Simple ways to make a charcuterie board for any occasion!
The joke is that Millennials grew up on lunchables so that is why they love making charcuterie boards. Honestly, how genius! These are easy to take to any gathering and perfect for the holidays arriving quickly!
Steps to make a board:
1. A cutting board or tray can be used to host the items. I personally have three different items – a serving tray, board made for charcuterie (opens with cheese knives), and a rustic wooden cutting board. You only need one but there’s lots of options out there!
All of mine + on my list are linked below.
2. A variety of cheese – you want to include soft, semi-soft, and hard cheese. Cheese knives will be wanted for these.
3. A curated selection of meats – prosciutto being a popular choice.
4. Add condiments – that way guests can build items together
5. Crackers and bread – this is the base for when guests try the cheese & meats
6. Fill gaps with olives, pickles, fruit, nuts (if no allergies), grapes, etc. These add color to the board and a different taste.
7. Add fun items! During Christmas, I’ll use Christmas bowls to hold items or add garnish. Halloween included plastic spiders + pumpkin spice rolled wafers.
Top items to put on charcuterie boards:
• variety of cheese
• variety of meats
• nuts (I stay away from this if I do not know everyone – for allergy reasons)
• olives
• fresh & dried fruits
• veggies
• mustards, sauces, honey, jams
• crackers & bread
• pickled veggies
One of my favorite add on for smaller gatherings is cucumber with cream cheese and smoked salmon on top.
Prosciutto is a big hit when it comes to meats. The cheese that usually gets the best response from the boards I make is Havarti and goat cheese.
Spreads are nice for guests to put on bread or crackers. Blue cheese is a hit or miss and jalapeños add a spicy touch!
Easy pool time snack – This one was simple and for just the three of us! We all enjoy snacking so at least this way it can be healthy.
There’s even a fun way to enjoy a s’mores creative board! Even though it is technically not charcuterie, it is a great way to add a variety to s’mores night. All of your chocolate – candy favorites can be added to a board with a mixture of fruit, and marshmallows!
The best part about charcuterie boards is they can be as creative or as simple as you’d like! The secret is to try to keep a variety so everyone can find something to taste, and have fun making them!
Tag me in your favorite creative boards you make! I would love to see them!