This post was sponsored by Upgrade Your Summer as part of a Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Summertime gatherings are making their way onto the calendar. Are you ready to provide your guests with a delicious spread without worrying about who is grilling? This creative and easy Summer Appetizer Board will be a hit at your summer gatherings.
Summer Gatherings Made Easy
We really enjoy getting together with family and friends during the summer months. We are blessed with a great deck and backyard that is perfect for all group sizes. While I am pretty creative for birthday party themes for the kids, I have to be honest, when it comes to our summer gatherings I do not want to be stressed out about a theme or food. I want to be able to sit back and enjoy my time!
It seems like most summer gatherings are centered on the grill. While this is delicious, it means that one or more people have to man that grill meaning they are excluded from the gathering. I decided that for our first summertime gathering with friends and family we would skip the grill and find some new food ideas.
Introducing a New Family Favorite!
Raise your hand if you love shrimp! ME!!! As I was sitting down trying to plan out these non-grill foods for our upcoming party I started thinking about creating a modified cheese and meat board. Instead of the traditional meat and cheese I decided to kick it up a notch by adding these SeaPak Budweiser® Beer Battered Shrimp. Oh my gosh! These are no ordinary fried shrimp…nope these are fantastic. They bring the pub style taste home, are deliciously oven crunchy and battered in Budweiser® Beer. Plus they are an easy protein that can be prepared and added to a Summer Appetizer Board.
Preparing A Summer Appetizer Board
While there are some people who love having a sit down meal at a gathering, I believe that most of us are snackers, especially when we are just hanging out with family and friends. Instead of having a big meal for our upcoming summer gathering we decided to make these simple Summer Appetizer Boards. While most of the items on our boards are really easy to prepare and set out they are really filling as well.
To create your own summer appetizer board you can start with your protein and build from there. For this board we went with the SeaPak Budweiser® Beer Battered Shrimp as our protein focus. I prepared the Tangy Citrus Sauce that is included in the package and put that into a small bowl for dipping.
Then I decided to add our favorite Hummus. Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. SO GOOD! My kids are a bit picky about hummus but this is THE one they will eat. We love taking Sabra Hummus to picnics and even day trips, a great snack option for the whole family. Once the Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus was on our board I decided to add some fresh veggies, which are the perfect dippers for the hummus, or to be enjoyed alone.
In addition to the veggies I knew that people would want something crunchy to enjoy. I am a crunchy snacker so I added the Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins to our summer appetizer board. These are so good to eat as a snack but even better when enjoying them dipped in the hummus. Nut-Thins are a perfect crispy and crunchy texture. They are made with real Blue Diamond almonds, are wheat & gluten free, and contain no artificial flavors!! A perfect snack to be added to any board!
Summer Appetizer Board Is Served
Now, this particular board is a bit small but for this summer gathering I decided to create a few boards to set out so people felt like there was enough of a variety of snacks and food to enjoy. Some other ideas is a traditional meat and cheese board, a fruit and nut board and fruit and veggie board. The options are endless!
To tie our gathering together we knew we would need some refreshing drinks, especially with our weather quickly turning to HOT! I am a big fan of Ginger Ale, it is a great summer drink to enjoy but when I found out about the NEW Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Lemonade and Orangeade I knew we would be giving our guests a treat with these drinks. Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Lemonade and Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Orangeade bring a twist on a relaxing favorite. This beverage is a perfect summertime drink, made with real ginger taste, as well as real orange and lemon juices. Plus, Canada Dry Ginger Ale is caffeine free and naturally flavored!
I have to say, this idea of creating different summer appetizer boards was a hit. And as a host, I was able to sit and enjoy my guests without worrying about having to prepare a bunch of food continuously. Another great part about this idea is that when the boards get low on snacks they can be replenished quickly. I just made sure to have all of the items on hand and ready to be added to the boards if needed. All of the items on our Summer Appetizer Board are the perfect additions to any party or gathering you might be hosting or attending.
Walmart Helps Hosts Upgrade Summertime Gatherings
Let’s be honest, the grocery-shopping task when planning and hosting a gathering can be one of the hardest parts of the plan. Walmart is my go-to for groceries and party items for any gathering because I can find it all in one stop! My time is valuable and I need to make sure I manage my time properly and that includes when I am grocery shopping. Walmart is the convenient destination for all of my summer entertaining needs by delivering a low-cost, one-stop shopping solution that saves you time and money!
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