A Pizza Box Is Your Secret Weapon For A Camping Charcuterie Board

Camping is all about getting back to nature — getting fresh air, sleeping under the stars, cooking by the fire. But while the franks and beans are getting toasty, you might need a little something to tide you over. Sure, trail mix is fine when you're in a pinch. But while you could whip up a batch of campfire nachos (which is a great way to feed a camping crowd), wouldn't a charcuterie board also be nice? Now, we know what you're thinking: Cheese spades and fancy serving trays have no place in the forest! Luckily, you don't need anything more than last night's pizza box to take a killer snacking spread on the go (just be sure to clean it out a bit first).

While you could easily throw a few blocks of cheese and a package of salami in the cooler and call it a day, building the perfect charcuterie board is centered on making the perfect bite. To do that, you're going to need an array of flavors and textures — but who has the time to put every jam, nut, and cracker into a different portable vessel? If you're doing it right, even your biggest storage container isn't big enough to lay out a whole charcuterie spread without overlapping. That's where the pizza box comes in. As shown in a TikTok from user @dianasullivan86, a pizza box is sturdy enough to hold the weight of your many delightful selections and big enough for you to arrange them beautifully for your camping excursion without having to stack any ingredients on top of one another.

@dianasullivan86

Camping Charcuterie- Lunch edition. Consider using pizza boxes. They are convenient and easily transportable. #campingcharcuterie #reuserecycle #AdventuresWithMia

♬ Just Can't Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas

The same rules that make building a typical charcuterie board a no-brainer also apply to building one in a pizza box. For starters, you're going to want to cover your bases: cheese, meat, a sturdy and carb-filled base, a little something savory, and a little something sweet. Bite-sized snacks like nuts, olives, cornichons, capers, slices of fruit, or chocolate candies are tasty additions that can easily be eaten without the need for cutlery. Speaking of knives, since you're taking this charcuterie board on the go, consider pre-slicing your meats and cheeses to eliminate the need for extra dishes.

Because charcuterie boards are made for grazing — they're often set out for hours at a time, allowing for simultaneous snacking and socializing — taking one out on a camping trip may seem like you're inviting every bug in the area to your camping shindig. The pizza box's top, however, makes it easy to cover the food in between bites. Not to mention, with all your pre-sliced and bite-sized ingredients, you can essentially pull off a charcuterie board in the elements without dirtying one single dish! Just remember to take your trash with you when you go — no one likes a litterbug!