Easy Charcuterie Board? Sound impossible? Come along with me and let’s do a Beginner’s Charcuterie Board. We’ve all seen them and wondered “How do they do it?” Exotic foods piled high with just the right combination of colors and textures. They’re all the rage right now and I’d love to be able to duplicate them. Well let’s try to get started and get our feet wet with some basic steps in creating an epic charcuterie board.
Okay, where do we start. Basic questions: how do I know how much meat to buy. Then what kind and how much cheese? What kind of arrangement do I use to make it look good enough to eat. Let’s get started on finding the answers to these questions.
Where to begin? Start here to build your first charcuterie board.
How much per person?
- Meats – mix it up with mild to spicy; 2-3 types
- Cheese – again mix it up soft/hard, mild/sharp flavors; again 2-3 kinds
- Seasonal fruits, mix fresh and dried. You guessed it! 2-3 types
- 2-3 types of spreads – mix sweet and salty
- Crackers and/or bread – 2-3 types
- Use 1-2 extras to fill in/garnish your board – chocolate, nuts, fresh herbs, flowers
An easy rule of thumb is to allow per person:
- 3-4 slices of meat in a variety of flavors and textures.
- 1-2 ounces of cheese in a variety of flavors and textures.
Best meats to use
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Capicola
- Sopressata
- Calabrese
- Pepperoni
- Chorizo
- Bacon
Best cheeses for a charcuterie board
- Brie
- Blue
- Aged Cheddar
- Mild Cheddar
- Gouda
- Burrata
- Camembert
- Goat
- Stilton
Think of your charcuterie board as a blank canvas. You create the design so use your creative juices and make it fun.
How to cut your cheeses
Remember, basically you are working with “finger” foods so make the pieces easy for your guests to pick up and move on. So, no big chunks of cheese, Make them no more than 1-2 inches in size. Think cracker size! And, again, get creative. Create different shapes when slicing and have fun arranging them on your board.
How to Put Prosciutto on a Charcuterie Board
Prosciutto is one of the most popular meats for a charcuterie board. That is because of its mild salty flavor profile. I’m using prosciutto as an example of how to deal with fragile meats. The easy way to deal with it is to roll it and stack the rolls between other items on your board. Or you can use a vessel like a bowl to stack them in. But be careful not to use too many vessels as it can get pretty boring.
Make a charcuterie board step by step.
- Start with the board. Use your imagination. Almost any flat surface will work. You want to consider how big it needs to be to prepare for the number of people you will be serving.I’ve seen anywhere from a plate with a layout for 2 people to a table laid out as the board with multiple serving stations.
- Remember, you’re working with a blank canvas and let your creativity flow. Lay out the larger items first then fill in with the “accessories”. If you’re using bowls and other vessels, you will probably place those first.
- Next, add your cheese and separate them from one another on the board, not placed all together.
- Put your breads and/or crackers close to the cheeses on the board.
- The main attraction, the meats are next. Tuck them in close with the other items. In this way, you help keep them in shape, (Remember those Prosciutto rolls?) It also makes it easier for your guests to put the cheese and meats together.
- Add the fruit. Scatter it throughout the platter. (I like to have a cluster of grapes but also cut clusters of maybe 5-6 grapes so the guests don’t have to deal with tugging the smaller clusters off the large one.) Note:If you are using something like apple slices, prepare them so they don’t turn brown too quickly.
- Any remaining gaps get filled with extras such as squares of chocolate, fresh herbs, nuts/seeds, or fresh flowers.
- Put spreads in the bowls and add any last minute touches (ex. if you’re drizzling honey over the brie).
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
How far in advance can you prepare a charcuterie board?
Safety is your first consideration. Any items that could be affected by sitting at room temperature should be refrigerated until the last possible moment. That doesn’t mean you can’t prepare the meats and cheeses and any spreads ahead of time and keep them in containers in the refrigerator.
Must-Have Items for your Charcuterie Board
Have fun collecting items for your charcuterie board. I love thrift shops and love to pick up little bowls and whatever to have on hand. Mix and match styles and colors and textures. Make it interesting.
Another important item for your Charcuterie Board, at least in my humble opinion, is a fine wine selected with care to complement your choices and add that special extra something to make the event complete. I’d love to have you check out my choice of where to get that extra special fine wine that will make your guests feel so welcome and so special. Find your wine here:
