The Ultimate Guide on How to Make a Delicious Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board is a great option for any party. It’s the perfect way to get your guests mingling and socializing, while also giving them an opportunity to eat delicious food! I’ve put together some guidelines on how to make a delicious charcuterie board – one your friends and family will love!

How to Make a Delicious and Easy Charcuterie Board @ AHomeToMake.com

You want to throw a party, but you don’t know how to make it special. A charcuterie board is a perfect solution for your next get-together. It’s easy to put together and everyone will love it. I’ve created this guide that shows you exactly how to create a delicious charcuterie board your friends and family will love. So let’s get started!

A charcuterie board is a fun way to entertain guests. It’s simple to put together, and it can be customized in any number of ways. You can find many recipes online for creating your own charcuterie boards, but here are the basics for how to create one that will please everyone!

I’ll share with you what types of meats and cheeses should be included on your board, along with some other tips for making this appetizer something that people will rave about.

Table of Contents

How To Create A Simple and Delicious Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are types of artfully arranged appetizer-worthy ingredients on a board or serving dish for the express purpose of grazing.

The word charcuterie is a French word to describe artfully arranged cured meats and cheese that you can serve to guests.

But today, with the popularity of charcuterie boards becoming more and more common, the definition often includes other vegetarables, nuts, and preserves. Some charcuterie boards are even put together for fun events like a Valentine’s Day candy board or a breakfast waffle board.

There’s no limit to how you can put together a charcuterie board – just use your imagination!

So let’s talk about the basics of what you might want to include on a charcuterie board. Just remember, you can make your charcuterie boards how ever you want. It should be fun and easy and certainly not stressful.

In fact, charcuterie boards are a great way to lessen your stress when planning a party or holiday gathering – and even make for a great simple supper for your family!

One more thing to note: charcuterie boards don’t have to cost a lot to put together. Of course, you can buy all the fancy accessories and foods if you want and your budget allows – but you don’t need any fancy equipment or exotic meats and cheeses to make a great board.

What to Include on a Charcuterie Board

There are six main categories that you will want to consider when putting together a charcuterie board.

Meats to Include on a Charcuterie Board

Cured meats, sliced meats from the deli, cooked meats, and even smoked meets are all good ideas for your charcuterie board. However, if you are vegetarian, meats can certainly be omitted!

beef salami, Bresaola, soujouk, and turkey pastrami or pepperoni
pâtés and even vegetarian pâtés are a great choice
Smoked meats, Little Smokies, and other smoked beef sticks would also be good choices.

Plan to choose 3 or more different meats for your charcuterie board to round out the flavors.

Cheeses that Work Well for Charcuterie or Grazing Boards

When choosing cheese for your charcuterie boards, you’ll want to choose at least 3 different types of cheese, ranging from hard to soft cheeses.

Also think about the sharpness of the cheeses. Some people like more mild cheeses and others enjoy stronger flavors. You’ll want to vary the flavors from from sharp to mild for maximum enjoyment.

Choose at least 3 cheese from the following categories for a great mix of flavors:

Soft cheeses: Everyone loves soft, creamy, and smooth cheese with mild flavors. Types to include: goat, brie, Boursin, fresh mozzarella, or flavored cream cheese
Semi-soft cheeses: These cheeses are generally pretty popular too. Types would include gouda, Havarti, mozzarella, Muenster, and Monterey Jack
Hard and Aged Cheese: These cheeses have stronger, sharper flavors and often a little goes a long way. Types would include aged Gouda, Manchego (my favorite!!), aged cheddars, Gruyere, and Parmigiano-Reggiano
Blue Veined Cheeses: These cheeses are often very pungent with a sharp taste and smell. Varieties would include blue cheese, gorgonzola, and Roquefort. Not everyone loves these cheeses, so consider your guests when choosing!

Fruits to Add to Your Grazing Board

Fruit adds sweetness to your charcuterie board that balances out all of the other strong flavors. Ideas for adding fruit to your charcuterie boards would include dried fruits, fresh fruit, and jams or preserves.

Fresh fruits are always a good choice. You can choose from sliced apples, grapes, figs, orange wedges, sliced pears, or even strawberries.
Dried fruits are a delicious way to add sweetness to your board. You could choose from apricots, figs, and cranberries or cherries.
Jams or Preserves are another way to add sweetness and work perfectly with sharper cheeses like brie or blue cheese. Flavors that often work well include fig preserves, blackberry jam, peach jam, pepper jelly, and fruit spreads.

Veggies for Your Charcuterie Board

Including a variety of simple raw veggies is a great way to add a healthier element to your charcuterie board and is perfect for those who don’t want to eat a lot of meats and cheeses. Some ideas for fresh veggies you can include are:

celery sticks
carrot sticks
broccoli florets
cauliflower florets
radishes
cherry tomatoes
sliced cucumber

And the beautiful colors of fresh vegetables will make your charcuterie board presentation that much prettier to look at!

Crackers/Bread to Add to Your Charcuterie Board

Crackers and bread are a must if you have a board filled with meats and cheeses.

You’ll find all kinds of beautiful and delicious crackers at your local grocery store to choose from.

If you decide to go with bread for your charcuterie board, I suggest using a French baguette and slicing it. You may even want to brush the slices with olive oil and toast them in the oven before serving.

Extras Ingredients You’ll Love on Your Charcuterie Board

I love adding other delicious elements to my charcuterie boards. Nuts, pretzels, olives of different flavors and varieties, pickles, and even chocolate!

These additions will round out your charcuterie board for the perfect grazing board.

Types Of Charcuterie Boards And Surfaces

Like I said before, you don’t need fancy or expensive boards or accessories to make your charcuterie board pretty and delicious. You can use a large platter, a baking sheet, or even parchment paper on your kitchen counter.

Any large tray or wooden cutting board will work just fine, too.

Accessories for Charcuterie Boards

You will want to make sure you have small cheese knives, food spreaders and spoons, and perhaps food picks so your guests can easily serve themselves without having to touch the food with their hands.

Also, don’t forget to provide small plates and forks, napkins, your guests can load up and enjoy the tasty food that you’ve prepared.

Supplies to Make a Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board is a perfect addition to any gathering with friends or family. It’s not only fun, but it also makes the evening so much more memorable. The best part about these boards is that they can be customized for each person in attendance!

Here are all of the supplies that will turn your next gathering into an unforgettable event:

The Best Charcuterie Board Ideas

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide on how to create a delicious charcuterie board for your friends and family.

Be sure to share it with the buttons below and let me know in the comments which ingredients sound the tastiest to you.

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Charcuterie Board Guide @ AHomeToMake.com

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