Hi friends! While I may have moved to the UK, that doesn’t mean my love for my homeland has disappeared. I will always have a special place in my heart for America and will, therefore, continue to celebrate our Independence Day. Since moving in with John, we have become quite the charcuterie board connoisseurs. With quiz nights penciled in each week around 8:00pm throughout our Coronavirus lockdown, we have often found it to be the easiest way to tackle dinner while also enjoy time with family and friends. Since the Fourth of July is coming up, I thought it might be a good time to share how I will be creating a Star Spangled Charcuterie Board for friends to enjoy at our friend’s, and fellow ex-pat’s, house!
First, I decided to order these cute star cookie cutters as a way to immediately give the board a bit of a different look to a normal charcuterie board. They come in a few different sizes, which is great being that we all may be creating different sized charcuterie boards. This will obviously be based on the number of people coming over or the size of the boards you have to work with. PRO TIP: Don’t use a crumbly cheese like sharp cheddar as it makes this task quite trying hah! If you use a smoother one, like gouda or a mild cheddar, they’ll come out much easier and won’t be so prone to breaking.
Next, I made my board selections based on colors that would suit the holiday. Blueberries and strawberries were the first to come to mind for obvious reasons but also they are great Summer fruits that are lush and delicious this time of year. I also decided to throw in some blackberries, for good measure! For the meats, I chose pepperoni but chorizo would also be a great choice. Prosciutto is an easy favorite so I threw some of that in, as well. I also chose a cheese with cranberries throughout as a way to add even more to the patriotic color scheme. And, to top it off, don’t forget crackers!
NEED A CHEESEBOARD & CHEESE KNIVES?
When it comes to designing the board, my biggest tip is to just have fun with it. I like to add a bit of height by using small glass bowls or ramekins for hummus and one of the fruits. I usually place those and the blocks of cheese on the board first then build around them. Use the curve of the bottom of the ramekins to put round crackers around or folded cured meats. And then fill in gaps with fruits and smaller bits of cheese. You can also throw some nuts in, as well. You want it to be as tempting as possible for people!
This is literally the easiest appetizer to put together and will have those enjoying the holiday with you singing your praises! Please let me know if there are other patriotic appetizers you whip up for the 4th! I’d love to hear them below! Thanks for stopping by! xo.
