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All-American Portrait Board

A creative and colorful assembly of cheeses, meats, and fruits perfect for gatherings, offering a nutritious and visually appealing meal option.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Party Food, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300

Ingredients
  

For the meat and cheese
  • 200 g thinly sliced salami For layering on the face.
  • 100 g prosciutto or ham For the tie.
  • 200 g Gouda or Cheddar Cut into thin sticks for hair.
  • 150 g Brie or Havarti Sliced for volume and sculpting.
  • 100 g Swiss or Emmental Cut into triangles for the shirt collar.
  • 100 g smoked cheese For ear shaping.
For the crackers and fruits
  • 1 cup round water crackers For texture and structure.
  • 1 cup dark crackers or blueberry crackers For variety in texture.
  • ½ cup blueberries For background filling.
  • ½ cup blackberries For background filling.
  • ½ cup red grapes For background filling.
  • 4-5 strawberries For background filling.
For the nuts and pickles
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ¼ cup mixed nuts
  • 2-3 small pickles/gherkins For facial features.
For serving
  • honey or fig jam Optional dip.
  • 1 mini American flag toothpick For decoration.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Use a large rectangular bamboo cutting board. Lightly sketch the portrait outline with a toothpick if needed.
  2. Layer thin Gouda or Cheddar sticks at the top, sweeping from left to right to create a hairstyle. Add Brie slices underneath for volume. Place a few round crackers at the side for texture. Insert the mini American flag at the top right.
  3. Overlap large salami slices to fill the face area, building up layers for a 3D effect. Use folded Brie or Havarti to sculpt the nose profile on the right side, and a small triangular piece of smoked cheese for the ear.
  4. Create eyebrows using thin strips of salami. Form the eye with a round piece of cheese and a dark olive or berry. Add a pickled gherkin or walnut near the ear area.
  5. Use dark blue or speckled crackers to form the suit jacket. Lay Swiss cheese triangles for the shirt collar and lapel. Roll prosciutto or salami strips diagonally for the tie.
  6. Arrange the mixed berries in the lower-left corner and fill gaps with clusters of walnuts, cashews, and almonds. Add the remaining crackers around the edges.
Final Steps
  1. Step back and adjust any elements as necessary. Add a small ramekin of honey or fig jam on the side. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered for up to 2 hours.

Notes

Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Can be kept for up to 2 hours at room temperature. Wrap tightly for a maximum of 24 hours in the fridge. Not recommended to freeze due to texture changes in cheeses and meats.