When it comes to entertaining, there’s nothing quite so spectacularly beautiful and delicious as a Simple Charcuterie Board. Read on below for tons of easy charcuterie board ideas, plus tips and tricks to ensure your meat and cheese board appetizer is always brag-worthy.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The best thing about assembling a fancy charcuterie board is that there are literally hundreds (thousands? MILLIONS?) of flavor combinations to choose from. There’s really no “right” or “wrong” way to do it! A combination of cheeses, assortment of meats, fruits, jams and nuts - and all of a sudden you have the perfect charcuterie board or perfect appetizer.
Use this post as a general template to build your own magnificent meat and cheese platters that’ll wow your guests every time. Whether you’re making a small, simple charcuterie board for an impromptu girls’ night or a huge, on-theme smorgasbord for a large family gathering, an epic charcuterie board for a special occasion - the basic elements always remain the same.
Looking for more homemade inspiration for your boards? Add some labneh, blueberry goat cheese or whipped goat cheese to your boards or even homemade plum jam and strawberry rhubarb jam with the help of these recipes! Read on for plenty of the best charcuterie board ideas around!
❓ What Goes On A Charcuterie Board?
If you’re wondering what to put on a charcuterie board, the rule of thumb is: it’s up to you! There are tons of different combinations of tasty meats, cheeses, spreads, dips, and carbs to add to your appetizer platter.
Here’s a basic and easy charcuterie board grocery store list:
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit and Dried Fruits - This will depend on what is available. Apples, pears, plums, berries, figs, dates, red grapes, tomatoes, apricots, kiwis, mangoes, starfruit, dragon fruit, pomegranate seeds… the options here are endless. You can also opt for more savory pickled veggies if you prefer. Have fun with it!
- Cheeses - Choosing cheeses for your charcuterie board isn’t difficult. I typically suggest offering a minimum of 3 cheeses. You should have at least one soft cheese, one harder cheese, one mild cheese, and one sharper cheese. (Yes, I know that’s 4 cheese adjectives, but you could have a soft & mild cheese like brie cheese and a hard & sharp cheese like gorgonzola or blue cheese and still have one cheese spot left to fill!)
- Jams/Spreads - Don’t forget to add plenty of dips for your charcuterie board! Jams, jellies, and preserves are all natural pairs for most cheeses. I also love offering savory mustards and chutneys to balance out the sweetness. Spreads like hummus, lemon herb tahini dip, whipped cheese or pesto are also lovely additions.
- Bread/Crackers - Carbs are an important part of any meat and cheese platter. When choosing which bread and crackers for your charcuterie board, consider flavor, texture and color to help guide you. I love the pale color of water crackers, the golden sheen of butter crackers, and some deep, dark, seedy crackers to span the whole continuum. For bread, I suggest reaching for hearty artisan loaves with crackly crusts (homemade sourdough, anyone?) and some colorful stuffed breads like my pesto babka or baguette slices.
- Meats - If it’s smoked or preserved, it’s basically meant for a charcuterie board. Prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, smoked salmon, tinned fish, and deli meats are all welcome additions.
- Nuts - Don’t forget to add some crunch! Marcona almonds, halved pecans, sweet & spicy glazed mixed nuts, pistachios in their shell… Go for a wide variety for the most aesthetic presentation.
🛠️ Equipment
You don’t need much to assemble an Instagram-worthy charcuterie platter with a variety of flavors for a lot of people. Here’s what to grab:
- Large Serving Board - I use my wooden cutting board or a large board as the base for the majority of my charcuterie platters. Feel free to scale down to a pretty plate if you’re only making charcuterie for 2-3 people.
- Ramekins or Small Bowls - For corralling your different spreads, nuts, and smaller fruits.
- Cheese Knives - While not strictly necessary, they do look pretty fancy on a board. At the very least, make sure there is at least one piece of serving ware for each type of cheese.
- Mini Spoons & Forks - Great options for dishing out all the goodies.
- Appetizer Plates - So everyone can pick at leisure without hovering over your charcuterie genius. (They still might hover, but not because they have to 🤤)
📖 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep. Thoroughly wash all produce under running water and cut/prepare as needed.
Step 2: Start Assembling. Assemble your charcuterie board starting with your ramekins of nuts, jams & spreads, and larger items like various cheeses and fruits.
Step 3: Fill In The Empty Spaces. Fold and layer the array of meats, fan out crackers and add any additional fruits into the corners of your board without ingredients.
Step 4: Enjoy. Serve with the beverages and friends of your choosing. Cheers!
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
A charcuterie board theme might sound bougie as all get out, but don’t scoff just yet. Maybe you want a Halloween meat and cheese platter or a Christmas charcuterie board to tie in whatever holiday you’re celebrating.
No matter what the occasion, I’ve assembled my best simple charcuterie board ideas for you below:
- Choose flavors (or colors) that coincide with your theme. For example, white goat cheese, white cheddar, and mostly white bleu cheese can be paired with cherry tomatoes and some sort of green sauce (e.g. pesto) for Christmas. Orange cheeses like cheddar, gouda, pickled garlic and port salut can be paired with purple grapes for fall charcuterie boards. Lighter, brighter flavors like strawberries, dill, or lemon should make their way onto an Easter charcuterie board.
- Cut the fruit, cheese, and/or meat into seasonal shapes using cookie cutters. Trees and snowmen for winter holidays, stars for the 4th of July, ghosts and witch hats for Halloween… you get the idea! If you’re amazing with a knife, check out this video for some serious fruit and veggie inspiration.
- Go vegan. Opt for an assortment of dairy-free cheeses and vegan salumi to make a vegan-friendly charcuterie board.
- Breakfast Charcuterie Board - Swap out the crackers for breakfast pastries like mini croissants, brioche toast points, and mini scones. Instead of salami, offer candied bacon and sliced sausage links. Add clotted cream and several fruit spreads like homemade curd and different jellies to choose from based on the number of people in attendance.
- Dessert Charcuterie Board - Omit the meat entirely and go for a post-dinner inspired cheese board. Raid your closest Trader Joe’s for salted chocolate-covered almonds, pistachio toffee, honeycomb candy, and shortbread cookies - all your favorite things. Opt for sweeter cheeses like ricotta, blueberry goat cheese, brie, and havarti to pair with fruit spreads and honey.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Making a Pinterest-worthy charcuterie board isn’t difficult, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Odd beats even. I don’t know why, but 3 flowers in a vase looks better than 2 or 4. The same rules apply to your appetizer platter! Try to use odd numbers when it comes tomeats and variety of cheeses, or break them into groups of an odd number of slices.
- Texture and color are your friends. To keep things from looking too “one-note” be sure to introduce lots of contrast. Alternatively, stick in a color family for a stunning presentation.
- Stems are beautiful! Cherry tomatoes and grapes on the vine add dramatic movement to your board (plus they minimize your prep).
- Clean out the pantry & fridge. I don’t know about you, but I have a wicked penchant for buying cool looking condiments. Put them all to good use by peppering small ramekins of them across your cheese board.
- Introduce movement. Fanning out cheese slices, meat slices, favorite fruits or crackers helps draw your eye around the board.
- Fill in the blanks. Bountiful = Beautiful, so make sure you do whatever you can to make the charcuterie board totally full. Sprigs of herbs, edible flowers, a sprinkle of nuts… use it all to your advantage! The perfect charcuterie board is based on number of guests and personal preference so it’s up to you!
💭 Recipe FAQs
It comes from French and can literally be translated to “pork-butcher’s shop.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: taste is totally subjective. The “best” jam to me might be your least favorite jam of all time! That said, I think it’s pretty hard to come up with a “bad” jam or jelly for pairing with meat, cheese, and fruit. I love adding fig jam, raspberry jam, and plum jam in particular!
Fig spread is always a hit, as is bacon onion jam when I use it. Aside from that, I say choose jams and jellies that reflect the season or that match your theme. Or throw all caution to the wind and just use what you think tastes good at your next party!
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
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Easy Charcuterie Board 101
Equipment
- Large Serving Board
- Ramekins or Small Bowls
- Cheese Knives
- Mini Spoons & Forks
- Appetizer Plates
Ingredients
- 3 cups Seasonal Fresh and Dried Fruits
- ¼ cup Nuts
- 12 oz Cheeses
- ½ cup Jams/Spreads
- 12 oz Bread/Crackers
- 6 oz Meats
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash all produce under running water and prepare as needed.3 cups Seasonal Fresh and Dried Fruits
- Assemble your charcuterie board starting with your ramekins of nuts, jams & spreads and larger items like cheeses and fruits.½ cup Jams/Spreads, ¼ cup Nuts, 12 oz Cheeses
- In the empty spaces of your board, fold and layer meats, fan out crackers and add any additional fruits into the corners of your board without ingredients.12 oz Bread/Crackers, 6 oz Meats
- Serve with the beverages of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
- Making a Pinterest-worthy charcuterie board isn’t difficult, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Odd beats even. I don’t know why, but 3 flowers in a vase looks better than 2 or 4. The same rules apply to your appetizer platter! Try to use odd numbers when it comes tomeats and variety of cheeses, or break them into groups of an odd number of slices.
- Texture and color are your friends. To keep things from looking too “one-note” be sure to introduce lots of contrast. Alternatively, stick in a color family for a stunning presentation.
- Stems are beautiful! Cherry tomatoes and grapes on the vine add dramatic movement to your board (plus they minimize your prep).
- Clean out the pantry & fridge. I don’t know about you, but I have a wicked penchant for buying cool looking condiments. Put them all to good use by peppering small ramekins of them across your cheese board.
- Introduce movement. Fanning out cheese slices, meat slices, favorite fruits or crackers helps draw your eye around the board.
- Fill in the blanks. Bountiful = Beautiful, so make sure you do whatever you can to make the charcuterie board totally full. Sprigs of herbs, edible flowers, a sprinkle of nuts… use it all to your advantage! The perfect charcuterie board is based on number of guests and personal preference so it’s up to you!
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