Classic Southern Appetizer Board

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Treat your party guests to a classic Southern spread with deviled eggs, spiced pecans, ham, cheese and fresh fruit with this festive party board. We've included a combination of homemade and store-bought ingredients for an abundant board that doesn't take too long to assemble. A note on nutrition: This board is hearty enough to stand in for dinner or lunch, but if you're planning on serving it as an appetizer before the main meal, go light on things like nuts, crackers and cheese dip to keep sodium and calories in check.

Classic Southern Appetizer Board
Active Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
12 servings
Nutrition Profile:

Ingredients

Spiced Pecans

  • 1 large egg white

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 6 tablespoons superfine sugar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • pinch of ground cinnamon

  • pinch of cayenne pepper

  • 4 cups  pecan halves (about 1 pound)

Lady & Larder's Deviled Eggs

  • 6 large eggs

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 pinch of Kosher salt

  • Hot sauce & ground pepper for serving

Pimiento Cheese Dip

  • 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, crumbled

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

  • 3 tablespoons drained jarred chopped pimientos

  • teaspoon Aleppo pepper

  • teaspoon ground pepper

  • 2 tablespoons  sweet pickle relish

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Appetizer Board

  • ½ cup cornichons

  • ¼ cup grainy mustard

  • 1 ½ cups Pimiento Cheese

  • 1 (8 ounce) log chèvre

  • 2 tablespoons pepper jelly

  • 3 cups Spiced Pecans

  • 1 recipe Lady & Larder's Deviled Eggs

  • 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham

  • 1 medium peach (or other summer stone fruit), sliced

  • 1 cup cherries

  • 24 buttery crackers or pretzels

Directions

  1. To Prepare Spiced Pecans: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk egg white, water, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne in a large bowl. Add pecans and stir to coat evenly. Spread in a single layer on the prepared pan.

  3. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan from back to front and continue baking until the nuts are crispy and dry to the touch, about 30 minutes more. Let cool completely on the pan, about 20 minutes. Break apart before serving.

  4. To Prepare Lady & Larder's Deviled Eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice-cold water and let stand until cool enough to handle.

  5. Peel the eggs and halve lengthwise with a sharp knife. Gently remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, celery, pickle relish, chives, yellow and Dijon mustards and salt to the yolks. Mash with a fork until chunky.

  6. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each egg white half. Drizzle with hot sauce and pepper, if desired.

  7. To prepare Pimento Cheese Dip: Combine Cheddar, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimientos, Aleppo and ground pepper in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until smooth, about 45 seconds.

  8. To assemble board: Place cornichons, mustard and cheese dip in separate small bowls. Place chèvre on a plate and top with pepper jelly. Arrange the bowls and plate on a large board, platter or tray along with pecans, deviled eggs, ham, peach (or other fruit) slices, cherries and crackers (or pretzels).

Tips

See more beautiful appetizer boards.

To make ahead

The spiced pecans and pimiento cheese dip can be made 1 week ahead. The deviled eggs can be made 1 day ahead. Some of these recipes make more than 12 servings, so you'll likely have leftovers.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

472 Calories
39g Fat
18g Carbs
15g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Serving Size 1 appetizer plate (2 Tbsp. pimiento cheese, 1/4 cup pecans, 1 deviled egg)
Calories 472
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 10g
Added Sugars 4g 8%
Protein 15g 31%
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Vitamin A 803IU 16%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Folate 26mcg 7%
Sodium 733mg 32%
Calcium 191mg 15%
Iron 2mg 11%
Magnesium 39mg 9%
Potassium 253mg 5%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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