Looking for an easy game night graze board or simple snacks for your game party? This mix of a sweet snack board and savory charcuterie platter is easy enough to throw together last minute for easy party foods.
Best Game Night Graze Board for Family Game Night That Even Martha Stewart Would Love (For Real)
You know those beautiful Pinterest-worthy charcuterie boards and party graze tables you see online full of beautiful and expensive snacks and homemade goodies that make you want to beg to be invited to that gathering?
(I know you’ve virtually drooled over them online. I mean, the people who make those literally have no problems, right?!?)
Anyway, this recipe ain’t that.
This is my go-to last minute snack board for tabletop game nights or even nicer parties (we have those sometimes too, ya know…) and it’s always a hit.
My secret?
Buy everything and make nothing homemade. (Look, I have to save all my energy to kick some game party bootie, so… sorry, not sorry?!?)
Here’s how to choose store-bought snacks and arrange them on a tray to look like you spent a million bucks (or, at least $19.27).
Shhhh! I’ll also tell you how to get those expensive cheeses onto your cheese platter without paying an arm and a leg… and it doesn’t even have anything to do with stealing, like, at all.
How To Make An Awesome No-Muss, No-Fuss, Cheap Charcuterie Platter For Your Game Parties
1. Decide on your party platter.
The first thing you need to do is decide what you’re going to sit your charcuterie items on.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and it can definitely be something as simple as a large cutting board or a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
(Trust me when I say people are not going to care what you put meat and cheese on. They’ll just care what’s on it.)
For our snack platter, I used a long tray basket we had and put a cutting board inside of it.
(I’ve also used these round trays and they work well. I also wash them off and keep them for re-use, even though they say disposable.)
2. Plan for your number of game night guests.
Planning a charcuterie grazing board can be difficult, especially if you are having a large party.
GPG GRAZING TIP: A good rule of thumb when planning how much charcuterie and cheese you need is to plan for around 3 ounces of meat and cheese per person.
Remember, there are many other things that you can add to the graze table, so there will be people who eat more than 3 ounces of meat/cheese and many who don’t eat any (or just eat 1-2 pieces) and then eat other things, like the fruit, vegetables, crackers, nuts, and more.
I always plan for a little more than needed, but that’s because my mom is from the south and as a Southern Woman it’s a sin to run out of food, so I have that guilt to live with when making party foods. (You may not. Whatever.)
3. Choose your type of party snacks.
Do you want an easy dips and chips board?
Do you want a traditional charcuterie platter with different meats and cheeses?
Are you thinking a dessert board?
(Or all of the above? No judgment here because, snacks…)
We always make a mix of a sweet and savory snack platter with a mix of meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, veggies, cookies, and dried fruit.
If we have a large crowd for a party, I make two separate snack boards: a meat and cheese charcuterie and a dessert board for the sweet snacks.
YOUR GUESTS WILL ALSO LOVE ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PARTY DIPS: STREET CORN DIP
Ideas For Charcuterie Boards Ingredients:
- Hard salami
- Cheeses (variety cubed and sliced)
- Olives (variety)
- Crackers (different sizes and flavors)
- Sliced baguette or crusty bread
- Nuts (variety)
- Pepperoni
- Cucumbers
- Chocolate covered cranberries
- Prosciutto
- Hummus
- Melba toast
- Radishes
- Dips (variety)
- Naan
- Celery
- Small pickles (sweet and spicy)
- Olive oil and herbs
- Fruit (variety)
- Bell peppers
- Bites / small slices of bread
- Rye rounds
- Chocolates
- Pickled okra
- Grapes
- Tapenade
- Jellies (variety of flavors)
- Jams (variety of flavors)
- Pesto
- Pickled onions
- Bite sized beef sticks
- Lunch meats
- Soft cheeses (like brie)
- Mustards (variety)
- Dried fruits (dried apricots are especially good!)
4. Arranging Your Grazing Snack Board.
The biggest things that you need to remember is to start with 1-2 “Star” meats or cheeses for the middle. These can be the most expensive things or the best things.
Then, you will work your way out by filling in the ends and sides with snacks like:
- Variety meats
- Variety cheeses
- 2-4 Dips jams, relishes, pesto, etc. (or more, depending on the size of your grazing spread)
- Grapes on vine and other fruits
- Vegetables like cut bell peppers pickles, pickled onions
- Nuts
- Dried fruits
- Crackers
- Bread pieces
- Pretzels
• Prepare your items by cutting everything into bite sized pieces.
Cut meats and cheeses into rectangles, triangles, squares and cubes to make your board more visually pleasing.
•ALWAYS START IN THE MIDDLE AND WORK OUT. (Doesn’t matter how big or small your charcuterie board / table is.)
The building blocks in the middle are the “stars” of your board, like a really good cheese and meat.
Place those in the middle, then around those items, place things that may go well with them.
• Continue working outward, fanning out meats, cheeses, crackers, breads, vegetables, and fruits.
•Once you do something to one side of the board, stop and do something on the opposite side of the board of the same color and/or bulk.
This will help you keep the board feeling balanced and will help to avoid putting a bunch of the same colors together.
•When you add a ramekin (dips or bowls with watery items like pickles), also add one in around the same area on the opposite side of the board, diagonal from the other one.
Arrange items that go well with the dip around the ramekins as a “hint” for guests.
GPG GRAZE TIP: If you only have one dip start with that in the center of the board and then build around it.
•Grapes make great “end caps” in opposite corners on both sides of the board or table. Leave them on the vine and include them as a bunch!
•Stand back and assess your graze board.
Are there too many of one color together? Does one side of the board look “heavier” than the other?
DON’T STRESS TOO MUCH.
It’s easy to fill in your board with mounds of peppers, grapes, nuts, fresh herbs like rosemary or basil, or other bulky items at the end to make your charcuterie glaze platters or tables appear fuller and more balanced.
•Add many small tongs and forks at different areas around the table or board.
•Don’t forget to add small appetizer plates and napkins.
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR PARTY CHARCUTERIE
• If you have items with juice or that may leak (like pickles or pickled onions), be sure to place those in ramekins on the board instead of directly on the board.
• If you don’t have an oversized charcuterie or cutting board, arrange boards of different sizes side-by-side and build each board out separately.
We do this often and it still makes a beautiful display.
• People often make a different board for their sweets (chocolates cookies, etc.).
If you are only making one grazing platter, be sure to include some sweets like chocolate pieces, cookies, and sweet fruit dip.
• Some people like graze platters full (like the ones in our pictures) and others like them spread out.
There’s no right or wrong way.
Do what you like and what feels best for your party! (Remember, 10 minutes after everyone arrives they’re going to demolish your hard work anyway. No need to stress over it too much.)
5. How To Make a Cheap Graze Platter…
✓ Pick one or two high price items as your middle highlight items (like brie and a good meat) and fill in the charcuterie board or grazing platter with lower price items.
THE BEST GPG GRAZING TIP EVER! Shop the odds and ends cheese and meats pieces in the deli. (They will wrap them for purchases when they get too small to slice any longer. Did you know this???) This will give you a wider variety of grazing meats and cheeses at a much lower cost!Â
✓ Add more low-cost dips, jams, and spreads than expensive meats and cheeses. The dip containers take up room and fill up your board, but are still yummy.
✓ Use fruits and vegetables to add more lower cost bulk to your grazing platter or grazing table. For example, grapes on vines take up a lot of room but still look beautiful and people love them!
✓ Go for generic brand crackers (or one high-end name brand and the rest generic). They will be out of the box and most people won’t be able to tell the difference!
✓ Shop the day before the party and pick up clearance sale items and any crackers that are on 2-for-1 / BOGO sales.
✓ Don’t be afraid to shop clearance breads, cookies, and muffins, especially if you’re buying them one day before the party.Â
GPG GRAZING TIP: If you bring clearance bread home and it feels a little stale, lightly toast it and make toast/melba rounds for your charcuterie tray!
Let me know how your easy game night graze board turns out! I’d love to see it.
