4th of July Charcuterie Board

I am always looking for Pinspiration for holiday foods and recipes. Actually most of the food I make I find on Pinterest. So for 4th of July I went to pinning and combined a few ideas to make this fun red, white, and blue  charcuterie board.

LET THE KIDS HELP

I like to try to incorporate my kids in food prep, because a) they love to help, and b) it’s important learning for their little hands and hearts.

If you’re looking for a fun summer activity to do with your kids, making these watermelon stars, or any shape of cookie cutter for that matter is so fun and easy!

CUTTING THE WATERMELON

We started by halving the watermelon and then cutting into rounds. It’s important not to cut the slices too thick, or it will be more difficult to cut through all the way without ripping. I recommend slicing the watermelon no thicker than your cookie cutter depth.

 IT’S OK TO EAT WHILE YOU WORK

My 3 year old did a really good job with my help, and my soon to be kindergartener could handle it all on his own. I served up a bowl of watermelon for my 1 year old daughter  to eat so she could be a part of the fun too, and have a safe distraction while we worked to make our stars together.

KEEP THE STARS COLD BEFORE SERVING

We sliced the watermelon and then I put it all in a bowl and wrapped it with plastic wrap so I could store in the fridge for a few hours before the BBQ. I did the same thing with the cheese. I cut the stars and then stored them in the fridge so the cheese stayed fresh.

RED WHITE AND BLUE TARGET SNACKS- NO FOOD DYES 

I was able to find all my red, white, and blue food items at Target which was so awesome. I also try to avoid artificial food colors in our foods, so the Australian licorice was a perfect find by my hubs to complete this red, white, and blue snack board.

PREP AND GO

About 30 minutes before we needed to leave I began prep on the patriotic charcuterie board. My hubs helped me decide to go with an american flag design for the placement of the food.

PLACE BOWLS FIRST 

I started by placing the bowls on the board I and then filled it in with the appropriate colors.

FILL THE BOWLS

I used blue corn tortilla chips for the blue part of the flag. Then I added Skinny Pop popcorn and Australian licorice to the other bowls.

FILL IN YOUR STRIPES PATTERN

 

Then I began to fill in the red and white stripes. I used white chocolate covered pretzels and sliced strawberries for the middle of the snack board. 

ADD THE CHILLED WATERMELON AND CHEESE STARS

Last but not least, it was time to add the stars  we worked so hard on earlier and other fresh fruit. I added the watermelon stars to the top of the board and the cheese stars on the bottom. I topped  the blueberries with a few of the provolone cheese stars for some added fun and pizazz. 

UPDATE: The Australian Licorice is not available at Target this year so we are using the YumEarth Strawberry Licorice for an artificial dye free red candy.

 

I’ll be honest, the watermelon went way faster than the cheese on this board. I would probably add some kind of meat to go with the cheese if I serve this again next year. The licorice is a little too chewy for toddlers, but great for older kids and let’s be honest, it was really for me, I mean the other grown ups.

Whatever the occasion may be, this board can be customized for your special occasion. It’s so fun to include the kids in the prep, and making watermelon shapes is so perfect for summertime. What are you doing with your kids this summer? Let me know in the comments below. I hope you enjoy your summer with your little, even though 2020 is keeping things interesting!

2021 UPDATE! I’ve added items current available at Target so you can add them to your pickup order! Yes, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you when you shop through my links. Thank you for the support!

 

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