Football Charcuterie Board - The Recipe Critic (2024)

This football charcuterie board is perfect for any of your game day or tailgate parties! It’s packed with all of the perfect finger food that everyone will love and you will be making this over and over during football season!

Appetizers like this charcuterie board are a must during football season! If you want to try a few more of my favorites to have on hand or bring to these parties, then start with these Thai Glazed Chicken Wings, this delicious (and easy!) 5 Minute Million Dollar Dip or these JalapeñoPoppers with Bacon!

If you are hosting a watch party, going to a Super Bowl party, or just watching the game from the comfort of your own home, you know that food is a MUST. After all… that’s why I attend such parties. Not because of the games but because of the FOOD! This football charcuterie board not only has all of the delicious snacks that your guests will love, but it looks good.

My favorite part, and what is the star of this board, is the cheese ball that is shaped like a football. It stands out and is so easy to make. I love charcuterie boards because you can easily change things up to fit the needs of your crowd or occasion. Add more veggies, fruit, chips, and wings… Whatever it is that you like to make this football charcuterie exactly what you imagine it to be!

Let’s Start with the Football!

This football charcuterie board is only football-themed because of the cheeseball! It creates the perfect focal point on this board, and your guests will love it. You can use a store-bought cheese ball or make one from scratch. Cheese balls are a must on a casual board like this one because they go with all of the ingredients on the board!

• Cheese Ball
• Pepperoni
• Parmesan Cheese

You can use any cheeseball that you like for this football, but I love using this Beef Chip Cheese Ball or this Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball. Once it is shaped it into a football, you cover it with some slices of pepperoni. Then, you can slice up some mozzarella to get that look of the football laces!

Time to Add the Dips!

With this football charcuterie board (or any charcuterie board) the dips are SO important! They not only add something visually interesting to look at because they are in bowls, but they are different colors and textures. Plus, you need dip for your veggies (don’t worry, those come next!)

• Hummus
• Ranch Dip

I used hummus and ranch dip on this board to keep things simple. They go with every vegetable, chip, and cracker out there, and they are universally loved by all! If you wanted to expand, you could try adding in some tortilla chips with some bean dip, maybe a delicious Spinach Dip! Change things up to fit your needs. That’s the best part about this football charcuterie board!

Next Comes the Veggies

I love adding veggies onto this football charcuterie board not only because they are healthy and add some beautiful color but because they are perfect for dipping! They go with just about any dip and keep the board looking fresh. Since my board was smaller, I kept my veggies to a minimum, but I think the veggies are always a great spot to expand and add additional ones to the board.

• Carrot Sticks
• Sliced Cucumber
• Celery

I kept things simple on this board with some classic veggies. But if you wanted to make your board larger or didn’t have these vegetables on hand, then you could use broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, peppers, or any other raw veggie that adds color and tastes delicious!

Lastly… Add the Bread, Meat, and Cheese!

This part of the board is my favorite because I love that these go with everything on this football charcuterie board! Dip the chips in the ranch, and eat the cheese ball with some bread or crackers. Stack the cheese on the meat to make a mini sandwich! You can’t have a charcuterie board without these three items!

• Stone Bread
• Crostini Bread
• Triscuit Triangles
• Ruffles Chips
• Pretzels
• Cheddar Cheese
• Salami

Again, just like all of the other ingredients on the board, you can take these suggestions and make them just like mine, or you can change them up. I like the bread and crackers that I chose because they are all very different in taste and texture. I chose to use cheddar cheese and salami because those are commonly loved by all! But feel free to add in some more meats, such as Prosciutto. Or add in some additional cheeses like Colby jack, manchego, or gruyere.

Knowing how to arrange everything on this football charcuterie board is really the part that takes it over the top. Follow these instructions, and the order in which you put things on and your board will turn out spectacular!

1. Shape the cheese ball into a football on the board. Top with pepperoni and cut the parmesan cheese to look like the stitching of a football.
2. Place the dips on the board. Then, add the veggies and cheese. Lastly, fill the board with bread, chips, pretzels, and crackers.