When I’m craving cheese and charcuterie, this snack plate is one of my favorite things to eat.  It’s delicious, easy to throw together, and satisfying enough for either an afternoon snack, or even a simple “girl dinner” for 1. 

The concept of girl dinner has taken the internet by the storm this year. I personally love this concept, as I feel like almost anyone can resonate with being by themselves for the evening, not wanting to cook dinner, and resulting in eating an assortment of random nibbles for dinner.

Even when I have the cravings to have random nibbles for dinner, I want to make sure it’s well balanced and satisfying. It’s important to think about satisfaction because our bodies will continue to crave more food if we aren’t satisfied. This may lead to overeating or filling up with more foods that may not be very nutritious. Of course, as someone who eats “girl dinner” only when my partner isn’t home (this would not be an acceptable dinner in Shiping’s eyes 😊), I probably wouldn’t feed this to my family as dinner. BUT it would be a great snack plate for kids to nibble on when they come home from school or as a plate to set out when you have guests coming over.

Anyways, this easy gourmet snack plate is a recipe, or more so a guideline, for how you can prepare a satisfying meal. Keep your fridge stocked with some of these elements so when you have the evening to yourself and are in the mood for the perfect snack plate, it’s right there for you.

How to build a balanced and satisfying snack plate

Think about assembling the plate with at least one of each of these categories:

something sweet

• fruit – apples, peaches, pears, berries, oranges, grapes 
• fruit jam or preserves – I love a high quality fruit jam like fig jam or nectarine jam

something fatty and creamy

• CHEESE! – my go to cheese are toma, kingdom sharp white cheddar, brilliant savrin, and manchego.  
• Dip of some sort – hummus, homemade ranch, ricotta beet hummus, etc. 

something salty

• charcuterie – are typically cured meats (salted meats), so this is naturally a great option here
• cheese – some cheeses are salty and have that delicious umami
• salted nuts 

something crunchy

• crudite (veggies) – persian cucumbers, radish, carrots, celery, blanched broccolini
• Nuts – almonds, candied pecans
• crackers / chips 

something “neutral” (without much flavor)

• this can be bread, crackers, or even crudite or vegetables

FAQ – Easy Gourmet Snack Plate 

Q: What types of cheese would you recommend?

A: Honestly, any cheese that you enjoy and love will work here. One of my favorite cheeses for a plate like this, or just snacking, is toma cheese. It is quite mild in flavor, but is so delicious. I also enjoy a sharp  cheddar. 

Q: Do you have any recommendations for making this snack plate kid friendly?

A: Use foods that you know they like. This snack plate is really a suggestion of ingredients to pair together. If you know your kids like a certain cheese, vegetable, fruit, etc, USE those items and continue to select additional items in each of the other categories. 

Q: How long does the cucumber pepper salad last in the fridge? 

A: This cucumber salad will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I don’t typically recommend storing cut up cucumbers overnight, but this is one exception where I’ve found the quality maintains pretty well for up the 3-4 days. I’ve made this salad multiple times (it’s such a great healthy, veggie packed snack when I come home from work!), and I’ve been very happy eating it after 3 days each time. 

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Cut or portion each of the ingredients onto a serving plate. 
2. Assemble and eat!

VIDEO TUTORIAL: WILL POST HERE WHEN IT’S LIVE

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If you liked this Easy Gourmet Snack Plate:

• Elevated Tuna Salad with Snap Peas, Cucumbers, and Garlic Aioli
• Beet Ricotta Hummus with Crudite (Raw Veggies)