This post contains collections of products that I personally recommend (it may contain affiliate links).
Updated 2022
Happy Birthday, America! We may still have a long way to go to achieve true equality in our country, but I believe there are small wins that we can celebrate together this Fourth of July. I hope this board helps you party with the most beautiful snacks possible. For other festive options, give my Red White and Burrata Appetizer Board, Bring Your Own Hot Dog Board, Taco Bar Party, and American Flag Candy Board a try too!
P.S. Find more fun and festive holiday boards here!
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR REDS, WHITES, & BLUES
Because these three colors are such an iconic part of this holiday, focusing on their placement is key. You can take two approaches: put all like-colors together and create stripes, or distribute them around the board. I decided on the latter, which is my usual approach to boards, where I try to space out colors around the board for maximum visual interest. See how I put the blackberries next to the red salami, instead of next to a similar colored red strawberry? It’s not a perfect science, so don’t overthink it, but just something I suggest keeping in mind.
Gather your favorite seasonal items for this board: berries are a no-brainer, blue cheese is a must, and star-shaped crackers just make this cutest.
Ingredients
The Cheeses
- Blue cheese
- Brie wheel with a star cut-out (see tutorial below)
The Meats
- Salami, folded
- Prosciutto (use the breadsticks to make prosciutto “lollipops”)
The Produce
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Blackberries
- Cherries
The Crackers
- Breadsticks
- Valley Lahvosh star-shaped crackers
Pro tip: Shop seasonally to get the best flavors and use ingredients that you really love.
WHERE DO YOU GET THOSE STAR CRACKERS?
Oh boy do I love themed food. These star-shaped crackers are perfect for your party board. They’re made by Valley Lavosh and available at a number of stores. You can see on their site where to buy their products near you. You can usually find them on Amazon. In fact, I use a variety of their cracker shapes year round for various holidays: I love their hearts for Valentine’s Day (like this board), and their Christmas tree-shaped crackers (like on this board). I even use these same star crackers on my Christmas Boards. They’re the perfect festive touch.
As with many of my boards, I also recommend having extra crackers on the side. Oftentimes, I only fit a limited amount on a board (to save room for the more colorful items). You could absolutely add different crackers if these aren’t your jam too.
HOW TO DO A BRIE CUT-OUT
Below I’ve added a video to show you exactly how I do this. Here are the main steps:
- Get the brie very cold, I put mine in the freezer for 10 mins before cutting
- Find an appropriate size (and shape!) cookie cutter. When choosing a cookie cutter make sure the width is the same or larger than the width of your brie round.
- You want the shape of your cookie cutter to fill most of the brie round, but not the whole thing. You want to leave large enough edges around the outside.
- When you push the cookie cutter through make sure you use even pressure all around the edges. Go slowly, you don’t want to rush and get a wonky looking shape.
- Once the cookie cutter is all the way through, check the back to see if it started poking out of the back. Be careful to fully cut through the bottom rind too.
- Very gently ease the outer portion up and away from the cut-out. This part is the trickiest and requires the most attention. You don’t want to split your brie shape!
- When you’ve successfully separated both shapes, and removed the inside cutout from the cookie cutter, you can use both parts on your board. This creates parallel shapes on your board which is visually pleasing.
- To fill, select a small scale fruit like pomegranate seeds or blueberries. Anything too big will distort the shape.
If cutting all the way through the brie sounds a bit intimidating, there’s also the option of slicing the top of the piece of brie, using the cookie cutter to cut thin pieces and then placing that back top. Here’s a visual of that approach a different Christmas Board and a St. Patrick’ s Day Board.
VIDEO TUTORIAL—HOW TO CUT CHEESE SHAPES
Here’s a little video showing how to do the brie cut-out using cookie cutters. This was for a Valentine’s Day board, but can be applied to any shape for a multitude of occasions. You can see it done here with a maple leaf for a Thanksgiving board, here with a Christmas tree for festive XMAS board.
Show Me Your Boards
Nothing makes me happier than seeing you create beautiful and budget-friendly boards from my tips. If you make a spread inspired by this post (especially if it didn’t break the bank), please tag me at @ainttoooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, If you liked this board recipe, please rate and review.
Patriotic Cheese Board
Description
Ingredients
Cheese
- Brie Wheel with a star cut-out
- Blue Cheese
Meat
- Salami
- Prosciutto
Produce
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Pomegranate Seeds
Carbs
- Valley Lahvosh Star Crackers
- Breadsticks
Instructions
- Start by placing the cheeses evenly spaced out on the board. Add the star cut-out to a small bowl, and place the bowl on the board.
- Fan the star crackers out around one or two of the items on the board. I like to place the with the brie to echo the star cut-out shape. Add the breadsticks and/or prosciutto "lollipops" to an opposite edge of the board from the star crackers.
- Add the berries, cherries, and pomegranate seeds throughout the board, being sure to break up similar colors.
- Tuck the salami folds into any remaining spaces, and serve.
The Brie cut out seems so intimidating but it was surprisingly easy following the steps! I did a star but can’t wait to try other shapes!
I wonder if cutting the cheese would work easier if you heated the metal cookie cutter? Along with getting the cheese cold? Have you tried that?
Can’t wait to try it this Summer!