Skip to Content

Football Charcuterie Board

Share With Your Friends!

This Football Charcuterie Board is the perfect addition to any game day celebration!

Packed full of delicious meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables and a football-themed cheese ball, this game day charcuterie board will go a long way in feeding your guests.

Football Charcuterie Board is a large rectangular cutting board filled with meats, cheeses, olives, vegetables, crackers and dips. The center cheese ball is shaped like a football and decorated with sour cream to look like football laces.

 

 

Football season is more fun with friends and family! So, when you’re gearing up for this weekend’s big game or Super Bowl Sunday, this Football Charcuterie Board is the perfect snack board for your watch party.

It’s more than a typical cheese board – we’ve added meats, dips, jam and salty snacks such as pretzels and nuts.

By adding a few football-themed shapes or colors, you can create a delicious, festive presentation to represent your favorite football teams, go big for a Super Bowl party or theme it for college football games.

If you’re gearing up for the big football game, here are a few more of my favorite recipes to serve – Firecracker MeatballsGarlic Parmesan Wings, BBQ Chicken Wings and this creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip!

What is a Charcuterie Board?

A charcuterie board is a spread of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and other snacks arranged artfully on a platter.

With the board full of various foods, everyone can make their own appetizer combination. This makes it a great way to accommodate everyone’s tastes.

How to Accommodate  Special Dietary Needs

If you do have guests with dietary restrictions, it’s really easy to make a smaller game day board with just items that fit their needs.

For example, if you have a vegetarian in your group, make a separate board with just cheeses, veggies, chips and nuts. Since your dips and jams are in small bowls, your guest can still use the main board to spoon these on to their plate, but their snacks will not touch the meats.

Why You’ll Love this Football Charcuterie Board

  • Most snacks are pre-made, so you only need to make a few items.
  • There’s such a variety of game day snacks that all your sports fans will have plenty to choose from.
  • So easy to put together and replenish, which allows you to enjoy game day too!
  • Everything can be found at your local grocery store, Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe’s etc..

For another game day snack that’s filling and fun, serve up these Turkey Burger Sliders and use the special trick that let’s you make them all at one time!

 

Kitchen Equipment Needed

  • Charcuterie Board
  • Small Bowls
  • Serving Spoons (for the dips)
  • Cheese Spreader (for the cheese ball)
  • Electric Mixer (to make the cheese ball)
  • Medium Bowl (for mixing)
  • Spatula
  • Non-Stick Olive Oil Spray

Need a Charcuterie Board?

Here’s a similar wooden board to what I am using. It’s a large cutting board measuring 18 x 12 you can buy on Amazon. It’s the perfect size for serving 8-10 people.

 

Ingredients

The best part about a football or Super Bowl charcuterie board is you can mix and match you favorite snacks.

Every ingredient is basically optional!! 

If I’m using an ingredient you don’t like, omit it and replace it with your favorite appetizers.

Here’s the categories of snacks I used. See the printable recipe card below for exact amounts I used for each item.

Homemade Cheese Ball in the Shape of a Football: See just below for my spicy bacon cheese ball recipe or use your own favorite recipe. You can even buy a large cheese ball and re-shape it if you like!

Cured Meats:  Salami wrapped mozzarella, prosciutto wrapped mozzarella and pepperoni wrapped mozzarella. All three of these come in a combo package from my local grocery store and I know you can also find them at Costco. 

Sausage: Pre-cooked Italian Sausage and Turkey Sausage. 

Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack and Mozzarella. You can buy blocks of cheese and slice them or simply buy them pre-sliced from the store. 

Vegetables: Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Fresh Jalapeno and Baby Carrots.

Olives: Kalamata Olives

Jelly: I love Pepper Jelly, but if you want something sweet instead of savory, apple jelly would go great with this football charcuterie board.

Dips: Queso cheese dip and Spicy Aioli. 

Chips & Crackers: I’ve added Cheez It crackers to the board, but I also serve it with side bowls of tortilla chips or regular potato chips.

Pretzels: Pretzel Bites and Seasoned Pretzel Sticks.

Peanuts: Or whatever nuts you prefer such as cashews, pecans, honey roasted peanuts, etc…

Crispy Jalapenos: You can find these at most grocery stores and they are so delicious! If you want to tone it down, use fried onions instead, which taste amazing as a snack too.

 

Directions

Football Cheese Ball

STEP 1: First things first, let’s make up this spicy football cheese ball. You can use my recipe or your own favorite cheese ball recipe. 

STEP 2: Grab a large mixing bowl and your hand mixer and combine cream cheese, sour cream and spices.

Cream cheese, spices and sour cream in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer in the background.

 

STEP 3: Using a spatula, stir in 1/4 cup of bacon, chopped jalapeños, chopped green onions, shredded Colby Jack cheese. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let it set up a little.

Mixing bowl with all cheese ball ingredients .

 

STEP 4: Spray your hands with cooking spray and mold the cheese mixture into the shape of a football. Place the football cheese ball and in plastic wrap (tightly) so it keeps it’s shape. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Unwrap the cheese ball and carefully roll it in the remaining chopped bacon. Gently press the bacon to make it stick, as needed.

STEP 5: Place it in the middle of your football charcuterie board, as it’s the centerpiece to build around.

STEP 6:  After you are done building out the whole board, add just a few teaspoons of sour cream to a ziploc bag or piping bag.

Cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner and pipe on the football laces on top. I like to wait until the end so that my clumsy fingers don’t smudge the football laces while I’m placing foods around the board.

Football shaped cheese ball in center of the charcuterie board.

 

Meats

Slice your pre-cooked Cajun Sausage and Turkey Sausage and heat them up.

I like to crisp them up in my air fryer, but you can brown them on the stove or use the broiler in your oven. Although these will cool down, the meats still taste great. We just want to knock the chill off of them and get the edges a little crispy.

You can also heat these up last just before serving if you want them to be hot.

Cheeses

Slice all your hard cheeses or simply buy them pre-sliced!

Vegetables

Slice your colorful bell peppers and jalapeños.

How to Put Your Football Charcuterie Board Together

Start by placing you larger items on the board. I’ve started with the football cheese ball, the small bowls of queso cheese dip, pepper jelly and Aioli dip.

Three small bowls of dip placed close to the corners of the charcuterie board with the football cheese ball in the center.

 

Next, add in your meats. I’ve added the two kinds of sausages, pepperoni wrapped mozzarella and salami wrapped mozzarella.

Added meats to the charcuterie board with plenty of empty space to fill in with other snacks.

 

From here, just start filling the empty spaces with all the other snack foods until your board is full. 

This part really goes fast!

Super bowl charcuterie board.

 

Lastly, come back to add the sour cream football decorations as directed above.

 

Football Charcuterie Board Layout

Here are two photos that illustrate how I laid out my football themed charcuterie board. There’s no specific way to do it, just fill in the empty spaces!

But, to give you an illustrative guide, here’s how mine is laid out:

Here is the Left Side of the Charcuterie Board:

Half of the charcuterie board with labels for each ingredient.

 

Now, here is the Right Side:

Half of the charcuterie board with labels for each ingredient.

 

Alternatives / Substitutions

There are so many football charcuterie board ideas.

Here are some great foods you can use as substitutions to my list to fit the football theme:

  • Tortilla Chips
  • Chicken Wings
  • Soft Pretzels
  • Ranch Dip
  • Honey Mustard
  • Summer Sausage
  • Deli Meats
  • Chicken Tenders

Make it Festive with Decorations

It’s super fun to add decorations to your charcuterie board for super bowl!

Game Day Party Picks – These are perfect for picking snacks off the board as well as to eat with. You can also find these in your team colors too!


 

Football Theme Plates & Napkins – fitting for a fun football party!

 

 

 

Storage

If you have left over football food, simply separate the meats, cheese and veggies into their own airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

I usually have a few items left over and we use these as quick snacks or appetizers for the next few days.

 

Gear up for game time! Your Football Charcuterie Board will bring some extra fun to the festivities – no matter which team you’re cheering for!\

Yield: 10

Football Charcuterie Board

Football Charcuterie Board is a large rectangular cutting board filled with meats, cheeses, olives, vegetables, crackers and dips. The center cheese ball is shaped like a football and decorated with sour cream to look like football laces.

This Football Charcuterie Board is the perfect addition to any game day celebration! Packed full of delicious meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables and a football-themed cheese ball, this game day charcuterie board will go a long way in feeding your guests.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cheese Ball Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Football Cheese Ball (4 hours chill time)

  • 16 ounces cream cheese (2 8-ounce blocks), softened
  • 2 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 2 cups Colby Jack Cheese (shredded)
  • 1 tbsp Cajun Spice
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Chili Spice
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Peppers
  • 1/4 cup Green Onions, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup Bacon, chopped (divided)
  • 1⁄4 cup Jalapenos, diced
  • 1 tsp Hot Sauce

Meats

  • Smoked Cajun Sausage
  • Smoked Turkey sausage
  • Pepperoni wrapped mozzarella
  • Salami wrapped mozzarella

Cheese

  • 16 Cheddar Cheese, sliced
  • 16 Colby Jack Cheese, sliced
  • 16 Pepper Jack Cheese, sliced
  • 18 Swiss Cheese, sliced

Vegetables

  • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Baby Carrots
  • 4 Bell Peppers, sliced (red, green and yellow)
  • 3 Jalapenos, sliced

Olives

  • 1⁄2 cup Kalamata Olives

Jams and Dips

  • 1⁄4 cup Pepper Jelly
  • 1⁄2 cup Queso Cheese Dip
  • 1⁄2 cup Spicy Aioli Dip

Crackers and More

  • 1 cup Cheeze It crackers (or Ritz or Club crackers)
  • 2 cups Pretzel bites
  • 1 cup Seasoned Pretzel Sticks
  • 1⁄2 cup Roasted peanuts
  • 1⁄2 cup Fried Jalapenos (pre-made, can find at most grocery stores)

Instructions

Homemade Cheese Ball

  1. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and spices in a large mixing bowl. Blend together with a hand mixer.
  2. Using a spatula, stir in 1/4 cup of bacon, chopped jalapeños, chopped green onions, shredded Colby Jack cheese.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let it set up a little.
  4. Spray your hands with cooking spray and mold the cheese mixture into the shape of a football. Place the football cheese ball in plastic wrap (tightly) so it keeps it's shape. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
  5. Unwrap the cheese ball and carefully roll it in the remaining chopped bacon. Gently press the bacon to make it stick, as needed.
  6. Place it in the middle of your football charcuterie board, as it's the centerpiece to build around.
  7. After you are done building out the whole board, add just a few teaspoons of sour cream to a ziploc bag or piping bag.
  8. Cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner and pipe on the football laces on top. I like to wait until the end so that my clumsy fingers don't smudge the football laces while I'm placing foods around the board.

Meats

  1. Slice your pre-cooked Cajun Sausage and Turkey Sausage and heat them up.
  2. I like to crisp them up in my air fryer, but you can brown them on the stove or use the broiler in your oven. Although these will cool down, the meats still taste great. We just want to knock the chill off of them and get the edges a little crispy.
  3. You can also heat these up last just before serving if you want them to be hot.

Cheeses

  1. Slice all your hard cheeses or simply buy them pre-sliced!

Vegetables

  1. Slice your colorful bell peppers and jalapeños.

Arranging Your Charcuterie Board

  1. Start by placing you larger items on the board. I've started with the football cheese ball, the small bowls of queso cheese dip, pepper jelly and Aioli dip.
  2. Next, add in your meats. I've added the two kinds of sausages, pepperoni wrapped mozzarella and salami wrapped mozzarella.
  3. From here, just start filling the empty spaces with all the other snack foods until your board is full. 

Notes

See the recipe post above for an easy infographic of how I laid out all the snacks on the charcuterie board.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 480Total Fat: 28gCholesterol: 415mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 13gProtein: 28g

Nutritional values are estimates and not exact.

Let's Be Social

Follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!

I love easy recipes and delicious desserts and happy to share with you my favorite recipes. My favorite places are tropical, family always comes first and I'm a cocktail enthusiast for sure!
Connect with me: Facebook and Pinterest

Share With Your Friends!

    Skip to Recipe