Be prepared for guests with the pantry stocked for these quick snack and charcuterie board ideas. Pulling together an impromptu appetizer, meal, or dessert will be super simple and delicious.
Many of the ingredients can be bought at the grocery store, but if you want to put in the extra personal touch, be sure to make one of these Best Homemade Dips You Can Make from Scratch.
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We like fun food around here. We like snacky food. We like to eat fun, snacky food with friends and neighbors.
And sometimes, especially around the holidays, friends and neighbors might drop by unexpectedly. That’s the best time to throw a spontaneous little party.
You want to prepared for spontaneous parties, am I right?
Consider this your official “hospitality reminder” to help you gear up for delicious little parties with the best snack and charcuterie board ideas!
Why Do This
It’s easy on the hostess. You already know that the snacky dinner is one of my favorites. I plan for it on a weekly basis, usually Sundays because I like to have one day to rest from kitchen labors. When you have charcuterie board ideas to draw on, it never gets boring or difficult.
These charcuterie board ideas can be prepped very last minute. The snacky dinner model, aka charcuterie or cheese platter, also works really well for an impromptu meal with guests. Lay out a bunch of different things and you’re set for all kinds of makeshift “entertaining”.
What to Keep on Hand
Consider adding the following items to your grocery list this week to stash into the pantry, fridge, or freezer for whenever a charcuterie board idea strikes.
crackers, rice cakes, plantain chips, pretzels – You can easily snatch these up on sale and store them in the cupboard. They’re shelf-stable, but be sure to check the best-by dates. They’re great for adding texture and a little bit of carbs to your charcuterie board.
olives, pickles, and roasted peppers – There are so many delicious and creative commercial pickles to keep on hand. Buy several different varieties: spicy, sweet, stuffed, etc. They make for a quick relish tray that looks like something fancy or additions to your charcuterie board.
tortilla, potato, or pita chips – You can’t really go wrong with chips, can you? Be sure to read ingredients labels and make sure you’ve got some gluten-free options on hand.
nuts and seeds – Depending on their dates, consider stocking up with several months’ worth when you see a sale. If you’ve got a little extra time, make these Maple Spiced Pepitas and Almonds for a fun addition to your snack tray or charcuterie boards.
hummus, salsa, guacamole or other spreads – I love buying a box of the mini pods of guacamole and hummus. These are great for longterm storage in the fridge so you don’t have to worry about using up a large container. Keep salsa fixings on hand. You can whip up a fresh batch in just minutes. These are great to add texture to your charcuterie board.
a variety of cheeses – Small packages of fancy cheeses will stay good for awhile in your fridge unopened. Load up on small wheels of Brie and chunks of other cheeses like Emmenthal, Gruyere, Havarti, or Cheddar. Small pods of soft spreadable herbed cheeses usually go on great sale this time of year. Look for snacking cheese as well.
small packages of different deli meats – I usually buy several different packages of cold cuts where they’re packaged in 6- or 8- ounce containers when they’re on sale. They’re affordable and easy to keep on hand for impromptu charcuterie boards or a Sandwich Bar.
vegetable dippers – I’m not sure you can ever have too many vegetables. Keep a variety of veggies on hand to add to your charcuterie boards. I find that baby carrots, English cucumbers, grape tomatoes, celery, and mini bell pepper seem to keep really well when refrigerated. I just refresh our supply as we eat them up. The grape tomatoes tend to have better flavor than other tomatoes in winter and go well in all kinds of bruschetta and tomato salads.
seasonal fruit – Apples, grapes, and clementines are great during fall and winter while berries, melon, and stone fruit may be more apt during the spring and summer. Consult what’s in season where you are.
sliced baguette – You may not want to head to the bakery every time a friend stops by, but if you keep a bag of sliced baguette in the freezer, you’ll be set for appetizer toasts at a moment’s notice.
quick breads – There are a variety of quick breads you can serve that pair well with both sweet and savory foods. Consider tucking in a few slices of Gingerbread Loaf or Bilbo’s Seed Cakes. A portion of a Christmas Bundt Cake won’t go amiss at the holidays.
Ideas
What are your favorite charcuterie board ideas?
What do you keep on hand for easy snack trays? Leave us a comment and share what works for you!
This post was originally published December 8, 2011. It has been update for content and clarity.
Janet
If cost is a concern, when unexpected company arrives offer a drink rather than food. We routinely keep a pitcher of fruit water in the refrigerator — water with lemon, lime and orange slices. I always have an assortment of teabags on hand. It takes just seconds to heat water in the microwave. My husband is a coffee drinker so we typically have 2 or 3 types in the cupboard. We usually have orange juice, ginger ale and cranberry juice on hand. Mix the three up in a pitcher, pour over ice and you have a nice punch in a jiffy. We also have hot chocolate fixings ready to go. My grandmother always told me if you want to make guests feel welcome what matters is not what you offer but that it is offered graciously.
Jessica Fisher
GREAT budget-friendly tip! I find that coffee or cocoa fill me up almost as much as a snack would.
Kate @ Green Around the Edges
I love the idea of this (who doesn’t love snacky food?) but my problem is that we don’t normally keep much of that on hand. Going out and buying it in case guests stop by seems to violate the “cheap” part of the “good cheap eats” plan. Do you normally keep all those things in your pantry or fridge?
Jessica
@Kate @ Green Around the Edges, we actually do eat these items on a fairly regular basis. I simply apply my same stock up tips to these ingredients as I do anything else. Buy a lot when I see a good price.
If these aren’t your norm, I’d think about what is — or what can be morphed easily to offer to guests — and make sure you have some of those items.
Martha Artyomenko
Oh, some other things you can do is have cream cheese on hand with the crackers. You can make a quick cheese ball pretty easy or a cracker spread that is cheaper than serving sliced cheese with crackers.
Also, sour cream for dip….
Jessica
@Martha Artyomenko, excellent ideas!
Martha Artyomenko
What a good idea!
jasi
jasi December 1, 2011 at 11:18 am
i keep them in a few different boxes but same principle. i also have a snack fix. always have grainy tortilla and pita chips, cans of white beans or ceci for a quick dip, some trader joe’s eggplant pepper spread, nuts, fresh and dried fruit. instant party! i could probably even whip up a pie in a jiffy with frozen dough too.
still true.
Jessica
@jasi, doesn’t that feel good?
Billie Gann
I love creamcheese w/ jalapeno jelly assorted crackers,grapes ,mini pickles,olives . My aunt gave us cranberry jalapeno pepper jelly for Thanksgiving and I can’t stay away from the spicy sweetness of it.
Jessica
@Billie Gann, oh, Costco has a raspberry chipotle sauce that is like that. Yum!
karen
I love to have a variety of spicy and sweet nuts on hand. Just a little bit special, but not much work to pull out of the pantry.
Jessica
@karen, great idea! You can also make your own if you have the plain nuts and spices in the cupboard.
Alana of Intentional Womanhood
Love this! I also think it would be a great way to promote healthy snacking. Just sit out a divided tray full of colorful, raw veggies with some dip and allow kids to “graze”.
Jessica
@Alana of Intentional Womanhood, isn’t that great? I find my kids will eat a lot more veggies that way. Thanks for the reminder. I’ve some to cut up in the fridge today.
Jenny
My kids love it whenI make a “tray”. Their favorites? Sliced apples, orange wedges, celery with peanut butter, colby-jack or cheddar cheese cubes, carrots and cucumbers with Ranch, graham crackers with peanut butter, grapes, pimento cheese with crackes, rolled up ham slices and pepperoni slices. I have a divided tray I use just for this purpose and when I find it mysteriously on the kitchen counter, I know what I’m pulling together for lunch or snack that day.
Jessica
@Jenny, love it that they signal to you that way. Too cute!