You have probably heard of a cheese board and maybe even tried to create your own. A close relative of the well-known charcuterie board, graze boards allow you to swap out meats, cheeses, and crackers for a creative array of dips and snacks. As one of Instagram’s hottest food trends, a graze board is the perfect undertaking for the snack-obsessed this holiday season. It is fun, unexpected, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Before you start creating your graze board, gather the basics. You’ll want to use a spacious board to give yourself enough room for all your ingredients. If you happen to have a giant wooden board laying around, this is the perfect time to break it out. If not, you can also use a baking tray as your canvas—just don’t forget to either line it with parchment or give it a quick scrub. You will also need some bowls for dips and other small items. You can use ramekins, small baking tins, or sauce bowls—anything that will help keep your board from becoming a gooey mess. Once you’ve gathered your materials, it’s time to choose your theme and get creative. There are endless possibilities when making a graze board, but here are five of my favorite ideas.
S'mores Board
What you need:
Marshmallows (mini or jumbo)
Chocolate Squares (milk, dark, and white)
Graham crackers
Pretzels
Assorted cookies (chocolate chip, fudge-striped, wafers)
Strawberries
Peanut butter cups
Nothing is cozier than bundling up and roasting marshmallows over a bonfire in winter. A smore’s board will give you the campfire experience without the frozen fingers or fiery odors. For this graze board, start with the marshmallows. To keep it simple, you can use the marshmallows straight out of the package for a deconstructed s’mores experience. If you have extra time and want an authentic gooey s’mores experience, fill a skillet with marshmallows and warm it over the stove to make a marshmallow dip. Add the skillet to your board or serve it on the side if you run out of space.
For the rest of the board, you'll want to include graham crackers and chocolate squares. To add visual intrigue and variety, you can include milk, dark, and white chocolate squares. Once you’ve got the basics covered, add excitement with your favorite sweets and salty treats (think pretzels, assorted cookies, strawberries, and peanut butter cups). The more ingredients you add, the more visually appealing—and tasty—your board will be.
Breakfast Board
What you need:
Your choice of pancakes, waffles, or French toast
Maple syrup
Nutella
Chocolate chips
Whipped cream
Sausage
Bacon
Assorted fruit
At-home brunch will never be boring again with this breakfast board. First, choose between waffles, pancakes, or French toast as the base for your board. If you love baking, it could be fun to make your own pancakes or waffles, but a creative board is a great way to disguise frozen breakfast treats. Next, fill up small bowls with your favorite toppings, such as maple syrup, Nutella, chocolate chips, jelly, cinnamon sugar, and whipped cream. Using small bowls will keep your board mess-free and make it look extra impressive. To complete the breakfast board, add a row of sausage, scones, or even hard-boiled eggs. For something healthy to pair with your breakfast treats, add assorted fruit and berries. Plus, the fruit will give your board some much-needed color.
Toast Board
What you need:
Assorted bread
Avocado mash
Bacon
Diced tomatoes
Arugula
Feta cheese
Assorted spices
If you are a breakfast lover but prefer something on the savory-side, try a toast board. Start with a variety of assorted toast slices, such as whole-white, rye, multigrain or ciabatta. Next, mash a few avocados and fill a bowl with your fresh creamy spread. For toppings, opt for diced tomatoes, arugula, feta cheese, bacon, and anything else you need for a dreamy slice of avocado toast. For an extra touch, fill mini bowls with your favorite seasonings. I recommend Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, lemon slices, chili flakes, and crispy onions. This board will leave avocado-toast lovers speechless.
Hot Chocolate Board
What you need:
Marshmallows (mini and jumbo)
Candy canes
Whipped cream
Wafer cookies
Chocolate-covered pretzel sticks
Chocolate chips
Sprinkles
Everyone loves a warm cup of hot chocolate during the holiday season. To begin, make a big batch of hot-chocolate. Then, trow together this topping-board and turn on your favorite holiday movie. When assembling this hot chocolate board, don’t skimp on the sugar. Start with the essentials: marshmallows, whipped cream, and candy canes. For the bells and whistles, add an assortment of wafer cookies, chocolate-covered pretzel sticks, Pirouette wafer sticks, chocolate chips, and sprinkles. For a board like this one, experiment with different forms of the same ingredient. For example, include a bowl of crushed candy canes as well as full-sized candy canes. For marshmallows, incorporate various sizes (mini and jumbo), shapes (you may be able to find Christmas-trees), and colors. When in doubt, add another handful of sweet treats.
Taco Board
What you need:
Tortillas
Your choice of protein (beef, chicken, or fish)Roasted peppers
Shredded cheese
Guacamole
Sour cream
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Shredded lettuce
Take taco night to another level with a taco-themed graze board. Like any graze board, you can keep this board simple with one meet and a small selection of fillings or go all out with a variety of options. Either way, start with your favorite outer layer—either hard taco shells, corn tortillas, or flour tortillas. Next, fill small bowls with an assortment of meats and toppings. Some staple ingredients include guacamole, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and salsa. If you have extra time, grill peppers, heat up refried beans, and make a bowl of homemade Pico-de-Gallo. This board may be bowl-heavy, but these tools will help keep your board organized, mess-free, and delicious.
Regardless of whether you try a sweet or savory graze-board, the most important thing is to have fun, be creative, and take a whole lot of pictures. After all, you deserve to show off your hard work and artistic foodie flare on Instagram.