The BEST Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas
The BEST Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas will give you ideas on how to build the perfect platter for your next gathering or family meal. Meat and cheese platters make special occasions easy to host.
Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas
If you’re looking for more delicious recipe ideas, Slow Cooker Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Meatballs and The Best Cheese Fondue Recipe are crowd-pleasers.
I love easy charcuterie boards, and there’s something so fun about having a little bit of everything to satisfy every craving in one sitting. Salty, sweet, spicy, and tart are all explosions of flavor that you can find in one spot.
Charcuterie boards are the perfect way to throw something together for a gathering, and they look like you went to a lot of trouble. Everyone loves them!
I wrote a blog post on Hygge Family Dinner Traditions to Start Tonight, and one of the things I mentioned was occasionally putting together a charcuterie board instead of dinner.
Finding out what works best on your easy charcuterie board menu comes down to personal preference. This post will inspire you to find ideas that work for you.
How Much Food Should You Plan for Your Board?
As a general rule of thumb, if you are serving a charcuterie board and other food, you should plan on having 2-3 ounces per person. If the charcuterie board is the main meal, 5-6 ounces of food should be enough.
A charcuterie board makes the perfect appetizer or main meal for any gathering. The first thing to do is determine the number of guests eating.
The number of people will determine how large your charcuterie board will be or if you need multiple boards to display all the food. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Will you need a small, medium, or large board to hold all your food?
- You might need small bowls to hold some food items. Do you have enough room to place them on your board?
- Would you rather do several small charcuterie boards or one epic charcuterie board?
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1. Charcuterie Meats
An array of meats is the perfect place to start with your charcuterie board. Offer a variety of flavors and different textures of meat to satisfy all your guests.
Cured hard sausages are just some meats you can include on your platter. (Thinly sliced or cubed.)
You can choose from are Italian dry salami, Capocollo, Chorizo, Diced Pancetta, Genoa salami, Mortadella, pepperoni, Serrano ham, prosciutto, pork and beef summer sausage, Country ham, and Sopressata.
Some of these meat selections can be found at the deli meat counter in your local grocery store.
2. Charcuterie Cheese Ideas
Serve a Variety of Cheeses
A delicious cheese board offers various cheeses for your guests to choose from. Plan on at least three different kinds of cheeses with multiple flavors and textures on your platter. You can have cheese slices, cubes, wedges, and spreadable cheeses.
You should keep mild and robust cheeses apart so the odors and flavors don’t mix. Adding an herb sprig like rosemary or thyme to the serving board will help offset the odor of strong cheese.
If the cheese is left out at room temperature for too long, it will “sweat” and become dry. Only take the combination of cheeses you think will be eaten within two hours of the guests arriving.
Your board should have a variety of cheese textures, such as hard, semi-soft, and creamy cheese made with different milks.
Hard Cheese
Gruyere, cheddar cheese, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiana-Reggiani are my top choices for firm cheese.
Semi-Soft Cheese
My favorite semi-soft cheese ideas are homemade basil-marinated fresh mozzarella, Stilton, provolone, Gouda, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort.
Soft Cheese
Some soft cheese choices are homemade pimento cheese, feta (goat cheese), phyllo baked brie, and chèvre.
You can change up your charcuterie board by focusing on one country or state and showcasing its top-selling types of cheese.
Cheese Knives
Different knives go with various kinds of cheese. For example, a simple butter knife or dinner knife will work if your board has soft cheese displayed. A paring knife or fork-tip knife is the perfect choice for semi-soft cheese, and a Scandinavian cheese slicer and server is excellent for hard cheese.
3. Breads and Crackers
Rustic baguette slices, crostini, grilled bread, pita chips, butter crackers with sea salt, toasted sourdough bread, and breadsticks are just some of the ideas you can use.
4. Fresh Fruit & Dried Fruits
Dried cherries, freshly cut apples, grapes, dried apricots, pomegranate jewels, cantaloupe, honeydew, fresh berries, and figs are some of the favorite fruits served. They will give your charcuterie board the sweetness your guests desire.
5. Vegetables
Roasted tomatoes, pickled green beans, antipasto vegetables, pickled red onions, sliced cucumber, marinated artichoke hearts, homemade market pickles, marinated mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed hot peppers, and Italian roasted red peppers will please any palate.
6. Dips and Sauces
Whole grain mustard, wildflower honey, chutney, peppered-apple jelly, pepper jelly, creamy hummus, homemade chutney, seasonal jam, pesto, tomato jam, apricot and cherry preserves, sweet and brown mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fig spread are some of the possibilities to include in your board.
One of my favorite recipes to make is my Homemade Olive Tapenade.
The types of items you serve dictate your choice of dips and additions. I always have fig preserves on mine; the sweetness balances the saltiness of the other items.
7. Easy Additions
Marcona almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, green and black olives, olive oil, and chocolate bark are just some of the additions you might want to include.
If you’ve never had Marcona almonds, get some. They are amazing.
Tips for Making Charcuterie Boards
- Pick out something fun for the board. I love the rustic look, so vintage cutting boards are my favorite vehicle for staging food. You can also use granite, marble, or slate as your base board.
- Add sprigs of fresh herbs on the platter here and there for a nice touch.
- Drizzle olive oil on hummus and add a few pine nuts to the top.
- Use cute rustic serving bowls for the dips and sauces.
- Make sure you make little signs describing each food item so everyone knows what they’re tasting.
- Have a variety of flavors on the platter, so all taste buds are happy!
- Make sure you’re aware of any food allergies of your guests before the event.
- When you go on vacation and visit those quaint country stores, look for jams, preserves, olives, etc., from the region to relive those happy memories and share them with your guests.
- There are so many different choices of items to put on your board; you won’t believe it! Take olives, for instance; you can have jalapeño stuffed olives, garlic stuffed olives, anchovy stuffed olives, almond stuffed olives, blue cheese stuffed olives, cream cheese stuffed olives, and Kalamata olives.
- If you’re hosting a small party, you can have your guests rate the cheese, meats, and dips they’ve tried.
- Before the event, check out local stores in your area to see if they have cheese and meat tastings so you can make the perfect selections for your board.
- You can make salami roses to add a touch of beauty to your easy charcuterie board.
- If you’re serving this board as an appetizer, have approximately 2-3 ounces of meat products per person. If it is served as a meal, 5-6 ounces of meat per person.
- For a fun look, you can have multiple boards on different levels.
- Have little clusters of items. It makes the board more interesting.
- Adding pops of color on the board, like pomegranate jewels, greens like pickles, and purple grapes will wow your arrangement.
- A couple of blooms will also add color that your guests will love.
- Other charcuterie boards on Instagram had popcorn and pretzels.
- Baked brie makes a stunning display. This baked brie with cranberries, honey, and walnuts would tempt anyone.
- I once attended an event with a charcuterie board over an old wine barrel. It was the perfect way to display their masterpiece.
- After the party, place the leftovers in airtight containers and eat within three days.
Products for Making DIY Charcuterie Boards
- Olive Wood Serving Board – I don’t know if you know anything about olive wood, but it is amazing. I love the multitude of patterns. It’s simply stunning. Click on the title to take a closer peek at Amazon.
- Bamboo Wood Tray with 3 Ceramic Bowls and Cheese Makers – This is a simple way to serve a charcuterie board with just a few people. The ceramic bowls stay secure in their holes.
- Slate Cheese Board (You can write on them with chalk) – Writing on a slate cheese board is a great way to personalize your party and let guests know what they are taste-testing.
- Slate Cheese Markers (does it get any cuter than these?) – When you have a variety of cheese to serve, make sure you have slate cheese markers on hand to mark them.
- Mrs. Millers Fig Jam (Amish Made) – Fig jam is amazing. Add it to cheese and crackers for a fantastic appetizer.
A Christmas-themed charcuterie board is a wonderful way to add festive cheer to your holiday gatherings.
Filled with an assortment of seasonal flavors, you can create a visually stunning spread with items like rosemary sprigs for a touch of green, red grapes, cranberries, or pomegranate seeds for pops of holiday red, and soft cheeses shaped like Christmas trees or wreaths.
Sliced meats, crackers, and a few sweet treats like peppermint bark or sugar-dusted cookies will capture the sprit of the season. It’s the perfect blend of savory and sweet, with a dash of Christmas magic!
A Thanksgiving charcuterie board is a perfect way to kick off your holiday feast or a light festive appetizer before the big meal.
Incorporate autumn flavors like smoked meats, sharp cheeses, roasted nuts, and seasonal fruits such as figs, apples, and dried cranberries. Add a rustic touch with crackers, slices of warm bread, and spreads like pumpkin butter or cranberry chutney. Garnish with rosemary or sage for a cozy fall vibe.
A Valentine’s Day charcuterie board is the perfect way to add a touch of romance to your celebration. Filled with heart-shaped cheeses, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and an assortment of sweet and savory bites, it’s a fun and indulgent treat for two.
We’ve reached the end of Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas. I hope you enjoyed it.
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