This post is sponsored by Virginia Carolinas Peanut Promotions. I received compensation, but all opinions and content are my own.

We finally started school this week after cherishing every last day of summer. It feels good to be getting back-to-routine after such a wonderfully lazy and carefree summer. For our first week, we’re celebrating as much as possible, and for us, that includes a lush cheese board over our afternoon school time. We added roasted in-shell peanuts (we roasted them ourselves) on our board, and it’s our new favorite cheese board must-have.

Did you know these types of peanuts – Virginia-type peanuts – are grown in Virginia and the Carolinas? There are over 2000 peanut farms in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I try to shop locally when possible, and just LOVE supporting these local peanut farmers. And the health benefits of adding peanuts to your diet are impressive – a handful of peanuts is an excellent source of protein and fiber.

Plus, in-shell peanuts are SO versatile; you can serve them in-shell, cocktail, gourmet, and boiled. Boiled peanuts are next on my list to try! You can find them at your local grocer in the produce section – or you can check out this list for some great retailers too.

Below, I’m sharing our simple recipe for roasting raw in-shell peanuts. These roasting instructions will yield a mildly flavored peanut to include on your fall back-to-routine cheese board, and the natural saltiness nicely complements the sweetness of the fruit! Yum! They’re quick and easy to make, and super fun to crack open and enjoy! Beneath the recipe, I’ve included a list of all the cheese board ingredients.

Roasted Honey Cayenne In-Shell Peanuts

makes about 1 pound in-shell peanuts

Ingredients

• 1 lb. raw, in-shell Virginia peanuts (use your favorite brand!)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place raw, in-shell peanuts in bowl. Add olive oil and sea salt. Toss to coat thoroughly.
• Spread on baking sheet to form a single layer, and bake for 15 minutes.
• While roasting, heat honey and cayenne pepper in a small bowl or saucepan.
• Remove peanuts from oven after 15 minutes. Place in bowl and toss with honey cayenne mixture.
• Put back on baking sheet and roast for another 10-15 minutes, carefully watching that they do not scorch.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan.
• ENJOY on your cheese board or just grab a handful when you need some protein.

**NOTE** Roasting raw in-shell peanuts using this quick, simple method will produce mildly flavored peanuts when cracked open and removed from shell. I like licking the exterior of the shell after popping peanut in my mouth to get a bit more flavor**

You can find other in-shell peanut facts and recipes at the VCPP website!

Fall Cheese Board Ingredients

• Manchego cheese
• Gruyere cheese
• Pecorino Romano cheese
• Goat cheese
• Salami
• Local, fresh figs
• Local grapes (I used purple Jupiter and green Neptune grapes)
• Crackers (I used three different types: whole wheat with seeds, olive oil sea salt, and sourdough breadsticks)
• Honeycomb
• Sliced fruit (local pears and apples)
• Roasted in-shell peanuts

I love celebrating life’s little moments with my children; it’s helps them to find beauty in the every day, and learn to take time to slow down. They LOVE helping to set up our cheese boards, and then, of course, we feast for hours and hours. How are you celebrating back-to-routine and all that it entails?