How to Make the Holiday Snack Board of Your Dreams

The holidays are made for gathering and grazing. Whether you’re hosting a full-on dinner party or a family game night, a beautiful board makes snacking feel festive and elegant. Plus, when you use a HexClad charcuterie board made of gorgeous burnished walnut, you’re starting on third base. These boards are built to last and to impress. 

No one ever kicked cheese and crackers out of bed, but for a holiday platter, we’re thinking bigger and more beautiful. Ready to impress? Here are five fresh ways to build your board. All are holiday party–worthy and guaranteed to show up in your guests’ Insta feeds the next day.

1. Color-Scheme Your Board

Turn your board into art using a color scheme. Try an ombré gradient, a rainbow design or a single striking hue. 

Ombré: Start light and move to dark. Think: a butter yellow board that deepens from light creamy brie and pale honey to aged cheddar, marmalade and dried mango. 

Rainbow: It’s not just for kids; rainbows give everyone a little burst of delight. Make your board vibrant and fun with colorful produce: Start with strawberries or raspberries, citrus, yellow bell peppers and green grapes, then add blueberries and blackberries. 

Monochrome: Pick a single color for a dramatic board. A red board, for instance, might feature prosciutto, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, pepper jelly and a round of paprika-dusted goat cheese. 

2. Take a Charcuterie Vacation ("Charcutation?")

A board can tell a story or take you on a journey. Transport your friends and family with a spread inspired by a favorite destination. Plus, foods from a particular place often go well together. 

Calabrian spice: Go southern Italian with ‘nduja, Calabrian chiles, aged provolone, roasted red peppers and marinated artichokes. Add olive-oil toasted crusty bread for dipping. 

Turkish delight: Combine salty, sweet and savory flavors. We’re talking cubes of beyaz peynir (Turkish white cheese), olives, walnuts, figs and ribbons of pastirma (spiced cured beef). A small bowl of honey or tahini brings it all together.

French countryside: Channel Provence with soft cheeses like camembert and chèvre, rustic paté, grapes and baguette slices. Add a pot of Dijon mustard or fig jam.

Southern comfort: Assemble a board that celebrates the flavors of the American South. Try boiled peanuts, a bowl of pimento cheese dip, paper-thin slices of country ham, pepper jelly and cheese crackers. 

3.  Lean Into the Holidays

Whatever you’re celebrating, there’s a board for that. 

Fun faux latkes: If you don’t want to spend several hours grating and frying potatoes, we won’t tell your bubbe. You can still enjoy latke-like deliciousness: Start with lots of very crunchy kettle potato chips. Add little bowls of sour cream, minced chives, salmon roe and thinly sliced apples. In other words, the familiar flavors of latkes, reimagined for easy snacking. 

Christmas cheer: Everything is red and green here. Try a little bowl of pesto for dipping, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, kale chips, green olives and a cheese ball rolled in crushed red pepper. Serve olive oil toasts on the side and let everyone make their own Christmas-y crostini. 

New Year’s sparkle: Fancy! Think caviar, blinis, crème fraîche, smoked salmon and a sprinkle of edible gold flakes or edible glitter. Serve with glasses of Champagne and forget about resolutions.

4. Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

A dessert board is an instant crowd-pleaser and a great way to show off your baking (or buying) skills.

Chocolate: Arrange truffles, dark and white chocolate bark, chocolate-dipped strawberries, dried cherries and candied nuts on a board. Add a small bowl of flakey salt for dipping or sprinkling.

Cookie sampler: Use a selection of homemade or bakery-bought cookies, biscotti and bars. Include a few non-cookie elements like raspberries, mascarpone or a spreadable ganache.

S’mores: Arrange graham crackers, gourmet marshmallows and squares of milk, dark and white chocolate. Toast the marshmallows tableside with a mini kitchen torch for a bit of drama.

5. Think Outside the Box

Do you always have the in-laws over for Christmas morning? There’s a board for that. Do you prefer a low-key movie night with friends? Ditto.  

Brunch: Arrange mini pancakes, cut fresh fruit, crisp bacon and a small bowl of syrup for dipping. Christmas morning is handled. 

Movie night: This a two-platter occasion. Make a savory snack platter with popcorn, chips, pretzels and pigs in blankets and a sweets board with movie candy like Milk Duds, Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids. Be generous with the cozy blankets, nice sodas or seltzers (extra credit for pebble ice) and mugs of tea.

Potluck: Ask everyone to bring their very favorite cheese. You supply the crackers, fruit and accouterments. Using masking tape, put everyone’s name below their cheese and at the end of the night, vote on whose cheese was most delicious.

Your HexClad board isn’t just a serving piece: It can be a canvas, a conversation-starter and a simple but impressive way to feed a crowd. Next up? Football season. We’ve got boards for that, too.