Aaron's Snack Platter Tutorial

aka: how to be happy-hour-ready

Last fall, Aaron was having an evening meeting at church. He wanted to have drinks and snacks for them, especially because several of them would be coming straight from work. He joked with me that he was utterly unequipped for the job, and I was like, Coach, put me in! This is my moment!

I made him a list for the easiest-possible covers-every-base snack platter—a version of the one I make nearly every week for happy hour--and he kept the list and has used it for multiple subsequent gatherings.

I told my mom about it, and she said “send me the list!” and also one of the women that Aaron works with said she took a picture of both the board and the list and has been using it for her gatherings, too--nothing could make me happier, of course!

So here you go: the blueprint for a very solid covers-all-the-bases go-to snack platter.

Before we get started, a couple thoughts: you can call this a cheese board or a charcuterie board, but I’m calling it a snack platter, because that’s exactly what it is—it’s a well-rounded gathering of snacks put together all in one place so that everyone around the table (or coffee table or kitchen island or park bench or picnic blanket, as it were) can find a few delicious bites—even if they’re vegan or vegetarian, if they’re gluten-free or dairy-free, if they’re picky kids or starving adults…a little something for everyone. I love a cheeseboard, where cheese is the focus. I love a charcuterie board, where cured meats are the focus, but this is a little different: this is the solve-it-all-in-one-pan snack platter.

And it’s designed to be able to be the only thing—if you’re putting out a big cocktail party spread, then you can do a handful of different plates…chips & dip here, a cheeseboard there, etc. etc. If you’re hosting a full meal, there’s an entrée and sides coming soon.

This isn’t that—this is the one platter that covers all the bases…picture me carrying a version of this sheet pan down three flights of stairs about twice a week. That’s what this is.

Of course, you can keep it even simpler—you could absolutely do a very bare bones platter with just the first six, but I do feel like using this dozen as a framework will always get you into very solid snack platter territory.

Here’s the dozen:

1.     Hard cheese—extra sharp cheddar or white cheddar are good starting points.

2.     Soft cheese--goat or Boursin are always hits.

3.     Crackers—Triscuits are my go-to, or pita crackers.

4.     Gluten free crackers—Nut Thins are a favorite.

5.     Hummus or dip--especially important for vegans.

6.     Prosciutto or salami for a little protein—I’m not a big cured meat person, but every single time this is the first thing that goes.

7.     Fresh fruit—berries, grapes, apple slices.

8.     Fresh vegetable—sliced cucumbers (Salted! Makes all the difference!), carrots or peppers, grape tomatoes.

9.     Chocolate—a dark chocolate bar broken into pieces or chocolate-covered almonds.

10.   Nuts—almonds are the safest, generally, from an allergy standpoint, and I prefer roasted and salted. Also: another good protein source for hungry vegans.

11.   Jam/Mustard/Honey—fig jam is great, and you know I put hot honey on everything. The one in the photo is a tangerine/chili jam—yuuumm!

12.   Something pickled/brined—cornichons, pickled jalepenos, green olives.

There you go!

A few more thoughts:

Cheese boards and charcuterie boards are absolutely having a moment, and I love it…and also if there was just one thing about the trend that makes me a little bit buggy, it’s the extreme focus on the appearance, rather than the actual eating experience…your snack platter doesn’t need to have edible flowers or six kinds of herbs or be shaped like a tree or a flag or, or, or…it certainly can be beautiful, and I do love a pretty board with cute little bowls and cups. Keep in mind, though, that the point of the board is to feed people—to give hungry people a few bites of something delicious after a long day or a rough commute. Don’t spend three hundred dollars on the fiddly bits, and don’t feel like it has to look like masterpiece. Choose things your people will actually eat—that’s the point.

And okay, there’s another thing, as I watch the “grazing board/grazing table” trend explode: you absolutely don’t have to have enough food for like seventy five people, if there are actually more like six people coming to happy hour. You don’t need twenty cheeses or a dozen fancy chutneys. Scale it according to your actual gathering, and feel free to keep it simple and cute and small.

In very general terms of quantity: use a full-size rimmed pan for a gathering of 10-12, and a half sheet (or dinner plate!) for more like 4-6. And here’s a link to my favorite colorful pans.

For the dips and olives, I’m using a set of nesting measuring cups—I got them at Anthropologie many years ago, and I’m always on the lookout for little saucers, spoons, bowls…mostly vintage, nothing fancy.

One last idea: Myquillin Smith (aka @thenester) posted on Instagram a truly genius idea: in both your pantry and your fridge, keep a basket of all your snack platter go-to’s, so that you know what you have and what you need, and so that you’re always cheese-board-ready/snack-platter-ready, which is, as you know, one of my core life goals.

Here’s what would make me the absolute happiest: take this as the tiny push you’ve been needing to gather up a group--neighbors? Parents from school? A few work friends?

Send a text, get out your sheet pan, and get gathering—and I’d loooooove to see photos.

Tag me on Instagram so I can check out your snack platter lifestyle :)