The next time your farm decides to set up a horse show tailgate, consider this breakfast charcuterie board! All of the included foods are easy to prep ahead of time (for example, the day before the show). Setup time at the show is minimal. A breakfast grazing board is an easy way to serve grab and go fare – perfect for busy horse show days!
Horse Show Tailgates
Anyone who frequents the horse show circuit knows how long and tiring a horse show day can be! You are typically up at dawn (sometimes before dawn!) and lucky if you get home before dinner. These days are exhausting, but they certainly have their highlights, too (or else we wouldn’t go, right?!).
Our farm LOVES setting up a tailgate tent at shows when we know we’ll be there for more than a couple hours. Tailgates create a fun atmosphere and offer a varied spread of foods and drinks to snack on throughout the day. Typically every family brings a food item or two and the result is a big variety for everyone to enjoy. Bonus – a tailgate cuts down on the amount of money you will spend at the food truck or snack stand!
Basic Horse Show Tail Gate Supplies
Here are some basic supplies that are helpful to have at a horse show tailgate. You can have individual families bring the different items (for example, set up a Signup Genius for at easy way to keep track of who is bringing what). Another option is for the farm to buy certain supplies that can be packed for every show.
- Folding table (at least one, but 2-3 is ideal)
- Coolers
- Plastic ware
- Paper plates and paper bowls
- Trash bags
- Napkins
- Pop up tent (1 or more, depending on the size of your crowd)
- Paper cups or plastic cups
- Hand sanitizer
Grazing Boards are Perfect for Tailgates
If you have ever been to a tailgate, you know that they are very much a “grab and go” situation. Typically you come and go to the tables and get food when you have time. There is no set “dining time.” This is especially the case at a horse show. Riders are competing at all different times during the day, so everyone eats on their own schedule.
Grazing or charcuterie boards are great for tailgates. They offer small portions of a variety of foods or snacks.
Our breakfast board is the perfect option for horse shows. Shows almost always start early in the morning and so a light charcuterie breakfast fare makes a great spread. It is also easy to offer a wide range of different types of food, ensuring that everyone can find something they like.
Orange juice, coffee and water would be wonderful drink options to serve at a breakfast horse show tailgate.
What kind of board should I use for a breakfast charcuterie spread?
Good options for charcuterie spreads are big trays, platters and wooden cheese boards. The board pictured in this post is is approximately 15×12 inches.
Here are some to consider:
- Acacia Wood Cutting Board with Handle
- BirdRock Home 18″ Round Acacia Wooden Serving Board with Handle
- Bamboo Serving Platter, Round Wood Tray
- Acacia 17×7 Inch Wood Cutting Board with Handle
- Lifewit Serving Tray Plastic for Party, 15″ x 10″
- Wooden Serving Tray with Handles
Breakfast Charcuterie Board Ingredients
Round up the following foods to put together a breakfast board like ours!
- Blackberries
- Green grapes
- Strawberries
- Half slices of bacon, cooked crispy
- Sausage links, cooked
- Hard boiled eggs, halved
- Waffles, cut into quarters
- Mini cinnamon rolls’
- Strawberry jam
- Syrup
How to Make a Breakfast Charcuterie Board
Follow the directions and tips below to put a breakfast board together.
1. Cook the bacon, sausage, and waffles
2. OPTIONAL: Line the board or tray with parchment paper to help reduce stains.
3. Add your blackberries, grapes, and jam to small bowls. Arrange the small bowls on the board, spacing them apart for visual appeal, and easier arrangement of the rest of the ingredients.
4. Pour syrup into a small container and arrange on board.
5. Start with one ingredient and arrange it on board. We started with the waffles.
6. Continue this arranging process with the other ingredients.
7. Save the small ingredients like the strawberries and mini cinnamon rolls until the end. Use these items to fill in the empty spots around your board.
That’s it!
The end result is such a beautiful board, just bursting with colors and yummy flavors.
You can absolutely swap different foods in and out and put your own creative flair on the board’s appearance!
If you end up give this breakfast board a try, let us know how it turns out for you!
Happy horse showing!
