How to Create the Best Charcuterie Board

How to Make the åbest charcuterie board by Popular Lifestyle Blogger Laura Lily,

Today I’m sharing a how-to guide for creating your very own charcuterie board. They make great appetizer plates for gatherings of all sizes. I often create them for my many picnics and parties. Many of you may not know what a charcuterie board is and that’s totally okay. Today you get to learn what they are and how to make one!!! Let’s start off with pronunciation:

char·cu·te·rie

SHärˈko͞odərē/

Definition: a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes. So a charcuterie board is often referred to a collection of dressed meats. They also often include crackers, bread, cheeses, and olives. I’ve saved a few other charcuterie board examples in my Cooking Pinterest profile.

Ingredients for Your Charcuterie Board:

Any grocery store will have all of the ingredients necessary to put together a jaw-dropping cheese board. Trader Joes has a lot of unique items that you can’t get elsewhere such as blueberry vanilla goat cheese to go along with their fig and rosemary crackers. Talk about amazing!! You can grab pre-sliced cheese from the deli aisle or upgrade to the cheese selection at your local grocery store. The basic cheeses to have are normally a brie, cheddar, and a hard cheese. Honestly, it is all personal preference. My favorite is a pepper jack cheese!

Bruschetta
Salami, sliced
Prosciutto
Black Pepper Dry Cured Sausage, sliced
Italian Herb Dry Cured Sausage, sliced
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Soft cheese: triple cream brie is a popular choice!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for dipping)
Baguette Bread (slice in small pieces)
Fruit: grapes, pear, nectarines, figs (sliced)
Dried fruits: apricots
Crackers (I love an assortment or the multigrain kinds. Water crackers are also popular)
pretzels/pita chips
Nuts: mixed/almonds/pistachios
Olives (place in a small container)
Honey/jams
Rosemary (for visual pleasure)

I always like wine paired with my charcuterie boards. Lately, Elouan Wines is my favorite! Grab a red, white and a rosé for variety! (Make sure to refrigerate the white & rosé ahead of time. I also like to freeze white grapes to use as ice cubes for my white wines.)

Directions to Put Together your Charcuterie Board:

Grab your favorite cutting board, plate, or serving dish (this one is my favorite)
Place meats, cheeses, sliced baguette and crackers around the board. There is a method to this: Start by placing the larger items on the board first (cheeses, crackers, etc.
Place small bowls on your board and fill with olives, nuts, bruschetta, and/or olive oil (or any other favorite dips)
Wash and dry fruits and vegetables; thinly slice.
Fill in gaps on the board with fruits and vegetables
Fill in any remaining spots with remaining ingredients. I will even put two servings of items on the same board

Other Tips for your Charcuterie Board:

Rosemary adds a nice visual touch to your board (plus it smells amazing)
I like to fold up my prosciutto and stick it with a toothpick for easy handling
Have small plates and serving forks available for your guests
Place out cheese knives. I love this cheese and board set from Amazon for under $30.
Bring on the wine! It’s not a wine and cheese party without some vino! Check out my summer favorite here.

See more of my charcuterie board magic and picnic ideas HERE.