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New Year’s Charcuterie Board & Crockpot Appetizers - Simple, Festive, Make-Ahead Party Food

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Meats: Prosciutto, salami (Genoa or soppressata), chorizo or peppered salami, and sliced turkey or ham.
  • Cheeses: Aged cheddar, brie or camembert, manchego, goat cheese, and a blue cheese (optional).
  • Crackers & Bread: Assorted crackers, crostini, sliced baguette, and breadsticks.
  • Fruits: Red and green grapes, apple or pear slices, fresh berries, dried apricots, and dates.
  • Veggies & Pickles: Cornichons, olives, pickled peppers, marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber slices.
  • Spreads & Dips: Whole-grain mustard, fig jam, honey, olive tapenade, hummus, and a herbed cheese spread.
  • Nuts & Extras: Marcona almonds, candied pecans, pistachios, dark chocolate squares, and fresh herbs for garnish.
  • Crockpot Appetizer 1: BBQ cocktail meatballs (frozen meatballs, your favorite barbecue sauce, grape jelly).
  • Crockpot Appetizer 2: Creamy spinach artichoke dip (frozen chopped spinach, canned artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes).
  • Optional Crockpot Appetizer 3: Buffalo chicken dip (shredded rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch or blue cheese dressing, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack).
  • Garnishes: Fresh rosemary, thyme, and citrus slices for color.
  • Tools: Large board or platter, small bowls/ramekins, cheese knives, toothpicks, and 1–2 slow cookers.

Method
 

  1. Start the Crockpots (2–3 hours before guests arrive): For meatballs, add 32 oz frozen meatballs, 1.5 cups barbecue sauce, and 1 cup grape jelly. Stir, cover, and cook on Low 3–4 hours (or High 1.5–2 hours). For spinach artichoke dip, add 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), 1 can artichokes (drained, chopped), 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook on Low 2–3 hours, stirring once halfway.
  2. Optional third slow cooker: Buffalo chicken dip: 8 oz cream cheese, 2 cups shredded chicken, 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing, 1 cup shredded cheddar. Cook on Low 2–3 hours, stir, and keep warm.
  3. Prep the cheeses: Cube the cheddar, wedge the manchego, and slice or leave the brie whole with a knife. Crumble blue cheese if using. Chill soft cheeses briefly so they slice cleanly, then let them come to room temp 30–45 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
  4. Slice and stack the meats: Fold salami into halves or quarters for height. Ribbon prosciutto loosely so it looks full and easy to grab. Fan out ham or turkey slices.
  5. Set up the board base: Place small bowls for olives, pickles, mustards, jams, and dips first. These anchor the layout and prevent rolling fruit from taking over the board.
  6. Add cheeses next: Space them around the board, separating strong flavors. Place a knife by each cheese and pre-cut a few slices to invite guests to dig in.
  7. Add meats: Tuck folded meats around the cheeses, alternating textures and colors. Keep similar items in small clusters so people can identify them.
  8. Fill with crackers and bread: Create a few paths of crackers and crostini, and keep extra in a basket nearby. Stagger textures—crisp crackers next to creamy brie is a nice contrast.
  9. Fruits and veggies: Add grapes in small clusters, then apples/pears (tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning). Fill gaps with cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices. Dried fruit adds chew and sweetness.
  10. Nuts and extras: Scatter almonds, pistachios, and candied pecans into remaining spaces. Slip in a few dark chocolate squares and drizzle honey near the blue cheese.
  11. Garnish: Tuck in rosemary and thyme sprigs and a few thin citrus slices for color and fragrance.
  12. Final warm setup: Switch Crockpots to Warm. Stir the dips, taste for salt and heat, and set out with small plates, spoons, and sturdy dippers (baguette slices, pita chips, carrots, and celery).
  13. Serve: Place the board centrally with the warm appetizers nearby. Add labels if you like, and keep extra napkins and toothpicks on hand.