Name: Charcuterie Board
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: Prosciutto; Salami and Pepperoni wrapped cheese; Blue Cheese; Smoked Gouda; Goat cheese varieties; Fontina cheese; Ritz crackers (toasted nut crackers, garlic toasted french rounds); Dried mixed fruit and nut mix; Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries); Grapes; Little cutie oranges; Green and black olives; Pickles - spicy and sweet; Spreads - Raspberry chipotle (maple bacon chutney); Cheese dips (2 varieties); Chocolates

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If you love having fun serving guests then you’ll have fun building your own easy and customizable Charcuterie Board! Perfect for any holiday or party.

Charcuterie Boards are one of my favorite things when going to parties, not a lot of people do them, but when they have them I’m almost running over to it.

I love that you can really put anything you want on these boards and pick and choose what you like to complement one another.

This isn’t your typical recipe post, but a post where you can build something for your family or guests and how we like to do it and what we have done!

There is no right on wrong when it comes to a Charcuterie Board! You can be as crazy or simple as you’d like, you just need to have fun with it.

WHY THIS WORKS:

You can have as big a board or as small a board that you’d like.
Multiple different kinds of food items can be added.
This can serve multiple people and be reloaded at any time.

WHAT IS A CHARCUTERIE BOARD?

A Charcuterie Board is a platter of cured meats, but it doesn’t stop there. Cheese and fruit, crackers and chocolates all fill the charcuterie platters.

They are so versatile and can be made to fit any occasion. You can make a small platter for two or one that can serve a crowd.

They can be made very affordably or you can be extravagant. They can be show stoppers or simple platters. No need to be a great cook with a charcuterie board, just have fun.

WHAT DO I NEED?

Here are some great ideas, but choose your favorites, or ask your guests for some of theirs. Some people love blue cheese while others hate it. Some people prefer cured meats, others like jams and crackers.

Here’s a list of ideas:

Meats
Cheeses
Nuts
Jams or Jellies
Crackers and Toasts
Dried or Fresh fruit
Vegetables
Olives
Pickles
Dips

Just look at that spread, you have a great mixture of fruits, cheeses, candies, crackers, dips, etc. You really can’t go wrong with a bunch of different items to please your guests.

Like I said before, be creative and just go with things that complement each other, make the colors pop, and are eye-catching! There really is no right or wrong for a Charcuterie Board!

HOW TO MAKE A CHARCUTERIE BOARD:

Start by choosing your theme. You might choose to use bowls shaped like hearts for Valentines, or want to cut cheese in the shape of a Christmas tree or a football. You may want to make this the center of the board and work outwards.
Place items that should be served in bowls on the tray. Items may include jams, olives, cheese dips, and olives. Place these in separate parts of the board.
Place the meat either in piles or rows in groups around the board.
Place the cheese in places where there are larger gaps to fill in spots.
Next, add the bread and crackers in nice rows or stacks.
Fill in “holes” with fruit, nuts, chocolates and pickles.
It is ok if things are spilling off the board, it just makes it look all the more inviting.
Look over the board and see if there are any spots that need to be filled in.
Serve with some nice wine or your favorite beverage.

See once you see it in person and it comes to life it doesn’t seem so hard! You just fill in the gaps with other things, no different than making a plated meal or a large dinner.

You want to fill in the gaps with different items so people have options to choose from and really enjoy! The items on this Charcuterie Board are some of my favorites.

I really do also love a sweet Charcuterie Board as well as they are fun and perfect for the holidays like valentines or Christmas where you can use more baked goods.

WHAT MEATS AND CHEESE SHOULD I USE?

MEATS:

Some popular meat choices:

Prosciutto – it’s usually sliced paper-thin and sticks together, so separating it and rolling or folding it is a good option.
Salami – is a popular choice. You can have it sliced or slice it yourself and depending on how thick, you can fold it or place some in “rows” on the board.
Pepperoni – you can usually find this in larger sizes, precut pretty thin and can fold or roll this to serve.
Ham – you can get some really nice flavored ham and for a variety, cube it or have it sliced thin.
Meat sticks – you can find a variety of meat sticks to add to your board.
Smoked beef – this adds a nice change to the board!
Pâté – these can be a really nice addition and you can find a variety of choices at some nice grocery stores.

CHEESE:

Brie – this is a very soft cheese. You can cut a shape out of the top rind for added design to the board. Serve it sliced or whole with a serving knife.
Swiss cheese – there are many different varieties, some great ones are Jarlsberg, regular Swiss, Lacy Lite.
Smoked Gouda – this is a delicious smoky cheese that is great to serve cubed or sliced.
Blue cheese – choose a mild or strong version, for color French Roquefort or English Blue Stilton are great choices.
Havarti – this is a semi-soft cheese and best served in slices.
Goat cheese – this is one of my personal favorites and you can find it in a variety of flavors from savory to sweet.
Fresh mozzarella – this adds some light to your board as well as being a nice mild cheese.
Cream cheese, you can serve this on a plate with a spicy jam poured over it.

WHAT ARE SOME COMPLEMENTARY ITEMS TO FINISH OFF MY BOARD?

Breads and Crackers – choose a variety of buttery crackers, multigrain, hard bread sticks or pretzels, and toasted French bread rounds.
Jams and Jellies – it’s fun to add some spicy varieties or bacon jams. While you may not normally choose to eat this kind of jam, it is really exceptional with cheese and meat.
Fruit – grapes, orange slices, sliced apples, berries of all kinds are all great to add to a platter.
Pickles and olives – choose varieties you wouldn’t normally choose, some sliced, some whole, sweet, spicy, sour, green, black, with garlic or pimentos, there are so many fun ones to choose from.
Nuts and dried fruits – Dried fruit add another layer of intrigue to a platter, and nuts of all kinds from spicy to smokey are a great addition.
Spreads and dips – whole seed old-fashioned mustard, spicy mustard, savory dips and horseradish are all great to add as well.
Chocolates – it’s always fun to include something sweet and there are lots of varieties of chocolates from truffles to orange-flavored bars as well as spicy varieties.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Set your bowls on first, and spread them out so they aren’t too close together. Also, have some nice serving ware for the dips and little tongs or forks for the meats and olives.
Spread the meats and the cheese out. Make little piles or rows of meats in different spots on the board. Do this with the cheeses as well.
Add some color to the board. Fruit is a wonderful way to do this. Red raspberries, green grapes, and oranges along with some mint or basil leaves are great colors to add.
Use small items to fill in gaps. Nuts, chocolates, pickles are great for filling in spots.
You can use any size board you’d like, larger or smaller depending on how many you are serving!

If you want a fun party idea then you HAVE to make this easy and absolutely delicious Charcuterie board, let your mind get creative and have fun!

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If you’ve tried this CHARCUTERIE BOARD let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!

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