Easy Snack Boards for a Crowd: Charcuterie and Breakfast Boards Under $50

The best parties aren't the fanciest ones. They're the ones where there's plenty to eat, everyone can help themselves, and the host actually gets to sit down. A good snack board does all three.

Here are five easy charcuterie boards that each feed about 10 people for under $50, a grocery-store board for under $30, holiday and Friendsgiving boards, and a breakfast board for when the party starts before noon. Everything comes from a regular grocery store. Nothing needs a recipe.

The 3-3-3 Formula

Every board below follows one simple rule, so you never have to guess:

• 3 "main" things: cheeses, meats, or a dip
• 3 crunchy things: crackers, pretzels, chips, or veggies
• 3 fresh or sweet things: fruit, olives, chocolate, or jam

Start with the biggest items, fill in with crunch, then tuck the small things into the gaps. Done in 10 minutes.

5 Boards Under $50

Prices are our rough estimates for a typical grocery store and will vary by store and region. Each board is sized for about 10 people as an appetizer.

How to build any of them:

1. Put the dip or brie in a small bowl near the center so it anchors the board.
2. Slice or cube the cheese. Cubes go further and are easier to grab.
3. Fold the meat into quarters and tuck it in loose piles. It fills gaps fast.
4. Fan the crackers along the edges.
5. Fill every empty spot with fruit, olives or chocolate.

Money-saver: buy cheese in blocks and cut it yourself. Pre-sliced costs more and dries out faster.

Grocery Store Board Under $30

You don't need a cheese shop for a great board. One trip down the regular grocery aisles covers it. Prices are rough estimates and vary by store.

• Block of sharp cheddar (about $5)
• Sliced salami (about $6)
• Butter crackers (about $4)
• Red grapes (about $5)
• Mini pretzels (about $3)
• Honey mustard or jam for dipping (about $4)

Cube the cheese, fold the salami, fan the crackers along the edge and pile the grapes in one corner. Put the honey mustard in a small bowl in the middle. About $27, and it feeds 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

Friendsgiving Board

Friendsgiving is the easiest holiday to host: everyone brings a dish, and the board keeps people happy until dinner. Go fall-colored with the 3-3-3 formula:

• Main: sharp cheddar, salami, a small bowl of pumpkin or fig jam
• Crunchy: crackers, pecans, pretzel thins
• Fresh or sweet: apple slices (toss in a little lemon juice so they don't brown), red grapes, dried cranberries

Keep it light so nobody spoils dinner. Done in 10 minutes.

Holiday Charcuterie Board

Make the board festive without any extra work. Red and green do it for you:

• A wheel of brie in the center, topped with cranberry sauce
• Salami folded into "roses" (fold slices over the rim of a glass, then flip out)
• Red grapes, fresh cranberries and a few rosemary sprigs tucked into the gaps
• Crackers fanned around the edge

Swap a holiday disc into the Party Platter and the board matches the party. Done in 15 minutes.

Breakfast Board

A breakfast board is brunch without the short-order cooking. Everyone builds their own plate, and you get to drink your coffee while it's hot.

What to put on it: mini pancakes or frozen waffles (toasted), bacon, berries, sliced bananas, yogurt cups, granola, maple syrup in a small jar, and a little whipped cream.

How:

1. Warm the pancakes or waffles and stack them in two short piles.
2. Add bacon in a loose row.
3. Fill in with fruit, then tuck yogurt and syrup into the corners.
4. Set it out with small plates and forks, and let everyone graze.

How Much Per Person?

For a board served as an appetizer, plan on roughly 2–3 ounces of cheese and meat combined per guest, plus crackers and fruit. If the board is dinner, double it. When in doubt, add an extra sleeve of crackers. It's the cheapest way to make a board feel full.

Serve It On

A board looks planned when it's on the right piece. Ours are made for exactly this kind of hosting:

• Party Platter ($29, or $39 with the Let's Celebrate disc): one platter, every occasion. The center disc swaps out, so the same platter works for game day, holidays and birthdays. Add Seasonal Party Discs ($12) for the holidays.
• Life Is a Course Golf Platter ($40): our biggest platter, room for a full crowd-sized board.
• Golf Serving Bowl ($40): the ParTee bowl for chips, pretzels or popcorn on the side.

Porcelain, decorated in the USA, and made for real gatherings in real homes.

Save this post to Pinterest for your next get-together, and find more ideas on our Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas for a Crowd board.