A Healthy Big Game #Guacuterie Board
Hi Mission Avocado lovers! Lindsay from Weeknight Bite here with a blog takeover just in time for the Big Game! Let’s be honest– when it comes to the Big Game, it’s really all about the food. Yes, I love a good halftime show, and maybe I’ll pretend to watch a little of the game, but really – I’m here for the snacks! You too!? I knew I wouldn’t be alone in saying the food always beats the football, so when Mission Produce reached out and said hey, #ItsYourGameToo, and asked me to create a Guacuterie Board for all the foodies on game day, I couldn’t have been more… well… on board!
Of course, I wanted to give it my usual Weeknight Bite spin, and fully load the board with vibrant, colorful, and healthy produce (especially since the Big Game usually tends to attract a lot of greasy and heavy snacks), a bunch of delicious dips, and a variety of chips so there’s something for everyone. You can fill your board with any of your favorite produce, but I went with colorful heirloom carrots, celery, red and orange bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama dipped in Tajin for a little spice, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and sweet peppers. For the chips, I kept it light with mostly grain-free chips plus some blue corn chips, but of course, any chips will work here! A bowl of salsa and pico de gallo is always a good bet, and obviously, you can’t have a Guacuterie Board without the main attraction– some really delicious guacamole!
No doubt about it, using perfectly ripe, creamy avocados is what truly makes any guacamole stand out, and you just can’t beat Mission Avocados. Even if you just mash up Mission Avocados with a little lime, salt, and pepper, you’ve got a delicious topping on your hands. You’ll see on my Guacuterie Board that I did this mixture, plus a sprinkle of chives, and a sliced cherry tomato on top of some of the chips for an easy grab-and-go snack right off the board, yum!
For the guacamole, you can go two ways. Since you may already be buying pico de gallo for your board, you can take a shortcut and stir some of the pico de gallo into the mashed avocado with some lime, salt, and pepper and skip the extra chopping, or you can chop up the tomatoes, onions, and cilantro and add it to the avocado and lime. Both will work great and create a very similar taste, but I always love a quick and easy shortcut for the sake of time, especially when I’m hosting an event like the Big Game!
Let’s get down to the details of everything you’ll need to assemble your Healthy Big Game Guacuterie Board and all the tips to make it extra beautiful!
Recipe:
Quick & Easy Pico de Gallo Guacamole
- 3 Mission Avocados
- Juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup pico de gallo (*see below note if not using pre-made pico de gallo)
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
- Fresh cilantro or chives for garnish, chopped
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mash avocado to desired consistency. I prefer it a little chunkier and not too smooth.
2. Add pico de gallo and lime juice, starting with juice from ½ a lime. Add more if desired.
3. Season to taste with salt. Stir together and garnish with extra cilantro or chives.
More Dips
Try adding a few different salsas – I used pico de gallo and a medium red salsa. Salsa verde or a spicy salsa would also be great!
*Note: if you’re not using premade pico de gallo in your guacamole, just chop up ½ a small white onion, 2-3 roma tomatoes (discarding the inner juicy part), and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, and add it to your mashed avocado, lime, and salt! You can also add 1 finely diced jalapeño (seeds & membrane removed) if you want to add some extra spice.
A variety of veggies (feel free to add any of your favorites to this list!):
- Colorful carrots
- Celery, cut into sticks or coins
- Red and orange bell peppers, sliced
- Jicama (+ Tajin for a spicy option)
- Sugar snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mini sweet peppers
- Lime slices for garnish
A few types of chips:
I used Siete Foods' grain-free Dip Chips & Tortilla Chips plus Organic Blue Corn Chips
Anything else your heart desires:
- A bowl of nuts is always a good call – I used pistachios here.
- Chips topped with mashed avocado, chopped chives, and a sliced cherry tomato. Just mash an avocado, stir in a squeeze of lime juice, and season it with salt. Then once you’ve topped the chips with it, sprinkle on the chives and add the tomato. Super simple, but delicious!
A few tips for assembling your board:
- What makes a board really pop is packing it full of color, so make sure to get a good variety when you’re shopping for your produce!
- Think of veggies that are easy to dip, like carrots or jicama sticks. And if you’re slicing things like cucumbers, cut them into sticks or on the diagonal into larger slices.
- Place your bowls down first, then you can assemble your board around them. Pack that board full! Anywhere you see empty space, just add ingredients to fill it with, like cherry tomatoes, chips, nuts, or even garnishes of fresh herbs.
And that covers our Healthy Game Day Guacuterie Board, loaded with a little something for football lovers and foodies alike! I promise when you come out with a Guacuterie Board like this one, you’ll instantly be the hostess with the mostest! Happy game time, friends, and make sure to tag me at @weeknightbite so I can check out your Big Game Guacuterie Boards!
