Did you fall in love with a padauk platter and decide that you just had to buy it? When you have one of these large and beautiful wood platters, there are many ways for you to get some use out of it. Padauk is a popular type of wood species because of its beautiful color and durability. Check out two of the ways that you can use your padauk platter at home while serving guests.

Create an Hors D'oeuvre Tray

The padauk platter is great to use when you are putting together an hors d'oeuvre tray. You could fit a lot of food on the platter without worrying about the food breaking through it like it would when using a paper or foam plate. Not sure what to make when setting up one of these trays on your padauk platter? Think about the finger foods that you and your guests like to eat. These are a few options you can make and put on your padauk platter:

• Stuffed Potato Skins
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
• Cocktail Meatballs
• Bacon-Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp
• Slider Sandwiches

You can walk around with the padauk platter to let your guests grab their food or you can place it on a table in an open area where your guests can check out what you are offering and then take what they want.

Prepare a Charcuterie Board

The charcuterie board consists of various meats, cheese, and other tasty treats that you can neatly display on a padauk platter. While you can look online for inspiration on how to put your charcuterie board together before having guests over, you can also get the following finger foods to add to your board:

• Sliced Salami
• Round Crackers
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese Cubes
• Green Grapes
• Green Olives
• Sliced Cucumbers
• Hummus
• Baby Carrots
• Raspberries

Although these are some great items to add to your padauk platter when making a charcuterie board, you can customize the board the way that you want it by adding different cuts of cured meat, different types of fruit, and even an assortment of nuts if you want. Some people like to add small bowls of dips to their charcuterie boards, such as ranch, cream cheese, or chocolate spread.

After you have selected the foods that you will use, simply arrange them in a fun way. You can create a row of crackers on one side with bowls of dips in the center and pieces of fruit on the sides. 

A padauk platter, is an excellent addition when having guests over to your home. You may use it to serve hors d'oeuvres or create a charcuterie board with a durable and beautiful wood platter.