Creating a grazing table is one of my favorite things to do, especially around the holidays. I love the creativity part of it. It’s perfect for feeding a large number of people. I created this one for our Christmas gathering.
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What is a Grazing Table
A Grazing table is like a charcuterie board but covers a large table or countertop. This works well for larger parties or groups they can because you can feed more people. It is a display of cured meats, cheeses, crackers, dips, nuts, and other bite-sized items. Guests love being able to snack as they please while they mingle at the party.
Items Needed to Create a Grazing Table
When creating your grazing table you will use a large table, a countertop, or your kitchen island bar. The key to creating the perfect grazing table is to add height and layers. This can be done by using items such as cake stands, and wooden boards in different shapes and heights. You can also stack wood boards on top or other things.
- Use a countertop, kitchen island bar, or long table.
- Butcher paper if you plan on adding food to the countertops. I like to use boards though.
- Elevate your area by adding height; cake stands, different-shaped wooden boards, and bowls.
- Use ramekin bowls or holiday-themed bowls or ramekins for dips, olives, or pickles.
- Cheese Knives, Cheese spreaders, mini spoons, forks, and mini tongs.
Food For A Grazing Board Table:
The most popular food items will be cured meats and cheeses. I start with that and build around it.
To add a lot of color to the board try adding fresh vegetables. Dips and jams too.
Cured Meats:
- Salami
- Peppered Salami
- Prosciutto
- Summer Sausage
- Pepperoni
Cheese:
Choose both hard and soft cheeses for a nice variety
- Brie
- Goat cheese
- Garlic Goat Cheese
- Boursin Garlic and Herb
- Havarti
- Gorgonzola
- Cheddar
- Gouda
- Smoked Gouda
Vegetables:
Using fresh vegetables will add color to your board. The red and green for Christmas.
- Skinny Baby Carrots
- Snap Peas
- Broccoli
- Grape Tomatoes
- Mini Peppers
- Baby Dill Pickles
- Olives
Fillers:
Fillers the things you place in between the cheeses, meats, and dips on your boards. This could be a variety of my different things.
- Crackers
- Crostini
- Naan Bread Dippers
- Pretzels
- Dried Fruit: Figs, Dates & Apricots
- Nuts: Pistachios, Cashews, Almonds & Pecans
- Fresh Rosemary
I added a board with dessert-like items. Things like Biscottii, Cioccolati Biscotti, chocolate-filled wafers, turtles, Rolo Pretzels, and a dessert dip like this cinnamon pumpkin one.
The Cuban Sliders fit right in with the other foods.
Step by Step Instructions to Create a Grazing Board:
- Decide what boards, and cake stands you want to use and place them on the countertop, island bar, or table.
- Start by placing the larger items like cheeses and meats on the boards first.
- Use small ramekin bowls for dips, pickles, and olives.
- Add crackers, crostini, and Naan mini flatbreads around the board.
- Add vegetables of your choice. You can add fresh fruit as well.
- Next, add fillers like nuts, dried fruit, and fresh rosemary.
- Just play around with the items you have to make it look aesthetically pleasing.
- Add cheese knives, cheese spreaders, mini spoons, mini forks, and mini tongs for your guests to handle the food.
I just love how this turned out. If you aren’t feeding a lot of people you could get by with just making a single charcuterie board.
Grazing Table Charcuterie Tips:
- Shop for your ingredients at Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
- Look for charcuterie boards at places like HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, and Amazon.
- Make it a theme if it is around the holidays. Like for Christmas I used pinecones and garland, greenery, berry sprigs, fresh rosemary, and a Merry Christmas sign.
- Don’t be afraid to fill in the empty areas and allow the food to touch. This is what makes the boards look full.
- Cut the cheeses into blocks, slices, or cubes, You can stack the cubes on top of each other. For the soft cheeses use a spreader.
More Charcuterie Boards You May Love
- Breakfast Brunch Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board
- Halloween Charcuterie Board
- Favorite Things Party Board
- Favorite Things Party Board
How to Create A Grazing Table
Ingredients
- Specialty-cured meats like prosciutto, salami, pepperoni. Most of these come presliced.
- Variety of Cheeses. Brie, Goat cheese, Gouda and Cheddar.
- Fresh Vegetables. Brocoli, snap peas, mini peppers, baby skinny carrots, grape tomatoes, english cucumbers
- Crackers, crostini and naan mini flatbreads.
- Prepared dips and spreads. Dill dip, spinach artichoke dip, and or desset dips.
Instructions
- Decide what boards, cake stands you want to use and place them a on the counter top, island bar or table.
- Start by placing the larger items like cheeses amd meats on the boards first.
- Use small bowls for dips, pickles and olives.
- Add crackers, crostini and flatbreads and around the board.
- Add vegetables of your choice. You can add fresh fruit as well.
- Next, add fillers like nuts, dried fruit, fresh rosemarry.
- Just play around with the items you have to make it look aesthetically pleasing.
- Lastly, add cheese knives, cheese spreaders, mini spoons, mini forks and mini tongs for your guest to handle the food.
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