Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas

Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas will give you ideas on how to build the perfect platter for your next gathering or family meal.

“My last supper would be a charcuterie smorgasbord with every kind of meat, and sauces to dip them in.” –  Kelis

I just love charcuterie boards, there’s something so fun about have a little bit of everything to satisfy every craving in one sitting.  Salty, sweet, spicy and tart are all explosions of flavor that can be found in one spot.

They are the perfect way to throw something together for a gathering and it looks 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.

Of course, then I had to do the “research” and taste test some of the things I wrote about.

1) Charcuterie Board Meats 

This is where you start…with the good stuff.  Offer a variety in flavors and textures of different types of meat.

The best platters of meat have a little bit of every type of meat.

Cured hard sausages are perfect to add and having an array of flavors would satisfy any palate. (Thinly sliced or cubed)

Some of the meat 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.

2) Charcuterie Board Cheese

Homemade pimento cheese, basil marinated mozzarella, feta, Brie, Gruyere, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, chèvre, Phyllo baked brie, and Parmigiana-Reggiani are my top choices for cheese.

You can change up your charcuterie board with focusing on one country or state and showcasing their  top selling types of cheese.

Your board should have a variety of textures of cheese like hard, semi-soft and a creamy cheese.

3) Charcuterie Board Breads and Crackers 

Rustic baguette slices, crostini, grilled bread, pita chips, butter crackers with sea salt, toasted sourdough bread, and bread sticks are just some of the ideas you can use.

4) Charcuterie Board Fruit

Dried cherries, freshly cut apples, grapes, dried apricots, pomegranate jewels, cantaloupe, honeydew, fresh berries, and figs will give your board the sweetness your guests desire.

5) Charcuterie Board 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) Charcuterie Board 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 preservers, 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.  You can find the recipe here.  

The types of items you serve dictates your choice of dips and additions.  I always have the fig preserves on mine, I find the sweetness balances the saltiness of the other items.

7) Charcuterie Board 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 so amazing.

Tips for an amazing charcuterie board:

1) Pick out something fun for the board.  I love the rustic look, so vintage cutting boards are my personal favorite vehicles to stage your food.

You can also use granite, marble or slate as your base board.

2) Add sprigs of fresh herbs on the platter here and there for a nice touch.

3) Drizzle olive oil on hummus and add a few pine nuts to the top.

4) Use cute rustic serving bowls for the dips and sauces.

5) Make sure you make little signs for the food that describes each one so everyone knows what they’re tasting.

6) Have a variety of flavors on the platter, so all taste buds are happy!

7) Make sure you’re aware of any food allergies of your guests before the event.

8) When you go on vacation and you visit those quaint country stores, be on the lookout for jams, preserves, olives, etc. from the region so you can relive those happy memories and share them with your guests.

9) There’s so many different choices of items to put on your board, you wouldn’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.

10) If you’re hosting a small party, you can have your guests rate the cheese, meats and dips they’ve tried.

11) Prior to the event, check out local stores in your area to see if they have cheese and meat tastings to find the perfect selections for your board.

12) If you’re serving this board as an appetizer, have approximately 2-3 ounces of meat per person.  If it is served as a meal, 5-6 ounces of meat per person.

13) For a fun look, you can have multiple boards on different levels.

14) Have little clusters of items.  It makes the board more interesting.

15) Add pops of color on the board like pomagranate jewels, greens like pickles and purple grapes will add the wow to your arrangement.

16) A couple of blooms will also add some color that your guests will love.

17) Other charcuterie boards on Instagram had popcorn and pretzels.

18) Baked brie makes a stunning display.  This baked brie with cranberries, honey and walnuts would tempt anyone.

19) I attended an event once that had a charcuterie board on top of an old wine barrel.  It was the perfect way to display their masterpiece.

Here’s some ideas on Amazon that you can take a look at for making your own charcuterie board:  

1) 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 on Amazon.

2) Bamboo Wood Tray with 3 Ceramic Bowls and Cheese Makers 

3) Slate Cheese Board (you can write on them with chalk) 

4) Slate Cheese Markers (does it get any cuter than these?) 

5) Mrs Millers Fig Jam (Amish Made) – ok it can get cuter? 

We’ve reached the end of Easy Charcuterie Board Ideas.  I hope you enjoyed it!

Let me know in the comments below what your favorite things are to put on your charcuterie board.

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