Budget-Friendly Family Spread (Print View)

A simple, generous platter with sliced meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables, and crackers for sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 7 oz sliced cooked ham
02 - 7 oz sliced turkey breast
03 - 5.3 oz sliced salami

→ Cheeses

04 - 7 oz mild cheddar, sliced
05 - 5.3 oz Swiss cheese, sliced
06 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, for spreading

→ Vegetables

07 - 2 large carrots, sliced into sticks
08 - 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds
09 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes

→ Crackers & Bread

11 - 14 oz assorted budget-friendly crackers
12 - 1 baguette, sliced

→ Extras

13 - 1 cup hummus
14 - 1/2 cup green olives
15 - 1/2 cup pickles

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Place sliced ham, turkey, and salami in generous piles at different corners of a large serving platter or tray.
02 - Fan out slices of mild cheddar, Swiss cheese, and position bowls of cream cheese adjacent to the meats for easy selection.
03 - Group carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes into large heaps around the platter, keeping similar items together.
04 - Fill small bowls with hummus, green olives, and pickles, distributing them evenly around the platter to enhance accessibility.
05 - Stack assorted crackers and sliced baguette in visible, easy-to-reach piles to complement the spread.
06 - Present platter immediately, replenishing ingredients as needed during larger gatherings.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in just twenty minutes, perfect for when you need to feed a crowd without stress.
  • Everyone finds something they love because they build their own combinations from the abundance in front of them.
  • Your wallet stays happy—budget-friendly ingredients create an impressive, generous-looking spread.
  • There's no cooking involved, which means you stay cool and calm while your kitchen fills with hungry people.
02 -
  • Ask your deli counter for their thicker cuts and don't settle for the pre-packaged options. The difference in how these items hold up on the platter is remarkable and costs almost nothing extra.
  • Arrange with height variation in mind—lean some items against others, stack crackers at angles, nestle things into each other. A platter arranged on one flat level looks lonely; a platter with peaks and valleys looks intentional and generous.
  • Prep everything completely before you start arranging. Once you're placing items on the platter, you want momentum and flow, not pause to cut another carrot.
03 -
  • Your platter will look fuller and more impressive if you create height variation—prop items against each other, stack crackers at angles, nestle bowls into gaps. Flat spreads look sparse; textured arrangements look luxurious.
  • If you're feeding more than eight people, make the platter wider rather than trying to cram more items into the same space. A platter that's hard to reach from all sides becomes a bottleneck instead of a gathering point.
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