Boards Showpiece Boards Hot Air Balloon Charcuterie Board
Showpiece Boards
Hot Air Balloon Charcuterie Board
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Five bread-bowl hot air balloons float over a patchwork countryside of cheese and crackers.
- Serves
- 12–15
- Board
- 48 × 30 in
- Prep
- 75 minutes
- Cost
- $90–$120
- Level
- 2 of 5
Get the full plan Shopping list with amounts, placement and timeline.
The book it's in
Build it exactly, with the book
This board is in Charcuterie Lab: Impossible Boards, with 24 more showpiece boards. The book has the full shopping list, the layout, all eight build steps with the trick that makes the shape work, and easy, budget and luxe versions.
Why it works
Each balloon is a small round roll, hollowed into a bread bowl and filled with dip, with a half circle of meat and cheese slices fanned behind it like the colored panels of a balloon. The shape builds itself.
Below, squares of crackers and cubes of cheddar, Swiss and pepper jack become a patchwork of fields. It's one of the easier showpieces, rated 2 of 5, and great for birthdays and baby showers.
Timeline
- Day beforeMake or buy the five dips and cut the vegetables and cheese.
- 2 hours beforeHollow the bread bowls.
- + 2 more stepsThe rest of the timeline and the step-by-step placement are in the full plan.
Questions
How do you make hot air balloons on a board?
Hollow small round rolls into bread bowls and fill them with dip, then fan meat and cheese slices in a half circle behind each one. The book has the layout and steps.
Is it hard?
No. It's rated 2 of 5 and takes about 75 minutes.
Can I make it ahead?
Cut the cheese wedges and cubes the day before. Keep meat, cheese and cut fruit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. For a long party, build half, keep the refill in the fridge and top it up halfway through.
More boards
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Giant Octopus Charcuterie Board
Serves 12–15 · $120–$150
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Monarch Butterfly Charcuterie Board
Serves 12–15 · $100–$130
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Want more ideas? Read Baby Shower Charcuterie Board: How to Build a Crowd-Pleasing Board for a Mixed Audience or Themed Charcuterie Board Ideas: 25 Shaped Boards That Make Guests Ask “How?”.