All American 4th of July “Cutie Charcuterie Board”… it’s so cute! Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with a fun red, white and blue table full of mini patriotic good eats. Made for 2-4 servings but these ideas can take the board beyond. Packed with patriotic appetizers or bite sized bites… makes this a fun and simple table and board you can create.
With a few simple grocery store shortcuts and lots of creativity you can create a star spangled setting for family and friends! Mini hot dogs, jalapeno cheeseburgers, red, white and blueberry shooters with sparkling star garnish, and so much more makes entertaining for the 4th of a July a breeze.
Celebrate the 4th of July or any Patriotic event with a festive All American Charcuterie Snack Board. Easy to make fun recipes mostly in mini sizes. Fresh watermelon with blueberries served on a white platter adds to the festive red, white and blue color scheme as well as being refreshing on a hot summer day.
Let’s Set the Table
Whether using a table cloth or bare table top, think about how you will elevate the food. Elevating the food makes the food more appetizing and helps create interest to the display. For this table, I started with a round table but added under the tablecloth a riser as in a four legged shelf. We took a wooden plank and added the short 8″ legs. I use this shelf for a lot of table decor and it really does help with presentation.
Plaid is so pretty as a tablecloth especially in red, white and blue. So since the tablecloth has pattern, I used all white dinnerware for serving the food. It calms the eye and really showcases the food. Even the centerpiece is a white container with white hydrangeas from my backyard. Easy and simple.
Charcuterie Snack Board Menu
Here’s the menu – Serving something Savory, Sweet, Salty and Seasonal will make this Board/table a breeze an keep you focused on keeping it simple. This board serves 12.
- Mini Hot Dogs
- Cheeseburger Jalapeno Skewers/picks
- Patriotic Aged Cheddar Cheese & Flag Salty Crackers
- Red, White, and Blue Chips
- Cherry & Blueberry with Whipped Cream Shooters with Baked Stars
- Mini Star Pretzels
- Watermelon Wedges with Fresh Blueberries
- No Bake Flag Cheesecake Tart
- 250th Anniversary Quart Mason Jar Blueberry and Strawberry Iced Water with Flag Striped Paper Straws
- Assorted Chocolate Covered Cherries, Blueberries and Raisins in Red, White and Blue
- Assorted Red, White and Blue Lindt Truffles
Mini Hot Dog Appetizers
You will love these and they taste so good. The secret is using Hawaiian Bread small rolls and Beef Lil Smokies. The bread is soft and the perfect size for the Lil Smokies. Begin with 12 small rolls, cut a small 1/4″ wide wedge out of the center of the top of the roll. In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and 12 lil Smokies. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain and with a small fork, place each “mini hot dog” in center of the wedge. Drizzle a small amount of mustard or you can serve condiments on the side. Place each mini hot dog in a white cupcake liner for serving. Yield: 12 mini hot dogs.
Be sure to purchase 2 packages of Hawaiian Rolls because the next appetizer to make is the Mini Jalapeno Cheeseburgers.
Mini Jalapeno Cheeseburger Appetizers
Easy Cheeseburger Recipe has the best flavor for being so small. In fact, this is going to be my go to for flavorful hamburgers for grilling. I
Note: If you decide you don’t want to make your own cheeseburgers, purchase frozen meatballs and bake, cut meatballs in half, place the sliced cheese, tomato and jalapeno slices on bottom of half of meatball, top with remaining half, skewer together for a no bread appetizer.
Recipe:
1 -1/2 pounds of ground sirloin, less grease.
3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt and ground pepper
12 small squares cheddar cheese or cheese of choice
12 single slices Jalapenos
5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced thin
12-Hawaiian Rolls or sliders
Garnish
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sesame seeds for buns
Star of other patriotic picks as skewers
Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Shape the sirloin into 2″ tall, 1-1/2″ round patties. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add a bit of olive oil to cast iron skillet. Cook hamburgers about 3 minutes per side until well done. Drain, set aside on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350, place cheese square over each mini hamburger. Melt in warm oven just until cheese begins to melt. If you broil the cheese, watch carefully as not to burn up the cheese.
With a 1-1/2″ round stainless steel/sharp cookie cutter, cut out top and bottom of sliders forming small buns for the mini skewers. While skillet is till warm, toast the buns cut side down until lightly toasted. Brush melted butter over the top bun and add a few sesame seeds.
Assemble the Cheeseburgers: Place cheeseburger on bottom half of bun, add slice tomato, jalapeno slice, and any other condiment you want. Top with sesame seed lid. Insert skewer or large pick into the center of the mini hamburger. Place on large serving platter.
Patriotic Aged Cheddar Cheese & Flag Salty Crackers
I found this aged cheddar 1776 Cheese Round at Sam’s a few days before the 4th of July. It is made by Somerdale Cheese. It is so festive.. I had to have it for my Charcuterie Snack Board. Served with Town House Flag Crackers really added to the star spangled event. Another great source for Star or any occasion cracker go to Valley Lahvosh website.
Place the festive cheese on your platter, surround in festive style the flag or star crackers. In addition to fill in spaces on your board use red, white and blue potato chips or additional cheese slices/salami. Add a few cut out cheddar stars for added decor in case you don’t want to slice the pretty cheese. ha ha. Use a sharp star shaped cookie cutter for small cheese stars. Keep the star cutter handy, you will need it for the next dessert garnish.
Cherry & Blueberry with Whipped Cream Shooters with Baked Stars
Keeping in color scheme and so delicious…so easy dessert make these shooters. My glass shooters from Pier 1 imports. But Amazon has all kinds of shooter containers you can use. Layered with Cherry Pie Filling, Fresh Whipped Cream with lemon curd and Blueberry Pie Filling then piped whipped cream on the top is so good. It’s not overly sweet and quick to pipe into the slender shooters. The garnish is baked mini stars using refrigerated pie crust.
Here’s how to make the Mini Star Garnish:
Using one round of refrigerated pie crust, unroll on floured surface, do not roll thiner. With small 1″ star cookie cutter, cut out as many stars as you can. Repeat with second pie crust if you want extra too much on. They will last a few days in a zip lock baggie at room temperature once baked.
Place stars on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each star with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar. Bake in a 375 °F oven, bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully as not to burn. Once cool, add to piped whipped cream, serve with small spoon. Use tip 1 M for piping the whipped cream. Yield: 12 shooters Serve on a white platter or dinner plate.
Watermelon Wedges with Blueberries
Sweet and refreshing, watermelon slices and fresh blueberries are the perfect way to add fresh fruit to this snack board. Evoke the summer vibe with this fruit combo.
Making the Watermelon Wedges: Cut from a single personal-size melon (3-4 lbs.) Simply slice the melon into 1″ rounds, then cut each round into quarters and the cut the quarters in half (each round will yield 8 small wedges). This small size is so easy to grab and enjoy. Add a pint or two of fresh blueberries in the center for the red, white and blue scheme. Use a white large platter and serve with a star tong.
No Bake Flag Cheesecake Tart
If you want more than a shooter, make this All American Berry Tart. Here’s how:
Recipe: Makes an 11″ round springform pan tart.
Crust:
1-1/4 packages graham crackers
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
Filling:
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1- 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups chilled heavy cream, 1/2 cup for filling, 1 cup for piping flag
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
1/2 cup 8 minute microwave lemon curd or purchased lemon curd
Garnish:
1 quart ripe medium sized strawberries, stemmed and cut in half vertically
2 pints fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons strawberry or apricot jam, melted in microwave a few seconds
Instructions:
For Crust: Process 1 and half of sleeve of graham crackers in a food processor with steel blade until crumbled. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Process to blend. Press crumbs into a greased with cooking spray tart pan. Use a small measuring cup to get a firm crumb bottom and up the sides of pan. Chill tart for 30 minutes.
To make the filling: Place 2 packages cream cheese, softened in large mixing bowl. Add one 7 ounce marshmallow cream and 1/2 cup sugar to cream cheese. Beat on medium high speed to mix together. In separate large mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract. Whip using whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
Add 1/2 cup whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. Fold together until blended. Spread in bottom of chilled crust, 1/2 cup lemon curd, then add the cream cheese mixture. Smooth top with off set spatula. Place remaining whipped cream in piping bag fitted with star tip, 1M or 2 D.
Assemble Berries: You will need 1 quart of fresh strawberries, 2 pints of blueberries. Wash and stem berries. Dry completely before adding to the tart.
Visually divide the tart in half and half again. You will apply the blueberries in rows in left upper corner of tart. Pipe stars to the right of the blueberries forming a row, cut strawberries in half vertically from stem, place the berries in one direction forming the second row. Pipe more stars, repeat until tart is covered. Serves 10-12.
If using a purchased crust, cut the filling ingredients in half to fit the smaller 9” round. Chill until ready to serve.
Finishing the Board
Need something to drink? I found these 250th Anniversary Quart Mason Jars from Walmart. They were so cute I had to have a few to serve the Blueberry and Strawberry flavored Iced Water. I served this water with fresh strawberry and several blueberries. If you want to use frozen berries that would be great too. Garnish the jars with Flag Striped Paper Straws.
Fill in the board with Star Pretzels and Assorted Chocolate Covered Cherries, Blueberries and Raisins in Red, White and Blue as well as Assorted Red, White and Blue Lindt Truffles
Happy Entertaining for Summer and Every Patriotic Party! Happy 250th Anniversary America!
Other Ideas You Might Like to Try:
