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This post is sponsored by Water Grows. All opinions are my own.
Charcuterie boards aren’t just for grown-ups… kids love meat and cheese, too! If you’re looking for different charcuterie board ideas, I’m sharing a really fun charcuterie board theme today. This kid-friendly charcuterie is themed around the ultimate kid-approved sandwich, the PB&J. In addition to peanut butter and jelly, this board pairs delicious meats, cheeses, fruits, and nuts that complement the spreads for some epic snacking. It’s great for a play date, a kid’s party (or a kid-friendly food option for any party), or even as a lunch charcuterie. Even though this was planned as a charcuterie for kids, don’t be surprised if the adults want to get in on the action, too. Save the shopping list and instructions below if you need some good kids’ charcuterie board ideas, but first I’d love to share more about the cool Conservation Charcuterie virtual event I attended yesterday on behalf of Water Grows.
About the Water Grows Initiative
As a food blogger, I would have no content to share if it wasn’t for the farmers who grow our food. I’ve always been fascinated by the farming process, and have especially loved learning about farming here in Texas and our farmers’ sustainable farming practices. The Conservation Charcuterie event was designed to connect food influencers with the farmers that grow our food. We learned about the many efforts farmers and ranchers make to conserve natural resources while producing quality, affordable food for Texans. A few other influencers and I had the opportunity to showcase themed charcuterie boards featuring Texas-grown food while the farmers who make it all possible shared insights into the foods themselves. The event ultimately brought light to the connection all of us have with water, and the importance of water conservation in farming practices. Water grows not only our food, but also our economy and our children’s future! The Water Grows Initiative helps us to understand how irrigated agriculture plays an important role in all of our daily lives. Not just the products we eat, wear, and use every day, but the ways farmers and ranchers contribute to an agricultural industry that both directly and indirectly creates jobs and protects natural resources, like water. Through major strides in water conservation, Texas farmers are growing more crops with less water so we can save this precious resource for future generations without sacrificing jobs or economic growth in the present. It was fascinating to learn how technology has helped with conservation. Tools used to water crops are more efficient, with the ability to put water directly on the plants to minimize water loss from evaporation. Farmers have to work smarter due to limited resources, and they, like farmers for generations before them, have had to adapt and evolve. To learn more, visit the Water Grows website.
PB&J charcuterie board shopping list
- Bacon
- Beef & pork salami or summer sausage
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Manchego cheese (or a similar Texas sheep’s milk cheese)
- Texas peanut butter
- Strawberry fruit spread (made with Texas strawberries)
- Green grapes
- White bread
- Wheat bread
- Pretzel sticks
- Popcorn (plain and cheese flavored)
- A few varieties of snacking peanuts (honey roasted, salted, etc.)
Assembling your kids’ charcuterie board
Since this charcuterie for kids is themed around peanut butter and jelly, start by placing small bowls of each on the board. Slice your cheeses and arrange them next to the spreads. We chose sharp cheddar and Manchego for how well they pair not only with peanut butter, but also the meats we chose for the board.
In the theme of kid-friendly charcuterie, we used toasted breads instead of crackers for this kids’ charcuterie board. To keep it even more kid-friendly, I recommend cutting off the crust and cutting the bread in a mix of rectangles and triangles (since we all know a kid who strongly prefers their PB&Js cut one of those ways!). Place the bread pieces on the board and fan the pieces out slightly.
Next, add your meats. Bacon was a clear choice, since we know it’s great with peanut butter, and because kids love it. We cooked the strips of bacon then cut them into thirds so they would be big enough to grab, but not so big that they overpower other ingredients when you combine them on a piece of bread or with some cheese. Pieces of beef & pork salami were folded into quarters for easy prep (and easy grabbing for little hands).
What kid doesn’t love popcorn? As a snacking option on our kids’ charcuterie board, we added two flavors of popcorn in small bowls. Cheese flavored popcorn matched the flavor profile of the charcuterie board and can be either homemade or purchased pre-seasoned. To make peanut butter popcorn, we simple tossed some melted peanut butter into a bowl of plain popcorn and a bit of salt.
Next, add a small ramekin or small cup of pretzel sticks to the center of the board. Green grapes pair well with the cheeses and peanut butter, so we added some green Texas grapes to fill in some of the big gaps on the board.
Finally, we used a combination of honey roasted peanuts and lightly salted roasted peanuts to the edges of the board as a filler.
Enjoy, and remember to visit the Water Grows website to learn more about the many ways our farmers are conserving water while keeping food on our grocery store shelves.
Other delicious charcuterie and snack board ideas:
- Football Charcuterie Board
- Romantic Charcuterie Board with Salami Roses
- Easter Charcuterie Board
- 4th of July Charcuterie Board
- Día de los Muertos Sugar Skull Candy Tray
- Out-of-the-Box Charcuterie Board Idea: Get (Pea)nutty!
- Barkuterie (Dog-Themed Charcuterie Board for a Clifford or PAW Patrol Party)
- French Fry Charcuterie Board
- Hummus Snack Board (What to Eat with Hummus)
- Sweet and Spicy Sandwich Meal Board
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