How To Make A Charcuterie Board
A party isn’t complete without an epic Charcuterie Board! It’s a good thing they’re super simple to make in basically no time at all. The ultimate meat and cheese board doesn’t have to be boring and it’s a hit at every gathering.
Charcuterie Board
I’m currently pulling together the last minute details for Christmas….shopping…wrapping…Christmas morning brunch menu. I want to have everything locked down by the end of the day tomorrow because this month totally got away from me. I just want one weekend to sit back and enjoy the season for a bit with the new boots I just gifted myself. 🙂
So far, I have this amazing Panettone French Toast on the menu along with the standard baked bacon. But while I’m getting all the hot stuff ready for brunch I like to set out an amazing Cheese Board as a fun way to serve something people can nibble on so they don’t get toasted from too many mimosas.
Charcuterie Board Ingredients
If you’re looking for ideas on what goes on a classic charcuterie board, these are our go-to meats and cheeses that are always a huge hit. It’s the perfect blend of hard cheeses, soft cheese, and premium meats with a few accoutrements to round out the snacking choices.
- Hard Cheeses – Smoked gouda, Parmesan, Manchego and havarti are my favorites that are pretty universal.
- Soft Cheeses – Brie cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese, camembert, taleggio are all great choices for soft cheese.
- Prosciutto
- Persimmon Slices
- Marcona Almonds
- Green and Red Grapes
- Honeycomb
- Salami
Round out the board with a selection of crackers, breadsticks and parmesan crisps.
Charcuterie Board Ideas
Cheese boards and charcuterie boards are like my favorite thing to make ever for game day and holidays. I made a budget charcuterie board years ago and while the photos could use a total refresh, the elements and “rules” are there for your to check out if you want. I used the same method for my Summer Charcuterie Board a few months ago and it turned out so fresh, fruity and perfect.
We, also, love making these mini PERSONAL Cheese Boards for parties so everyone gets their own board…..no germ-y hands touching all your cheese!
For the holidays, I like to add more elements that speak to the season like sliced persimmons and candied walnuts. You can really add just about anything you want to your cheese platter.
We even branched out to the dessert boards era with our Halloween Dessert Board and my favorite Thanksgiving Turkey Dessert Board.
What is a Charcuterie Board
It’s a tricky word, charcuterie. And it’s pronounced “shahr-koo-tuh–ree”.
Charcuterie is the art of preparing meats that are often smoked or cured, such as bacon, ham, sausages, terrines and pates, primarily from pork. People often use the term charcuterie to describe an assortment of meats that are paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheese, and condiments.
It’s, actually, more correct to say ‘charcuterie board’ if you’re presenting an arrangement of cheese and meats on a big board or platter at parties than just a blanket statement charcuterie.
A Charcuterie Board is a large display of those same meat products served alongside assorted accoutrements like pickles, cheese, olives and fruit. There are really not many rules to what you can add to your charcuterie plate but emphasis should always be on including fresh high quality products.
What To Put On A Charcuterie Board
The sky is the limit with your charcuterie tray and you’re only limited by your imagination. I like to include a variety of meats and cheeses on my charcuterie board so there’s a little something for everyone. I stick with whatever I can find at Trader Joe’s, one of my favorite places, or my local grocery store to make shopping easier.
You can come up with your own charcuterie board ideas to suit both your guests and your own preferences…..that’s why these are always a hit. They’re the perfect start to dinner parties.
How To Build a Charcuterie Board
Arranging your ingredients on the board artfully is an easy task, just be sure to find a board large enough to hold all your meats and cheeses. You can even use a pizza peel if storage space is a concern, this way it does double (or triple) duty.
If you don’t have a cutting board big enough to use as your cheese board display, you can just grab a standard sheet pan or a large serving platter and arrange everything on there. It works just as beautifully!
How To Calculate The Amount of Cheese for Your Board
You’ll also want to be sure you have enough nibbles for everyone at the party to enjoy so here’s a quick breakdown on how to calculate how much meat and cheese you’ll need for the perfect charcuterie board.
- Meats – Include a variety of textures and flavors when selecting your meat like salami and proscuitto. And plan for 3-4 slices of meat per person at a minimum.
- Cheese – I like to include a sharp cheese like parmesan or cheddar, a soft cheese like goat cheese, a mild cheese like manchego and then a few extra favorites like cheddar or a buttery Butterkase to round out the cheese board. You’ll want to include enough for about 2 ounces of cheese per person at a minimum and be sure to slice the harder cheeses into different shapes because they’re easier to serve that way. Make sure your cheeses are room temperature for the best flavor when serving.
- Crackers and bread – Multigrain crackers or buttery crisps always go first so be sure to have a few extra but you’ll also want to include something seasonal like a fig crisp. I like to include thin, crispy bread sticks for a lighter option and visual interest.
- Fruit – Dried and fresh fruit work well on a charcuterie board and this is your chance to amp up the color. Think of bright, vibrant fruits, like persimmon, to add some much needed color to your spread.
- Nuts – I love to add nuts to my board and I usually just sprinkle a few around but if you have guests with allergies, it’s best to keep them in a separate bowl.
- Olives, dips, spreads – My go-to here is Spicy Marinated Olives and honey but you can also include small bowls of your tzatziki dip or pimento cheese spread. An orange marmalade or fig jam is also amazing on your charcuterie board.
Want even more easy entertaining ideas? Follow us over on Instagram!
More Easy Appetizer Ideas
- Easy Fluffernutter Dip
- Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board
- Easy Goat Cheese Balls
- Antipasto Skewers
- Pecan Brie Phyllo Cups
- Brie Cranberry Pasty Bites
Get the Recipe: How to Make a Charcuterie Board Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 lb Prosciutto
- 4 oz Goat Cheese
- 1/2 lb Manchego
- 1/2 lb Butterkase
- 1 Persimmon , sliced
- 1 lb Grapes
- 1/4 cup Almonds
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
- 1 cup Dried Apricots
- 1 cup Olives
- 1 Honeycomb
- Assorted Crackers
Instructions
- Use a food safe board or line with parchment paper before arranging your charcuterie board.
- Arrange the cheeses on the board and slice hard cheeses for easier serving.
- Fan out the meats and arrange around the cheeses on the board.
- Wash and pat dry fruit. Cut into bite sized pieces, if necessary. Place the fruit in the spaces remaining on the board.
- Sprinkle the almonds and apricots around the board or place in small bowls on your board. You can also fill with olives, nuts, honey and dips.
- Place the crackers around the board.
- Fill in any open spots with proscuitto pieces twisted into little piles.
Video
14 Comments on “How To Make A Charcuterie Board”
Excellent, blessings to you.
Thank you!
Hello,
What is the thinly slided brown bread with nuts/fruit on left next to the white cheese and salami?
Thanks,
I place things randomly to start and then add items to complement their neighbors, al the while paying attention to placement of color and texture.
My boards have four groups of items: fruits, pickled items, meats and cheeses. My favorite fruits are dried such as apricots, pears and dates. The pickled items are, of course, dill and sweet pickles, onions, olives and sometimes Japanese pickled vegs to include carrots, daikon and radishes. For the meats, I love to make my own salamis, pepperonis and smoked fish such as salmon. For the cheeses, I like to have both hard and soft such as brie, Irish Cheddar and Swiss especially!
Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing!
I love making these kinds of boards. Looks yummy!!
Thank you!
It’s one of my go to appy hour foods. I have to work on my pretty though. Pinning your’s for reference. A board as pretty as the Mevell would help UP my game in time for New Year’s Eve.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the step-by-step, pictures and ingredient suggestions! This will be my first time attempting a cheese board. It’s a feast for the eyes as well! Beautiful job!
Your guide to a complete Charcuterie Board and photos is the best! Thank you so much for sharing!
I have yet to make a charcuterie board yet, but after this post I am determined to give it a go! Looks tasty and beautiful at the same time.
Ever made a cheeseboard, but’s would to try yours!
I have only made one charcuterie board so far and I had alot of fun trying to be creative with it! I didn’t have a wood board -so I used a tray. I utilized decorative bowls and cups to make different levels for the meats, cheeses, fruits and nuts. It was a big hit that I plan on repeating on Christmas!