Patriotic Flag Charcuterie Board

Looking for the perfect appetizer for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day? This patriotic charcuterie board is exactly what you need! With delicious cheeses, meats, fresh fruits and veggies, this patriotic cheese board has something for everyone.

Charcuterie is one of my family’s favorite traditions. We love to make festive snack or cheese boards for every holiday, and even sometimes for a fun weekday dinner! This American flag cheese tray is a perfect addition to your Fourth of July, Memorial Day or Labor Day celebrations. The flag shape is super easy to make in a rimmed sheet pan – no fancy platter necessary. Grab a star shaped cookie cutter and let your kids help you decorate, for a fun kitchen project for the whole family.

The key to this festive board is a variety of red, white and blue foods. You can make a traditional meat and cheese board, or add any of your other favorite foods in festive colors. The great thing about this easy flag board is that it’s super versatile! I’ve included tons of ideas below for different fresh fruits, veggies, snacks and sweets in patriotic colors. Whatever foods you choose, this red, white and blue charcuterie board is sure to be a big hit at your holiday party. 

For more advice on how to build the best charcuterie board, check out my articles on the best bread for charcuterie, best crackers for charcuterie, and best dips and spreads for charcuterie. For more inspiration for an eye-catching July 4th charcuterie board, see this list of 15+ epic Fourth of July Charcuterie Boards.

Ingredients

To make a patriotic flag charcuterie board, you need the following simple ingredients. Exact measurements will depend on the size of your tray, but I have included the measurements I used for a standard quarter sheet pan in the recipe card below. 

• Red pepper, cut into strips
• Cherry tomatoes
• Round crackers: I used a box of a variety of crackers. The crackers I used were Kellogg’s Toasted Aristan Collection, which had one sleeve each of buttercrisp crackers, harvest wheat and rosemary and olive oil. 
• Pepperoni
• White cheddar cheese: I used a box of pre-sliced “cracker cut” cheese that I found at my local grocery store. 
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Mozarella cheese: I used a sandwich slice of mozzarella cheese for making the star
• Strawberries
• Rectangle crackers: I used Club brand rectangle crackers for easy stacking, although I’m sure circular or square crackers would work well too!
• Cherries

More Red Foods

For the red stripes portion of your American flag, you will need plenty of vibrant red foods. I used red pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, strawberries and cherries on my board. There are many more delicious options! Here are some more red foods to consider:

• Red raspberries
• Red grapes
• Other red deli meats, like salami or prosciutto  
• Red apples
• Watermelon (try cutting them into stars with a star-shaped cookie cutter!)
• Roasted red pepper strips
• Licorice or other red candies

More Blue Foods

Although blue food is sometimes hard to come by, summer is the perfect time of year to find some delicious options. My personal favorite choice for the blue portion of the flag is a combination of blueberries and blackberries. These sweet blue fruits are seasonal, beautiful and the most naturally blue food you are likely to find. Some other great choices are:

• Black Grapes
• Blue corn tortilla chips 
• Kalamata Olives: these are more black than blue, but they will give you the effect you’re looking for. Olives are a great traditional addition to a cheese board!
• Purple carrots or purple bell peppers: these can be hard to come by and are not quite blue, but if you find some at the Farmer’s market or grow them in your garden, they would be so pretty on this board.

More White Foods

Your flag will need both white stripes and white stars. Thankfully, there are many options for white foods that will add major yum factor to your board. I used crackers, mozzarella cheese and white cheddar cheese for my board. Some other great choices are:

• White cheese is a perfect option for your flag. Use a row of cheese slices for white stripes, or cut a slice of cheese with a cookie cutter to make stars. I recommend a semi-soft cheese that is easy to cut through but will hold its shape. Provolone cheese, gouda and swiss cheese are great options (in addition to mozzarella and white cheddar!).
• Light colored breads, like mini naan bread or French bread
• Mozzarella cheese sticks (especially great for kids!)
• White tortilla chips
• Cauliflower florets
• Yogurt-covered pretzels 
• Squares of white chocolate
• Popcorn
• Marshmallows
• Light colored nuts, like cashews or peanuts

Instructions

Step One: Get a large rimmed quarter sheet pan, rectangular cutting board or platter and lay it out horizontally in the shape of a flag. Lay out the bottom four stripes of the flag first, starting with a red stripe along the bottom of the pan and then alternating between red and white. These stripes should go the full length of the sheet pan, and you should end up with a white stripe at the top. This white stripe will be right below the blue section of the flag (just like in the real American flag). I did a red stripe of red peppers and tomatoes, then a white stripe of round crackers, a red stripe of pepperoni, and a white stripe of white cheddar cheese. 

Step Two: Above the row of cheddar cheese, fill the top left corner of the baking sheet with a square of blueberries and blackberries. 

Step Three: Fill in the remaining space at the top of the flag with a row of strawberries, a row of rectangle crackers, and finally a row of cherries.

Step Four: Use a star shaped cookie cutter to cut a star out of the mozzarella cheese slice. Place the cheese star on top of the blueberries and blackberries. Enjoy!!

Note: If you have some extra ingredients leftover after laying out the flag, bring them with you to your party and use them to replenish the board as people snack! 

Storage and Transport

I find this board a lot easier to travel with than a usual charcuterie board because the rimmed edges of the baking sheet keeps the ingredients from sliding off or around the board. If you are traveling to a Fourth of July or Memorial Day party, cover the board tightly with plastic wrap and put it in a steady place in your car, and you should make it just fine!