3 Easy Ways to Build a Snack Board

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated May 1, 2019
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A Meaty Snack Board That Doubles as Dinner (Image credit: Lauren Volo)

New to snack boards? The idea is a simple meal culled together from a quick grocery store trip, pulling some staples from the pantry, or raiding your leftovers instead of cooking a traditional meal. A snack board can look a lot like a cheese board — making it ideal for casual entertaining, too — but it isn’t as formal as a cheese board since it requires few ingredients and is open to more adaptations.

Ready to build your own snack board? Here are three ways to do just that.

1. A Trip to the Grocery Store

Whether you’re popping into your local grocery store, stopping at Target for more gift wrap, or ordering a few essentials via grocery delivery, just a few deli items can make a snack board hearty enough for dinner. Avoid cruising the whole store and focus on deli items like ham, rotisserie chicken, and rolls from the bakery. Once home, fill out your board with your favorite mustard and pickles from the fridge.

Make it: A Meaty Snack Board That Doubles as Dinner

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

2. From Your Pantry

You’re likely only 15 minutes away from enjoying an easy, plant-based snack board. I’m willing to bet that you have all the makings of a snack board in your pantry and fridge right now. Drain a can of chickpeas and roast them, pull out some pita bread, grab the vinaigrette hiding in your fridge, and cut up some fresh vegetables for dipping. If you want to add some meat or fish, consider whipping up a tuna salad to serve with the veggies or that can of sardines you’ve been holding onto — they never met a swipe of spicy mustard they didn’t like.

Make it: A Snack Board for Vegans (and Everyone Else)

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

3. From Leftovers

That leftover roasted turkey and those hard-boiled eggs you cooked on Sunday? Pull them out of the fridge and partner them with that bag of rice crackers you haven’t finished. Steam that bag of frozen edamame languishing in the freezer and pair all this with a bowl of hummus and pickles or olives from the fridge and you have a snack board that is satisfying for you and your gluten-free guests alike. Leftovers are the lifeblood of the snack board – after all, its nature is all about pulling together what’s on hand. We bet the snack board you make on a lazy Friday night will be the best one yet!

Make it: A Gluten-Free Snack Board for Everyone

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