A “grazing board” is my favorite centerpiece for a summer spread. They’re easy to assemble and endlessly versatile. This one takes a classic sausage and cheese combo and elevates the display with flavorful accoutrements. Barbecue seasoning and sauce take the main stage as well as grainy mustard and a gold barbecue sauce. Saltines are the standard with cubed cheddar and smoked meats, but seasoning them adds an element of surprise. Follow along to build your own!
Prep Time: 45 minutes | Makes 16 servings
Ingredients
Board
2 smoked sausage Kielbasa, sliced and grilled on each side
4 cups cubed cheeses (cheddar, swiss, Colby jack assortment)
1 jar Kosher dill pickle spears
1 cup pepperoncinis
Rendezvous seasoning
Rendezvous BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Gold BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Grainy mustard
Seasoned Saltines
2 sleeves Saltine crackers
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 Tbsp Rendezvous seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Add butter to a gallon Ziploc bag, followed by dry spices and seasonings. Seal bag and mix to combine. Add two sleeves of Saltines and turn to coat several times. Allow to marinate on countertop for at least 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, followed by a cooling rack. Place saltines along the cooling rack and bake for 10–15 minutes to toast. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to a week.
To arrange the board, cluster cubed cheese and smoked sausage slices around small ramekins of varying barbecue sauces and mustards. Fill in holes with pickles and pepperoncinis. Fan seasoned Saltine crackers around the sides.
Cara Greenstein celebrates intentional and exceptional cuisine in her award-winning food and lifestyle blog, Caramelized, which offers recipes and restaurant reviews, food-focused travel itineraries, and endless tablescape tips. Follow @cara_melized on Instagram for daily inspiration and bookmark her recipes at Caramelizedblog.com.
