By now if you have not been to a party with a charcuterie board, I’m not sure where you’re hanging out!  Boards are all the rage and understandably so, the possibilities are endless. Now I still believe in the charm of a traditional charcutier board made of up meats, cheeses, crackers and fruit.  So, for the purpose of this post I am going to call everything else a food board!

Food Boards are a weeknight staple in our house. We make a food board for just about anything in my house. Wednesday night dinner, game day, parties or just for an afternoon snack.  Why do we turn a basic Wednesday night dinner into a food board?  Simple, the beauty of a food board is that not only are the fun to make and visually pleasing, but it allows for everyone to eat what they want! I may be many things but a short order cook is not one of them!

Why make a food board?

Let me explain, think Mexican food, which happens to be something we eat ay least once a week.  I have three kids, 16, 14 and 12, who all, thanks to me, have a very specific pallet and opinion on their food.  I’ll even through my husband into that mix although he is not picky at all.  Someone will want a burrito bowl, another prefers to make a bean burrito and the other will go for a bowl or make a plate of nachos.  My husband will eat them all. What do all these dishes have in common? The all have basically all the same ingredients.  The only difference is how they are put together!  So, to make my life easier, I make the basic ingredients, create a fun food board and everyone gets to make their own plates full of whatever they are in the mood for that night.  Listen, I like to sat I do it for them but I also just have fun putting a food board together.

Endless Possibilities

Another favorite board night meal for us is all things Mediterranean.  Again, everyone enjoys it a bit differently.  Some make pitas with the ingredients, some turn it into a bowl and some just like to make a plate and enjoy.  Point is, any dinner can be a food board and can make you night a bit easier by letting your family choose what they want to make with it.  I will add that, at least in my experience, kids will eat a lot more if they are involved in making it, even if just putting it together on their plate.

Some food board ideas we make often are Mexican, Mediterranean, Salad Bar, Game Day Snacks, Brunch and even and American Burger and Fries board.  I’ll do a few follow up posts with instructions and recipes for some of these boards, but until then create your own board! Remember, there are no rules here.  You can serve it on whatever you have in your house. Think outside the box, have fun and watch your family enjoy making their own plates for dinner!

 

 

 

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