Patricia @ ButterYum
First let me start by saying the term charcuterie board is a bit of a misnomer because most people think charcuterie is the French name for a meat and cheese board. In actuality, a traditional charcuterie board is all about the meat… cured meats, aged meats, pates, and the like… served with nothing more than a sliced baguette, maybe a little pot of mustard, and possibly some cornichon (little French pickles). With that said, we’ll join the current trend and add things like cheese and fruit to our charcuterie board.
Your board can be a simple of complex as you like. It can also be as inexpensive or luxurious as your budget allows. For a well-balanced board, I like to serve a variety of items from the following categories: meat, cheese, sweet, savory, crunchy, and brined (see suggestions below).
Personally, I think the board looks best when individual items are placed in groups rather than spread out all over the place. I also try to vary ingredients so that there’s a nice disbursem*nt of colors and shapes throughout the board (example: try to avoid placing red tomatoes next to red strawberries, or green grapes next to green olives).
I like to begin arranging my boards with the cheese first, and I follow the design rule of odds (3, 5, or 7 cheese selections, depending on the size of your board). Space the cheeses apart equally on your board, followed by the meats, then fill in the remaining empty spaces with fruits, nuts, crackers, etc. Add some finishing touches like a drizzle of honey over cheddar or bleu cheese, or top goat or cream cheese with jam or preserves.
My motto when arranging a board is to make it perfectly imperfect so try not to overthink it. Trust me, whatever you include on your board, and however your choose to arrange it, your guests are going to love it.
Helpful Tips
As a general rule, plan on serving 2-3 ounces of meat and 2-3 ounces of cheese per person as an appetizer (double for an entree).
Plan to include items of differing heights (tall glass for cheese straws or breadsticks, small bowls for olives or nuts, little jars for jam or honey, etc).
Except for the cheese, which can be placed on the board in large wedges or rounds, items should be ready to eat (fruit sliced, nuts shelled, etc).
For maximum flavor, items should be served at room temperature.
Stumped on what kinds of cheese to serve? There’s no set rule here - just try to have fun making your selections. Here are some suggestions:
something from a cow, something from a sheep, and something from a goat
something white, something yellow, and something orange
something round, something wedged, and something cylindrical
something shaved, something crumbled, something sliced
something semi-soft, something hard, and something spreadable
something stinky, something salty, and something buttery
and so on…
And lastly, here’s a list of suggested items to get you started. This list is by no means conclusive. There are so many more options out there. Just have fun and enjoy the process.
hard salami / sopressata
ham / capicola (spicy ham)
summer sausage
mortadella
roast beef
terrines / pates
hard and semi-hard cheeses - part, pecorino, grand padano, cheddar, gruyere, manchego, etc.
soft cheeses - brie, camembert, chèvre, Boursin, bocconcini (mozzarella pearls), neufchâtel, goat cheese, cream cheese, etc.
stinky/funky cheeses - bleu, gorgonzola, roquefort, limburger, taleggio, etc.
fresh berries
grapes cut into small clusters
dried fruit (figs, mango, apricots, dates, etc)
jam / preserves / compotes
grape / cherry tomatoes
chocolate (yes, chocolate!)
gherkins / cornichons (baby pickles)
dips / spreads / hummus
chutney / relish / hot pepper jelly
mixed nuts (ready to serve)
pretzel thins
grissini (thin, Italian breadsticks)
crostini (toasted slices of baguette)
small forks / spoons
tall glass (for grissini or cheese straws)
brie: honey, candied nuts
sharp cheddar: honey, cured meats, sliced apples / pears
cream cheese: top with fruit preserves, hot pepper jelly
gorgonzola: nutella (a popular combination in Italy)
parmesan: prosciutto, figs
asiago: sesame sticks
swiss: green olives
gouda: salami, pecans, dried apricots, cherries, green olives
bleu cheese: cashews, figs
emmental: cornichons
havarti: sopressata
manchego: spanish chorizo
cheddar: cranberry relish, apples, dried apricots
feta: kalamata olives, pears
categories appetizer recipes, misc
tags appetizer recipes, misc recipes
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