How to arrange a charming and patriotic- themed charcuterie board to serve at 4th of July celebrations!
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The USA’s favorite holiday is approaching fast and I bet you are already looking forward to an unforgettable day filled with good times, delicious food, and new memories. In all the holiday excitement sometimes things can get a little chaotic or stressful but it does not have to be that way this year! Make it way easier on yourself this Independence Day by making easier recipes and preparing food and decor ahead of time, throughout a few days before the actual holiday or party. That is where fun and simple food dishes really come in handy like this July 4th Charcuterie Board!
Arranging and setting up a charcuterie board for the 4th of July is a great option for so many reasons! This patriotic- themed snack board is incredibly easy to prepare, it pairs perfectly with grilled food, and it can be prepared the night before party day for easy serving on the day of. Between chasing kids, last minute party prep, and potential decoration difficulties, you will be so thrilled that you chose such a simple yet charming food dish to serve at your 4th of July celebrations!
Star- Spangled Equipment
Luckily, for just about any charcuterie board you do not need a lot of equipment. In fact, even if you do not have what I mention specifically below of what I used, you can still work with what you do have around your house and still set it up to fit the holiday or occasion!
My 4th of July Charcuterie Board Equipment:
- Red star- shaped dipping bowl
- White star- shaped dipping bowl
- Blue star- shaped dipping bowl
- Metal serving tray
Kitchen Tip:
If you want to save yourself from constant hand- washing then you can get some food-friendly disposable gloves to use for food prep like washing, cutting, and arranging.
Patriotic Charcuterie Board Ingredients
One of the absolute best things about preparing a charcuterie board is that you get to fill it up with a diverse variety of all of your -and your loved one’s- favorite snacks! To make this particular snack board fit the holiday theme, make sure to feature snacks that fit into the color scheme of red, white, and blue. Of course, you don’t have to stick to only those 3 colors but they certainly should be included. Need a few ideas on patriotic- colored fruits, veggies, and snacks that fit into the holiday theme? I have plenty for you, plus some of my family’s other favorite charcuterie board snacks!
Red snacks:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Halved strawberries
- Cherries
- Raspberries
- Watermelon Slices – See my Two Ways to Creatively Cut Watermelon for serving ideas!
- Apple slices (perfect for red and white colors)
White snacks:
- Crackers – your favorite brand or star- shaped crackers
- Popcorn
- Fruit dip
- Veggie dip
- Yogurt- covered pretzels
- White cheeses such as Swiss, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Mozzarella
Blue snacks:
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Blackberries
Technically the last two are not exactly blue but they work great for the patriotic theme!
Other colorful and delectable fruits and veggies:
- Fresh zucchini, sliced
- Fresh yellow squash, sliced
- Broccoli
- Baby carrots
- Celery sticks, cut into smaller sticks
- Olives
Other fun finger foods:
- Snacking nuts
- Other cheeses like Cheddar or American
- Deli meats – Serve a variety of everyone’s favorite meats!
- If desired, you can set up a separate tray for the meats if you have vegetarian family or friends.
- Watermelon Bites Dipped in Chocolate
- Homemade Star- Shaped Chocolates – These are also adorably patriotic and incredibly easy to make!
- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
- Assorted crackers
Kitchen Tip:
If you are preparing this July 4th charcuterie board for a large group of your friends and family then it would be a good idea to ask about any food allergies or sensitivities so you can make separate charcuterie boards, if necessary, so everyone can easily enjoy their snacks without worry.
How to Arrange A Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Display
Setting up and arranging a charcuterie board is wonderfully easy to do and delightfully fun! There are not a lot of special notes to keep in mind, so I am going to just dive right in on breaking down the steps for you.
- First, you will need to wash, slice, and prepare all of the fresh foods you will be serving on your 4th of July charcuterie board.
- After your food is prepared, set out your metal serving tray, or serving board. Make sure it is clean and ready to use.
- Next, go ahead and position the red, white, and blue star- shaped bowls on the tray. Try to spread them out and arrange them in a charming display.
- I suggest waiting to see how your snacks will be arranged before pouring in the dips.
- Then, it is time to start filling in the tray with snacks. Start with the bigger, chunky vegetables and fruits like sliced squash, apple slices, or celery sticks.
- After you have the big snacks arranged, use the smaller snacks to fill in around them.
- If you are serving small berries like blueberries or raspberries then pour them into one of the star- shaped bowls to keep them from rolling around everywhere.
- Next, line the crackers around the outer edges for easy access on all sides of the tray.
- Finally, transfer any vegetable or fruit dips into the remaining star- shaped bowls and enjoy!
Overnight Storage for an Easier 4th of July Party
This charming July 4th charcuterie board can be prepared the night before the big day for easier set up and prep on the actual day of the party. This makes it even easier to cut down unnecessary party stress. If this is the route you would like to take then here’s what to do the night before:
- Prepare the serving tray with the star- shaped bowls, fruits, and veggies. Do not pour sauces or dips into the bowls yet!
- Dips and sauces can get icky overnight if they are not sealed properly so it is best to wait on those.
- Cover the whole food tray with cellophane wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
- When it is time to serve the patriotic charcuterie board:
- First, remove the cellophane wrap from the tray.
- Then, pour the sauces into the bowls.
- Finally, serve and enjoy!
Since we are dealing with a bunch of different food groups and differing shelf lives, it is best to keep the individual foods saved separately and according to their particular needs. You can still prepare extra food if you need to for easy refills at the party but keep all of the foods stored in separate, airtight containers until you are ready to serve them.
Serve with Homemade Patriotic- Themed Snacks and Sweets
For an all- out patriotic party theme, here a few more red, white, and blue inspired homemade snacks and desserts to serve with your July 4th charcuterie board at your Independence Day party! Need some help with decorating? Check out my 4th of July Patio Celebration Ideas!
Homemade Patriotic- themed Snacks:
- Fruit- Infused Water – Use red and blue fruit and berries to fit the patriotic color scheme.
- 4th of July Bundt Cake
- This patriotic 3 Layer Vanilla Cake in 3 Hours
- Chocolate- covered pretzels for the 4th of July – These are super easy to make at home and feature a charming patriotic color scheme!
- Pinwheel Cookies for the 4th of July – A sweet combination of holiday classics!
4th of July charcuterie board
Equipment
Ingredients
- Baby carrots
- Apples slices
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
- Celery sticks
- Yellow squash sliced
- Zucchini sliced
- Assorted crackers
Instructions
- First, you will need to wash, slice, and prepare all of the fresh foods you will be serving on your 4th of July charcuterie board.
- After your food is prepared, set out your metal serving tray, or serving board. Make sure it is clean and ready to use. I suggest waiting to see how your snacks will be arranged before pouring in the dips.
- Then, it is time to start filling in the tray with snacks. Start with the bigger, chunky vegetables and fruits like the sliced squash, apple slices, or celery sticks.
- After you have the big snacks arranged, use the smaller snacks to fill in around them. If you are serving small berries like blueberries or raspberries then pour them into one of the star- shaped bowls to keep them from rolling around everywhere.
- Next, line the crackers around the outer edges for easy access on all sides of the tray.
- Finally, transfer any vegetable or fruit dips into the remaining star- shaped bowls and enjoy!
Food Photography & Video Tips from My Studio
Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
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