Charcuterie Board

This Charcuterie Board is the perfect party solution! Meats, cheeses, fruits, and crackers, all arranged for a beautiful spread. It feeds a crowd, looks impressive, and requires zero cooking.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

Cheeses

8 ounces Soft cheeses: Brie, Garlic cheese spread
8 ounces Semi-soft cheese: Swiss
8 ounces Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Gruyere

Spreads

2 ounces Honey
2 ounces Raspberry jam

Meats

4 ounces Deli meats: smoked ham
4 ounces Cured meats: Salami, Proscuitto, Sausage
4 ounces Other meats: Smoked salmon

Crackers & Bread

12 ounces Water crackers, Triscuits, Crostini, etc.

Fruits

1 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 pound Grapes red and green
1 cup Dried apricots

Pickles

½ cup Black olives
½ cup Green olives
2 ounces Gherkins

Nuts & Extras

½ cup Toasted Pecans
¼ cup Pistachios

Garnishes

Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and parsley for garnish

Instructions

Start With Cheese and Bowls

Your cheeses are your anchors. Space them out around the board first.
Next, add anything in bowls like spreads, jams, olives, pickles, and mustards. Be sure to space these out too. I like to create three spots on the board for the cheeses/bowls and then fan everything out from those spots.

Add The Meats

Fold or fan your meats to make them look fancy.
You can fold salami into quarters, fan out prosciutto in ruffled waves, roll soppressata into cylinders, stand up sausage slices in rows, or make salami flowers.
Group meats near cheeses they pair well with.

Place The Crackers

Space out different types around the board. Place them near their intended cheese or meat pairings.

Fill In The Gaps

Add colorful fruits, nuts, and smaller items in empty spaces. This is a time to work with colors and textures.
For example: Place bright red strawberries next to white cheese, dark olives near light crackers, and use green grapes to break up the different meat sections.

Garnish

Tuck fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley) in transition spaces. It breaks up items with similar colors and textures.
They create barriers between wet pickles and dry crackers to keep everything fresh.

Add Utensils and Serving Items

Don't forget the tools your guests will need to grab their favorite items. You will mostly likely need the following:
Small knives for cutting hard cheeses, Spreaders for soft cheeses and jams, Small spoons for mustards and spreads, Toothpicks or tongs for olives and cheese cubes, Small forks for pickles
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Things to AVOID

Overcrowding or stacking items: Guests need space to grab things without disturbing other items. Stacking makes it hard to access items underneath.
Serving foods with pits, large seeds, or shells: Nobody wants to figure out where to put olive pits, inedible seeds, or nut shells at a party. Remove them first or use pitted/shelled items.
Grouping strong cheeses next to mild ones: Blue cheese next to mild brie? The strong flavor will overpower. Space them apart for best results.
Including items that are too wet or watery: Drain items and pat them dry. I’m talking about fresh mozzarella balls, sliced tomatoes, extra juicy fruit, etc. They can make things soggy.
Putting everything in bowls: Too many bowls makes it look like a condiment stand. Use bowls only for wet items (olives, pickles, spreads).
Using low quality foods: Cheap processed cheese, mystery meat logs, or stale crackers. Your board deserves better and so do your guests. You can find quality items even on a budget.
Using pre-cut cheese slices: It dries out quickly and looks sad. Buy it in blocks. You can cut it fresh into cubes, slices, triangles, or different shapes for your occasion.

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