Snack boards make entertaining easy! Using pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients, you can build out a crowd-pleasing snack platter for any occasion. Whether hosting a party, visiting friends, or just adding some pizazz to a weeknight meal, snack platters and boards are quick to assemble and a versatile appetizer option. Here are 25 pantry staples and appetizer recipes to make delectable snack boards and platters.
Appetizer Recipes & Serving Platters Inspiration
There’s an art to putting together food platters to make them Instagram worthy. To inspire your snack platter and board appetizer recipes, you’ll want to grab a copy of one of these cooking and entertaining books. With creative recipes and gorgeous photography, these cookbooks provide instructions on how to assemble a fabulous spread for entertaining. Each of these books is chock full of ideas for boards for any occasion.
Read More: 27 UNIQUE KITCHEN TOOLS FOR THE CHEF WHO HAS EVERYTHING
Pantry Staples: Olives & Almonds
A staple of any snack board or charcuterie platter, olives and almonds are as delicious as they are nutritious. There are a variety of olives that can be used for a snack platter such as Kalamata olives from Greece or Castelvetrano olives from Italy. When buying olives for an appetizer platter, pay attention to whether they come with a pit or are pitted and stuffed. These olive options should be pantry staples with a good shelf life so you can stock up before your next big event.
Almonds are great for snacking, especially when added to a serving platter. Like olives, nut manufacturers have developed a variety of options for nut lovers to munch. Whether spicy, sweet, salted, or natural, almonds are good sources of protein and are always a good addition for healthy snacking. Hosts and hostesses can always buy plain almonds and pick appetizer recipes for marinated olives and almonds for a quick and easy entertaining trick.
Read More: The Best Party Snacks and Drinks for Your Next Soiree
Pickled Pantry Items
Pickled treats are always a fun surprise on a serving platter. It makes one wonder why more foods aren’t served pickled. There are tons of appetizer recipes for anyone looking to pickle their own vegetables and garnishes. However, if you’re short on time and need to add a pickled punch to your platter quickly, these are good options to pick up before a party.
If you prefer fresh veggies, try no-fail appetizer recipes like Roasted Garlic Yogurt Everything Sauce for something custom to your tray.
Pantry Staples: Dried Fruits
Dried fruits add color and dimension to a snack board. Piled high, dried fruits taste great plain, or drizzled with honey. They pair well with cheese, crackers, and nuts, too. It’s always good to keep a bag of dried fruit in the pantry, especially if you like entertaining. Here are two everyday options for dried fruits to elevate appetizer recipes, but you can also try exotic dried fruits like pineapple and goldenberries.
Read More: 35 Keto Recipes to Get You Started
Crispy Crackers, Cheese & Chutney
A snack tray would not be complete without something crispy. When entertaining, it’s always a good idea to keep some quality crackers on hand. Run-of-the-mill crackers can be boring, so make your platter special with specialty crackers that have added spices, sea salt, or garnishes.
The star of any good snack board is a good block of cheese. When deciding which type of cheese to buy, you’ll want to have soft cheese, hard cheese, sweet cheese, and savory cheese. An effortless way to zhuzh up a platter is to follow appetizer recipes that call for a plain log of goat cheese rolled in chopped herbs. But, if you don’t have fresh herbs in the fridge you can always buy a pre-garnished cheese log or chutney to delight your guests.
READ MORE: 10 Recipes Inspired by Girl Scout Cookies
Charcuterie (aka Cured & Smoked Meats)
Vying for the top spot on a snack board are cured and smoked meats. When planning how much meat to buy, a good rule of thumb is 3-4 slices of meat per person. Not sure which kind of meat to buy? Think mouth-watering options like prosciutto, peppered salami, spicy Soppressata, and Smoked Country Ham when putting together a shopping list.
Pop of Fun: Spiced Popcorn
For a fun and unexpected addition to a snack board, pop some corn kernels the old-fashioned way. There are all kinds of spices that can be added to freshly popped popcorn, but appetizer recipes like Sweet & Savory Popcorn are always crowd-pleasers.
Serving Platters & Boards
While you can serve your appetizer recipes on plates and things, go all out for your next entertaining affair by serving your charcuterie and cheese on a beautiful piece of wood or slate. These swoon-worthy serving trays make for elegant entertaining. When food is placed just right, your spread will look impressive atop these platters.
With a well-stocked pantry and a handful of go-to appetizer recipes, you can make mealtimes, special occasions, and holidays extra special with elegant platters and boards. Build your own platter for happy hours, brunch, and dessert and wow your guests, whether it’s an intimate gathering or a large party. Don’t forget to stock up on some favorite wines to pair with your next platter!
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article about 20 Insanely Delicious Finger Foods for Parties.
💖 NEWSLETTER: DAILY READS IN YOUR INBOX 💖
Sign up to receive our picks for the best things to do, see and buy so you can relax and focus on more important tasks! Let us help you be the best version of yourself you can be!
GET MORE FROM DAILY MOM, PARENTS PORTAL
Newsletter: Sign up for updates
Facebook: @BestProductsClubOfficial
Instagram:@BestProductsClub
📌 LOVE IT? PIN IT!📌
