*Easy*
*Appetizer*
*Festive*

*Diverse*

Looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer sure to WOW the guests at your holiday party? Don’t spend your time making multiple dishes for sake of variety. Impress your guest the EASY WAY; with a home-made Charcuterie Board!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Cured meat. Use a selection of 3-4 cured meats. The most popular picks are hard soppressata, bresaola, salami, and prosciutto, but you can use any variety you’d like that works for you and your budget!

Cheese. Select at least 4 cheeses of varying texture and flavor. A few of our favorites are Parmigiano Reggiano, a Vermont Sharp Cheddar, Goat Cheese, and a soft brie, but use any combination you’d like. If you know your guests’ tastes, you can even tailor the cheese selection to include their favorites.

Bread and crackers. We love including a baguette on our charcuterie boards. It makes for a beautiful centerpiece, and goes great with dips and spreads (which we will get to!) You can use breadsticks or a baguette, and add crackers of different shapes and sizes for an artful display! Choose anywhere from 2-3 different types.

Nuts and chocolate. Who doesnt love a sweet and salty combo? Adding nuts in stylish bowls throughout your board is a great way to break up the board, without losing space! Our favorites are pistachios, candied pecans, and almonds. Add some extra sweetness with chocolate candy accents!

 

Condiments and jams. Honey and fig jam complement cheeses incredibly well. We especially love adding honey, fig jam, apricot jam or pear jam.

Fruit and Veg. If you can find grapes in varying colors and sizes, I recommend getting a few. You can also add also include slices of pear, assorted berries, pickles, olives, sliced oranges, strawberries, carrots and celery!

Garnish. Lastly, beautify your board with the final touches! Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or culinary lavender would be excellent charcuterie board garnishes.

ASSEMBLING YOUR BOARD:

1. Select your board. The board you use can be simple and as large or small as you’d like it to be! Depending on the size of your group, you can use anything from a small cutting board to a larger, butcher block type of board.

2. Gather your ingredients. We recommend using at least 4 types of cheese, 4 types of meat, 2 bread/crackers options, 1 type of chocolate, at least 2 different nuts, 1 jam, 1 honey, 2-3 types of fruits, berries & vegetables.

3. Pick a centerpiece. The best way to start is with the center! Pick a large or attractive item to go right in the center of your board, and then build around it! Some of our suggested centerpieces include a sliced baguette, wheel or log of cheese (like Brie or Goat), or a bountiful vine of grapes.

4. Place small bowls. Fill a few small bowls with items like nuts, olives, pickles, honey, jams…etc, and stagger around the board, leaving space inbetween for the meats and cheeses. (You can also place them next to the board, depending on how much room you have on the size board you chose).

5. Slice and place the cheese. If using hard cheeses, consider slicing at least half and placing the slices with the remaining block on the board. If using a soft cheese like a blue cheese, place the entire wedge on the board. If using a brie cheese, place it near complementary items such as the jam or honey.

6. Place the meat. Fold or roll the salami and bresaola, and shape the prosciutto into nests or flowers. If using a hard salami or soppressata, cut a few slices and place all of it onto the board.

7. Fill in the gaps with any remaining ingredients/garnishes. If using grapes, consider cutting the vines into individual servings and scattering about. The crackers can be placed in various ways (ie. towers, on their sides, fanned out, etc).

8. ENJOY!

Need some inspiration? The BEST part about this recipe is…THERE IS NO RECIPE! You can keep it small and simple, or dress it up for any season or occasion. When it comes to Charcuterie, the possibilities are ENDLESS. Check out a few of our display ideas below to help get your creative Charcuterie juices flowing!