How to make a Simple Charcuterie Board

Learn how to make a simple Charcuterie Board, a beautiful assortment of cured meats, cheese, crackers, spreads, fruit and nuts that perfectly complement each other. It will be a great appetizer for just about any occasion.

If you are hosting a party or a big family dinner and don’t know what to serve for an appetizer, make this simple Charcuterie Board! This is an assortment of all the delicious meats, cheese, crackers, spreads, fruit and nuts that everyone will enjoy.

The best part of the Charcuterie Board is there are no limits to the possible variations! Just by switching a few ingredients or adding some seasonal components, you can create so many new flavors!

What is a Charcuterie Board?

The word Charcuterie (pronounced as [shahr-ku-tuh-ree]) originated in France and translates as “pork-butcher shop”. Today, it’s mostly known as an art of assembling and preparing cured meats; not only the pork, but also ham, sausage, bacon, and other varieties.

The term Charcuterie Board (now also called a Cheese Board) became very popular all over the word and now involves not only arrangement of meats but also an assortment of cheeses, fruit and nuts, artisan breads, spreads, and etc.

Tools for making a Cheese Board

• Serving Board. You can use pretty much any large cutting board, serving platter, or even a rimmed baking sheet.
• Cheese Knives. I love using a variety of cheese serving knives that can be used for different type of cheeses. Also, you can use some small sized forks and spoons for spreads and pickles.
• Ramekins. Small dishes or ramekins will work well for jams, spreads, olives, and pickles.

How to make a Simple Charcuterie Board

There are no strict rules on how to assemble the board, you can really use pretty much any ingredients that you would like to serve. Although, when it comes to a classic presentation, there are a few components that you will usually find on a serving platter.

What typically goes on a charcuterie board

1. Meats
2. Cheese
3. Artisan Bread
4. Spreads
5. Fruit and Nuts

Meats

Depending on the size of the party, I usually serve 3-4 types of cured meats. Try to choose different varieties, so everyone can find something they like. I always buy prosciutto and salami, and then add 1-2 more items, based on what is celebrated.

Here are a few ideas of what you can serve:

• Salami
• Prosciutto
• Pepperoni
• Spanish Chorizo
• Candied Bacon
• Sliced deli ham

Pro Tip: To make the meats look pretty, I like to fold them in ribbons. You can use some toothpicks to help them to hold the shape.

Cheese

When it comes to cheeses, I also like to use 3-4 types of cheese with different texture and shapes, from creamy and spreadable to hard ones. This way you can have them spread on crackers or slice them in cubes or triangles for visual effect. You can also add some flavored cheeses, like with added herbs or dried fruit, smoked, spicy, etc. Make sure they all can pair with other ingredients.

Here are a few of my favorite types of cheeses that I love to serve of a cheese board.

• Soft Cheeses: Brie, Camembert, Boursin, goat cheese, Ricotta, Feta, cottage cheese, blue cheese.
• Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Gruyere, Parmigano, Pecorino, Gouda, Colby

Bread and Crackers

Like with meat and cheese, I like to offer at least 2 varieties of bread or crackers. The traditional water crackers are always popular in our family. In addition to it, I like to serve some flavored crackers or other types of bread.

• Crackers
• Pretzels
• Crostini
• Sliced baguette

Spreads

A great way to add more flavor to the board is to have some spreads. They are easy to serve and everyone loves them. Here are a few ideas:

• Jams
• Preserves
• Honey
• Dips
• Pesto
• Hummus

I also love preparing my Mango Avocado Salsa, Best Tzatziki Recipe, or Simple Guacamole Recipe if I have a bigger crowd.

I good balsamic vinegar will be a great addition to the board. My favorite one is True Balsamic, that is made in Italy and aged anywhere from 12-40 years. It has beautiful complex flavors and thanks to a thicker consistency, it’s easier to serve it with cheese and meats.

Fruit and Nuts

I like to use a combination of fresh and dried fruit and berries in addition to the nuts.

• Nuts: Pistachios, almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews
• Dried Fruit and berries: apricots, cranberries, mango, dates
• Fresh fruit and berries: grapes, strawberries, figs, cherries, blueberries, blackberries

Make it in 3 simple steps

1. Start with the anchors. I love to start with arranging the largest items on the board. Whether it’s larger pieces of cheese or a bowl/ramekin with spreads/olives/nuts, it will be easier to evenly distribute “heavy” items first.
2. Build around. After the bigger items are set, you can arrange medium size items, like meats, sliced cheese, and crackers.
3. Add the finishing touches. I like to finish the board with adding fresh fruit, berries, or maybe some sliced vegetables.

Tips for Best Results

• Create a theme. Before going to the store and buying all the ingredients, think about the theme. Are you making this board for a specific holiday? What flavors do you want to focus on? How are you going to serve it? I like to have an idea of theme and flavor combination, so I can have a list of all the ingredients to buy.
• Shop your pantry/refrigerator first! Before you go to the food store, check what you already have in the fridge and pantry. I can bet you already have some good jams, olives, pesto, or nuts that you can use on the charcuterie board.
• Create more color and texture. When creating a list of ingredients, imagine how you will arrange it on the serving board and how it will look. Make sure you use different colors and textures to complement each other.
• It’s all about balance. If you have a lot of rich meats and cheeses, add some fresh fruit or berries to the board to lighten it up. If you serve some olives or pickles, you might want to add a small bowl of sweet jam spread to balance it out.
• Sizing. Depending on the size of your party, I usually like to buy 3-4 types of meats and cheeses, or 2-3 types for a small group.

Frequently Asked Questions

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