastes better this way!!) Serve with wine, beer or a cocktail and enjoy!
Have you ever made a party board before? Have I convinced you to give it a try? Let me know how it goes in the comments, below!