Nibble boards are for sharing!
Nibble boards invite a party!
Nibble boards are easy!
So, what is a nibble board? How do you make a nibble board? Who likes nibble boards? A nibble board is just a clever way of creating shareable appetizers.
A Nibble Board is…
- a board. Grab a wooden board or several wooden boards of several sizes.
- a collection of your favorite finger foods.
- a variety of crackers and small bread portions
- a collection of cheese, meats, nuts, fruits, preserves, honey, olives, mustards, dips
- a nibble which indicates a bitesize portion.
- served on a board with a variety of small bowls to hold smaller versions and liquids.
- not fruits that brown, cooked food
- not packed too tightly. Overcrowding is unappealing.
- focused on fresh, accessible and easy
- 3-3-3-3 rule option. (3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 starches, 3 dips)
- cheese that are both soft and hard. Variety is key.
- a collection of colors. Seasonal foods often compliment this plan.
- eaten on little plates with fork, napkin and fingers.
Everybody loves variety. This ideas invites the opportunity to try something new. Pick your favorites. Try something different. Share your preferences.
To clarify, a charcuterie board and a grazing board are both great options. Charcuterie is a fancy French word for “cured meat.” Anticipate meat and cheese as the basics of any charcuterie board. In contrast, a grazing board is typically much larger than other boards. The size of the board is often determined by the crowd size. Grab several boards of a variety of sizes to share your selected nibbles.
Building a Nibble Board:
- Collect serving items. Board or boards. Small bowls and containers. This is your foundation. Remember, the larger the serving space, the more expensive it will be to fill it up.
- Fill vessels with honey, mustards, sauces, dips, olives, nuts and other loose things.
- Cheese -variety such as hard, soft and blue. Flavor and texture add interest visually and in flavor. Favorite cheeses include brie, goat cheese, manchego, aged gouda, blue cheese, white or yellow cheddar.
- Meats should be thinly sliced and rolled. Thicker meats can be cubed. Some meats can be left for the guests to cut themselves.
- Starches – pretzels, bread, crackers, breadsticks, asiago crackers and nut crackers work great.
- Fruits – buy in season fruit. Remember to prepare these for bit size portions. The sweet of fruit offers a lovely contrast to the salty of meat and cheese. Favorites are berries, grapes, citrus, apricots, cherries and melons.
- Extras – garnishes, dips, and herbs, like thyme, sage, basil, rosemary, or parsley add a sense of excitement and a lovely seasonal fragrance. Highly popular dips include hummus, guacamole, salsa, spinach and artichoke dip, tzatziki, buffalo chicken dip, balsamic dip, honey mustard and caramelized onion dip.
- Markers – totally optional, but appreciated especially to identify the cheeses. Identifiers with a stake that goes into cheese, folded cards or any simple markers help people choose well. This also limits how many times you may have to answer the questions about the types of options are on each board.
- Fun other items – figs, chocolate squares, specialty salts
- Serve with cheese knives for accessibility.
Nibble boards are best served at room temperature which should not sit for more than two hours. Prepare a few refillable items in the refrigerator for the anticipated popular items such as cured meats.
Restock as needed.
Variations with grab and go options for busy days, a lazy coming and going crowd, tailgate parties, company or special occasions such a wedding, birthdays, groomsmen and bridesmaids rooms. Any reason for a gathering will do. Remember that many of these items require limited or no preparation. Much can be readied the day prior. Easy.
Variations:
Breakfast Board – bacon, scones, fruit, quiche, boiled eggs, jams and spreads, muffins
Sandwich Board – sliced meat, sliced cheese, spreads, lettuce and tomatoes, crunchy sides such as vegetables, fruit and chips
Dessert Board or Candy Board – same ideas with bite size versions. Serve sweets in cupcake papers or with tongs. Miniature serving dishes for easy separation.
Cookie Board – Vary the shape, flavor and colors
Join the conversation on this topic at Embrace Your Everyday podcast.
For more ideas on HOME and FAMILY:
Hospitality Habits: Ideas for Easy Hospitality
Leah’s Decadent Four Layer Lemon Cake
Books on Amazon:
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