If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that being creative and flexible are essential to staying balanced in rather unbalancing times. It hasn’t been easy, but all of us have had to get innovative just to achieve a semblance of normalcy—in our work lives, social lives, and, yes, our romantic lives.
One thing we’ve re-discovered is the good, old fashioned movie night. There’s definite appeal in the short-and-sweet quality of movies, and that’s what makes them perfect for date night. They can be dressed up from the usual flop-on-the-couch-and-binge-watch habit many of us have.
So how do you dress up a movie date night? You make it all about the experience. It’s not just about watching the thing. It’s about setting the mood. And our favorite way to do that is with food!
Here’s what we suggest: pick your movie, plan your time, and prepare a snack board. If you’re feeling extra inventive, you can theme the food to go along with the movie, but that’s an optional upgrade for next-level achievers. Plan it out with your person or make it a surprise—whatever you think will make the night feel extra special!
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- A large-ish platter or tray for your snacks. The key is to give yourself enough space to arrange snacks in such a way that everything is accessible and, if you want, aesthetically pleasing.
- A few smaller bowls or serving dishes, to be used for dips or smaller or wetter items like olives.
- A variety of snacks. Go full sweet or full salty/savory if you like, but we recommend hitting all five food groups, if you can—fruits & veggies, proteins, starchy carbs, dairy, and fats.
We love snack boards for movie nights because they can function as meal and snack all in one—and it doesn’t actually involve any cooking! Here are a few ideas for foods to include on your snack board:
The Carbs – Do the (Cheese) Twist
Cheese twists make us feel like we’re dining out at a fancy restaurant, but from the comfort of home. That’s why we engineered our own! They pair well with marinara sauce, but they’re great solo, too.
Crackers are an accessible alternative, and of course there are tons of flavor varieties to choose from. Pick your favorite(s) and pair with fruit, cheese, or meat.
The Salty – Pretzels, Olives, and Dips, Oh My!
You really can’t go wrong with a good pretzel. We like seasoned pretzel sticks, like Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. These are great alone, or you can include them in your favorite snack mix.
We also love a good olive—manzanillas or kalamatas are easy to come by and offer the perfect lip-puckering amount of saltiness.
Don’t forget a good dip or two, like onion, artichoke, marinara, or even hummus—whatever pairs best with your other selections!
The Sweet – All You Need (Are Cookies)
Every date night needs a dessert. Why not work that right into your snack board? As luck would have it, we’ve got a solid suggestion on this one: pick up a pack of Little Rae’s decorated shortbread cookies! They’re perfect for every season (choose from our many designs), positively adorable, and sure to please all!
The Fresh – Fruit & Veg
Most of our snack board space tends to be taken up by fruit and vegetables. Not only does it round out our nutritional intake, but these foods provide a certain freshness (and often crunchiness) due to their high water content. Our favorites include grapes, strawberries, apples, sweet bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, celery, and radishes.
The Creamy – These (Boards) Were Made for (Cheeses)
Been eyeing that fancy cheese at the store but worried you won’t use it all up? This is the perfect opportunity. For aged cheeses, try gruyere or a smoky gouda. If you want something softer, you can’t go wrong with brie and goat cheese. No time to cut up cheese? Just snag a container of cheese curds.
The Meat – The Devil(ed Eggs) Went Down to Georgia…
We don’t do nuts, but we do love a good charcuterie selection. If you’re a meat eater, round out your board with prepared meats like salami, pastrami, ham, oven-roasted turkey, and smoked salmon. Hardboiled (or deviled) eggs also make a great addition.
Want to give movie night snack boards a try but in need of inspiration? Or want someone else to put in the hard work for you? Fear not! We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite snack-boarders below!
The featured image from this post was used with permission from Mill Valley Boards and features Little Rae’s Stars shortbread cookies and other snacks.