How to Make a Charcuterie Board

Circular charcuterie board with meat, cheese, breadsticks, nuts, apricots and olives.

5 from 2 votes

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

In this tutorial I will show you how to make an expertly curated charcuterie board at home. Filled with meat, bread, spreads, fruit, and other components, a charcuterie board offers you the opportunity to be creative in your choice of ingredients as well as with presentation.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: French

Servings: board

Calories: 340kcal

Author: Joss Dyckson

Equipment

Cheese board

Ingredients

3 or more cheeses brie, Camembert, goat cheese, Manchego, cheddar, Havarti, Provolone, mozzarella, Gouda, etc.
1 breadsticks
1 or more crackers whole wheat, ritz, water crackers, pretzels, flavored crackers, etc.
1 bread cornbread, focaccia, sourdough, French, etc.
1 olives
1 nuts walnuts, pecans, macadamia, cashews, almonds, peanuts etc.
1 dried fruit
1 or more spreads hummus, pate, tapenade, stone ground mustard, jam, chutney, marmalade, etc.
1 grapes or other fresh fruits and berries
1 or more pickles dill pickles, pickled asparagus, beans, eggs, beets, etc.
3 or more charcuterie chorizo, salami, prosciutto, ham, pepperoni, capicola, mortadella, souse, etc.

Instructions

Cheese: Look for a balance in textures: include a variety of hard cheeses and soft cheeses. Brie cheese - soft and sweet. Goat cheese - strong flavor, mixed texture. Manchego cheese - strong flavor, hard texture.
Breadsticks and crackers: Always remember to add bread or crackers to have with the cheeses and charcuterie. You can include several different types like mini breadsticks and a variety of crackers: whole grain, garden vegetable, water crackers, ritz, pretzels, etc. You can also include breads like Cornbread, focaccia, French bread and sourdough.
Acidic and pickled items: Olives, pickles, capers, pickled vegetables, canned mussels etc. will offer an acidic flavor that is hard to find on the board otherwise.
Nuts: Nuts are especially good for holiday parties. They add some crunch, saltiness and blend well with the cheese. We used walnuts but you can go with peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc. Add a sweet touch with some candied nuts, which are especially great for holiday boards.
Something Sweet: There is nothing better than dried apricots to bring a little sweetness to the board. Try picking a few sweet items: fresh grapes, chutneys, marmalades and/or jams are more great options. If you're making a holiday board you could go with dried cranberries.
Charcuterie: Remember to include a variety of flavors: We used chorizo (pork sausage) for a strong flavor, salami for a soft or medium flavor, and Prosciutto for a salty and medium flavor.
Spreads: You can also add spreads such as hummus, tapenade, pate, stone ground mustard, etc. Mix it up and get creative with it!
Assemble: When assembling the board, start from the center. This will help you create a beautiful structure. Add containers for some of the elements; this will create additional shapes.

Notes

Determine the size of board you will need for the amount of guests you are feeding. You can use several boards if needed.
Remember to add at least one knife for each type of cheese. Your guests will need something to spread their cheeses and jams with, so this is a crucial component.
Also provide your guests with forks and/or toothpicks so that they can easily grab items without getting their hands in there.
Think of your guests. If you're serving to kids, be sure to include some kid-friendly options. Charcuterie is more about the company - eating is social!
Make it look full. After all, we eat with our eyes. You can stagger the cheese slices to add height, depth and spread them out a little.
Charcuterie on a budget: buy bulk cheeses plus one special cheese, bread and crackers are fairly inexpensive and you can even make your own, use lots of fruits and vegetables as a filler, you can find inexpensive charcuterie meat packs to save money.
Drink Pairing: The beverages you serve with your charcuterie board add additional flavor and complexity. You can bring out a rich red wine like a Shiraz or go with a lighter white like Alsace Riesling. Offer a variety of craft beers ranging from a pale ale to a rich lager. Add non-alcoholic options like cider, herbal tea, hot chocolate, or lemonade.
Storage: The amount of time you can store the charcuterie board ingredients in the fridge will depend on the ingredients used but we recommend no longer than 2 days. It is best to store each ingredient in separate containers. Breadsticks and dried fruit do not need to be refrigerated.

Nutrition