Tailgate Party Power Stack (Print)

Vibrant power stack with meats, cheeses, breads, dips, and fresh produce, perfect for crowd-pleasing gatherings.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 7 oz smoked turkey breast, thickly sliced
02 - 7 oz black forest ham, thickly sliced
03 - 7 oz peppered salami, thickly sliced
04 - 5 oz roast beef, thickly sliced

→ Cheeses

05 - 5 oz sharp cheddar, cut into thick batons
06 - 5 oz Swiss cheese, cut into thick batons
07 - 5 oz pepper jack, cut into thick batons

→ Breads & Crackers

08 - 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
09 - 7 oz sturdy multigrain crackers
10 - 7 oz pretzel crisps

→ Layered Dips & Spreads

11 - 1 cup creamy ranch dip
12 - 1 cup chunky salsa
13 - 1 cup classic hummus
14 - 1 cup guacamole

→ Fresh Produce

15 - 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
16 - 1 large English cucumber, sliced into thick rounds
17 - 2 bell peppers (red and yellow), sliced into strips
18 - 3 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch batons
19 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch batons
20 - 1 cup mixed green and black whole pitted olives
21 - 1 cup dill pickle spears

→ Crunch & Accent

22 - 1 cup roasted mixed nuts
23 - 1 cup kettle-cooked potato chips
24 - 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, drained
25 - 1/2 cup pepperoncini

→ Garnish

26 - Fresh parsley sprigs

# Directions:

01 - Select a large wooden board or rimmed tray at least 18 by 24 inches. Wipe it down with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly to ensure a clean, dry base.
02 - Place four small shallow bowls in a diamond layout near the center. Fill each with ranch, salsa, hummus, and guacamole, spacing them at least 2 inches apart to allow for stacking.
03 - Fold or roll each thick slice of meat to create height and stability. Layer them in overlapping bands radiating outward from the bowls, stacking 2 to 3 slices high and pressing gently to compact.
04 - Place cheese batons next to and partially over the meats, alternating varieties and standing some upright for visual appeal and easy access, ensuring cheeses remain cool and firm.
05 - Fan baguette slices along the perimeter in tight rows. Stack multigrain crackers and pretzel crisps in neat piles between meat and cheese clusters without overcrowding to preserve structure.
06 - Group vegetable batons and rounds upright between layers. Scatter cherry tomatoes and olives in small clusters, tucking pickle spears and pepper strips along board edges for easy grabbing and visual contrast.
07 - Sprinkle roasted nuts and potato chips in small piles at board corners and open areas. Place pickled jalapeños and pepperoncini near dips to provide textural contrast and secure other ingredients.
08 - Tuck fresh parsley sprigs into open spaces for a bright green accent. Gently test for stability to ensure nothing shifts or topples. Wipe any crumbs or drips from edges before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a total showstopper that arrives fully assembled and requires zero kitchen time once you're there—just unload and watch people's faces light up
  • The engineering actually prevents things from falling apart during transport, which means you'll drive there with confidence instead of white knuckling the whole way
  • Every single person finds something they love because you've got meats for the carnivores, vegetables for the health-conscious, dips for the bold, and nuts for the midnight nibblers
02 -
  • Thickness is everything—thin slices of meat will fold on themselves and disappear into crevices, defeating your entire structural purpose. Go to the deli counter and ask them to slice thick, then thick again. This is non-negotiable.
  • Assemble as close to serving time as possible, which means you're doing this in the parking lot or their kitchen, not six hours before. Cold dips stay beautiful and firm. Warm dips get runny. Room temperature boards look sad. Get there, assemble with confidence, serve immediately.
  • Chill your dips properly before assembly—they should be cold enough that they hold their shape and actually support weight. A room-temperature dip is a structural failure waiting to happen.
  • The board itself needs to be sturdy because this thing will weigh twenty to twenty-five pounds fully loaded. Thin boards flex and bend, and flexing boards launch ingredients across cars. Go heavy. Go wood. Go serious.
03 -
  • Invest in actual good slicing at the deli counter instead of buying pre-packaged stuff—fresh sliced meats stack better, taste better, and actually feel worth the money you spent. It's the difference between a board and an experience.
  • Use your tongs to position things delicately instead of your hands. Tongs let you adjust placement without disturbing everything around it, and your board stays pristine instead of fingerprinted.
Back