Do you lay in bed at night thinking, “how do I create the perfect football charcuterie board for game day?” Yeah, me either. But, in the event that we did do that, I created this simple guide with five tips to steer us in the right direction. We represent — tailgating tips:
TAILGATING TIPS
1. Read the Room
This one is pretty important and will help you avoid people gagging at the thought of eating goat cheese. Typically, I stand by the rule of a soft cheese, a hard cheese, two meats, crackers, something sweet, fruits, a spread, and some type of olive or pickle. In this case, I was going for a more classic board; a “bro board” if you will. I
t’s not that I’m questioning if my friends’ pallets are sophisticated enough to handle a blue cheese-stuffed olive, but I just know that everyone likes a good Monterey jack. Whatever you choose to put on your football charcuterie board will be fine though. If your friends are like me, they just love a good snack. I felt like this was the perfect combo for our Alabama game day party.
2. Don’t Overthink Your Football Charcuterie Board
Hard one, I know. My very first step in making any board is deciding on a theme. I wanted the football theme to be obvious, so what better to do than make a pepperoni football? I know that the placement of your ingredients can be intimidating if you’ve never done this, or if you’re an overthinker. I promise though, just do it and don’t think about it. You can always move it around. Also, you’re probably the only one who made a board, so you get a creative pass. 9/10 times no one else brings a board and the 1/10 times it’s me.
3. You Don’t Have to Spend a Million Dollars
Can I get an amen for Aldi? From my experience, they have the most unique finds at good prices. The cracker assortments are great and so are their cheeses. They also have all of the basics, and if you catch them at the right time, they even have a charcuterie section. You also don’t have to use the fanciest of meats and cheese. Most people love salami, prosciutto, and cheddar. The good news is, any grocery store should have what you need for your football charcuterie board.
4. The Board is Worth a Thousand Words
It’s not, but it does come in handy to have a good, reliable board. I purchased mine at Walmart for twenty dollars and can’t tell you how many times I’ve used it. However, I’ve used disposable pans, large serving platters, and even baking sheets. You can definitely make it work with whatever you have, but if you’re going to be a regular charcuterie board enthusiast, I recommend purchasing a “go to” board. Here’s a board that I made as a gift in a disposable pan, just so you don’t think I’m a raging hypocrite.
5. Put it Together When You Arrive
This can go either way, but I’ve found if I’m comfortable enough at the place we’re going, it’s better to put it together there. I say this because boards typically don’t have covers (unless they do and if so, I need one), and tin foil can only do so much. Cheese and fruits also have the tendency to dry out, so if you can, I suggest either waiting as long as you can or putting it together at the location. If you’re at home, this is obviously different, and God bless you for hosting a sports party. I made this board at home and transported it safely, but I regretted that decision because I was stressed.
BONUS TIP:
Here is a list of ingredients that you may find useful if you find yourself staring blankly in the deli section.
- Any cheeses
- Any meats
- Crackers
- Pickles
- Olives
- Herbs because they’re pretty
- Nuts
- Fruit (berries, apples, pears)
- Spreads (mustard, jams, dips)
- Chocolate (covered nuts, truffles)
Click here for more game day tips if you found this helpful. Please share your boards with me! And as always, Roll Tide!
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