It’s 5 o’clock somewhere & with social distancing in place, virtual happy hours are a thing, ya’ll! So why not celebrate by making your own appetizer board with what you already have stocked in your kitchen?
Here are some tips for putting together an appetizing App Board for your next virtual or IRL happy hour:
- Use a medium sized, rectangular cutting board or serving plate (round boards or plates work too!) at least 18-24″ in length or diameter.
- Use whatever fresh fruits you have that are finger-food friendly. I typically use fresh strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries if they’re in season. Grapes, figs, or cantaloupe are always good too!
- Add 1 or 2 different types of finger-friendly veggies. I like to use carrot sticks, zucchini, celery, jicama, or blanched broccoli or cauliflower.
- Add at least 2 types of cheese – I usually add cheddar or Iberico for the hard cheese and brie or goat cheese for the softer cheese. If you’re lactose intolerant, you can substitute for a variety of dips. More on that in the next bullet.
- Variety is the spice of life, so be sure to add different dips such as hummus, good ranch dressing, olive tapenade, or something sweet like fig jam to go with the cheese.
- Go nuts! I like to add marcona almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts or cashews and I typically sprinkle the nuts around the board in a mosaic like pattern.
- No charcuterie at home? No problem! I used turkey deli meat and rolled baby spinach in the middle and pierced it with a toothpick to keep the turkey roll in place.
- Crackers or plantain chips are a good compliment to the cheese and dip.
- Lastly, when you’re assembling your board, group the ingredients together, as illustrated in the image below.
Now you’re a pro at putting together the happy hour appetizers! I hope you enjoy these tips and party hard this week. Cheers!