By Elysia Cartlidge | Published: | Updated: | Leave a comment | Jump to Recipe
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Celebrate football season in style with this stunningfootball charcuterie boardwith a homemade cheeseball made in the shape of a football! Full of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, soft pretzels, and summer sausage, it’s the perfect charcuterie board for the big game and will quickly become your new favorite appetizer!
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Table of Contents
Are you looking for the perfect appetizer to serve up on game day? This football charcuterie board is packed full of fresh finger foods, and offers a lighter twist on your traditional game day snacks.
It still has the savory sausage and cheese you love, but you’ll also find lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, and a low-fat herb dip to bring it all together. It’s a fun way to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday or any special game!
How to Make the Ultimate Charcuterie Board
Why We Love This Football-Themed Charcuterie Board
- Perfect for a crowd:This SuperBowl charcuterie board is trulymade for sharing! Your guests will be able to grab a little bit of this or a little bit of that, eating their way through the entire tray. Serve it with your favorite game day appetizers for a welcoming display before the big football game. It’ll be popular, so just be sure to refill the snack board as it starts to get low!
- Easy to make:One of the best things about this game day charcuterie board is that it’s more about assembling ingredients from your local grocery store, not cooking. This makes it much easier to prepare than other recipes. The homemade cheese ball is worth the effort, though, and that can easily be made the day before your Super Bowl party to simplify your prep!
- Healthy alternative: We normally think of charcuterie boards as being more indulgent, but this version is much healthier than the standard fare served at football games! You’ll get lots of nutrients and fiber from the fruits, fresh veggies, and crackers, and there’s protein in the cheese ball, sausage, and cheese. It’s still snacky and delicious, but you’ll feed good eating it, not heavy and bloated afterwards!
Ingredient Notes
For the cheese ball
- Boursin cheese:Choose the garlic and herbs flavor and let it come to room temperature.
- Neufchatel cheese:Low fat cream cheese will add a creamy, tangy flavor with less fat.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt:This is high in protein, but still extremely creamy. It’s a lighter option than sour cream.
- Green onions:Slice these thinly for little pops of green color in the cheese ball.
- Worcestershire sauce:This is a great way to add a punch of flavor quickly!
- Seasonings:Add garlic and onion powder for a savory flavor.
- Toasted pecans:Coat the outside of the football-shaped dip with pecans for a brown color and a nice crunch.
- Mozzarella cheese:Cut the cheese into thin strips to mimic the stitching on the football.
For the board
- Red bell pepper strips
- Baby carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red grapes
- Cherries
- Green olives:Be sure to drain these and add them to a small dish.
- Summer sausage slices
- Triscuit crackers:Feel free to choose a whole wheat variety for extra fiber.
- Crunchmaster multigrain crackers
- Mini soft pretzel bites
- Colby Jack cheese cubes:These are easy and stackable, but you can also use aged cheddar or a nice, smoked cheese.
- Small 1 ½” cookie or biscuit cutter
Step 1: Prepare the Football Cheeseball
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together all of the ingredients for the cheese ball, except for the pecans and mozzarella, until smooth and well combined.
- Place this mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into an oval football shape. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Once chilled, unwrap and gently cover with the toasted pecans, pressing them gently into the cheeseball so that they stick. Use the mozzarella strips to create laces on the football. I completed this step right on a square of parchment to make it easy to transfer to the board.
Step 2: Cut out the Summer Sausage Footballs
- Using a small circle cutter, cut out football shapes from the summer sausage by leaving one round edge intact, and place the cutter over part of the sausage to create the football shape.
Step 3: Assemble the Board
- To build the tray, place the cheese ball towards the center of your board and build outwards. Place the larger items and the bowl of olives on first, followed by the smaller items, creating pockets of color and texture with the ingredients.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- The cheeseball could be made up to 1-2 days in advance, and kept wrapped in the refrigerator. Cover with the pecans right before serving.
- If you can’t find Boursin, you could use an equal amount of Alouette or Laughing Cow cheeses.
- If you don’t have a small cutter: Find a small bowl, bottle cap, or glass and trace the shape out with a sharp paring knife.
- Any of your favorite fresh vegetables and crackers would work here.
- Make sure to chop the pecans finely, so they coat the cheese ball well.
- You may not be able to fit all of the ingredients on the board at once, this is ok. You can use the leftover ingredients to refill the board as it gets eaten.
- We used a 10” x 16” tray. Any large to medium size tray or sheet pan will work. Use what you have on hand.
- As you fill the board, look for any empty spaces and adjust the items until the entire board is full.
Recipe FAQs
How do you make a Super Bowl charcuterie board?
If you want to make a charcuterie board for the SuperBowl, you don’t need much! Gather an assortment of sliced veggies, fresh fruits, some crackers and soft pretzels, sliced summer sausage, and some cheese.
I like to take an extra step to make a homemade cheese ball that I shape in the form of a football or tweak the veggies to fit the colors of your favorite team. It’s really eye-catching and absolutely delicious! If you’re a big football lover, buy a football-shaped cutting board to fit the theme even more!
How do I make a healthy charcuterie board for a football party?
Making a charcuterie board for a football party is very similar to making one for any other event. You’ll want to start with some sort of cured meat, then pair it with cheese, fruits, vegetables, crackers, and some sort of dip or sauce. Just be mindful of fat and sodium as they can add up!
One way to balance that is to choose a reduced sodium summer sausage and look for whole grain or high fiber crackers. Be sure to replenish the fruits and vegetables often to make sure everyone gets plenty!
Can you make this charcuterie board ahead of time?
To an extent, yes! I don’t recommend assembling the entire meat and cheese board in advance, as the sliced vegetables will start to wither and dry out. It’s a good idea to make the dip a day or two before, then keep it wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. You can also wash the fruits and prep the cheese and sausage. Just store them in bags or containers in the fridge to keep them fresh. On the day, you’d really just need to slice the pepper, trim the celery sticks, and arrange the rest of the ingredients.
Storage Guidelines
Store leftover cheese ball in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly for up to 5 days. All other items should be separated and stored. Any items that have been out at room temperature for more than 4 hours should be tossed.
Serving Suggestions
This football theme board is great on its own, or you can pair it with your favorite game day appetizers and snacks to make a feast! Tortilla chips and salsa would be a great option, as well as these other ideas:
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Easy Taco Dip Recipe with Ground Beef
- Authentic Chicken Quesadillas
- Epic Beef Nachos Supreme
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Recipe Variations
- Use your favorite snacks: If you have your own favorite game day snacks, feel free to add those in this tray however you’d like!
- Change the shape: If you’re a big football fan, buy a football-shaped cutting board! You’ll be able to use it for every game.
- Add a few sweet treats: Feel free to add little pops of sweetness, like theseChocolate Covered Pecans, or Cinnamon Honey Roasted Almonds.
- Adjust the colors: Match the fruits and vegetables with your favorite football team and boost that team spirit! Try some green snap peas and yellow peppers for the Green Bay Packers or carrot sticks and blueberries for the Denver Broncos. Such a fun idea!
More Charcuterie Board Ideas
- Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board
- Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board
- Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
- Easter Charcuterie Board
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Course Appetizer, Snack
Football Charcuterie Board for Game Day
By: Elysia
Servings 10 – 12 servings
Celebrate football season in style with this stunningfootball charcuterie boardwith a homemade cheeseball made in the shape of a football! Full of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, soft pretzels, and summer sausage, it's the perfect charcuterie board for the big game and will quickly become your new favorite appetizer!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Ingredients
For the Cheese Ball
- 1 (5.2 ounce) Boursin cheese, garlic and herbs flavor, room temperature
- 1 (8 ounce) Neufchatel cheese or low fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 green onions, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup toasted pecans, very finely chopped
- 1 sandwich slice mozzarella cheese, cut into thin strips
For the Board
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 6 oz baby carrot sticks
- 6 celery ribs, cut into sticks
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz red grapes, washed
- 12 oz cherries, washed
- 4 oz green olives, drained and in a small dish
- 8 oz summer sausage, sliced into 1/4-1/2" thick rounds
- 4 oz Triscuit crackers
- 4 oz Crunchmaster crackers (or other desired crackers)
- 8 oz mini soft pretzel bites
- 8 oz Colby jack cheese cubes
- Small 1 1/2" cookie or biscuit cutter
Instructions
In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together all of the ingredients for the cheese ball, except for the pecans and mozzarella, until smooth and well combined.
Place this mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into an oval football shape. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Once chilled, unwrap and gently cover with the toasted pecans, pressing them gently into the cheeseball so that they stick. Use the mozzarella strips to create laces on football. I completed this step right on a square of parchment to make it easy to transfer to the board.
Using a small circle cutter, cut out football shapes from the summer sausage by leaving one round edge intact, and place the cutter over part of the sausage to create the football shape.
To build the tray, place the cheese ball towards the center of your board and build outwards. Place the larger items and the bowl of olives on first, followed by the smaller items, creating pockets of color and texture with the ingredients.
Notes
- The cheeseball could be made up to 1-2 days in advance, and kept wrapped in the refrigerator. Cover with the pecans right before serving.
- If you can’t find Boursin, you could use an equal amount of Alouette or Laughing Cow cheeses.
- If you don’t have a small cutter: Find a small bowl, bottle cap, or glass and trace the football shape out of the summer sausage with a sharp paring knife.
- Any of your favorite fresh vegetables and crackers would work here.
- Make sure to chop the pecans finely, so they coat the cheese ball well.
- You may not be able to fit all of the ingredients on the board at once, this is ok. You can use the leftover ingredients to refill the board as it gets eaten.
- We used a 10” x 16” tray. Any large to medium size tray or sheet pan will work. Use what you have on hand.
- As you fill the board, look for any empty spaces and adjust the items until the entire board is full.
Nutrition
Calories: 489kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 15gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 889mgPotassium: 482mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 3339IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 3mg
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