Tips for Making a Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are all the rage right now! Want to learn how to make your own? Check out this post for all the charcuterie board ideas and tips!

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Charcuterie boards make the most amazing appetizers! Fill a board with a variety of cheese, meat, crackers, vegetables, nuts, fruit, dips or whatever else you want! The sky is the limit when it comes to making charcuterie and it is perfect for feeding a lot of people at once. Make your own for a party, get together, or even just for the family. They can be made big or small and in all different shapes with themes! Check out this post for the best charcuterie board ideas and tips so you can become a pro at making your own!

How to Make Charcuterie Boards

#1: Pick a Board

• Choosing the right size board is important! Make sure you pick one big enough to feed everyone and small enough where you won’t waste any food at the end.
• When using a charcuterie board as an appetizer or a snack you do not need a lot of ingredients or an oversized board! I like to keep a few different size boards to use for different occasions.
• Quick tip:
  • Find boards with a lip on the edge so nothing falls off when you start creating your design!

#2: Place the Bowls

• It is best to start by placing the bowls you want to use around the board. The bowls are uses to hold dips, jams, or the smaller ingredients like nuts or olives.
• Quick tip:
  • Using a variety of bowl sizes adds dimension and makes your board look like it was done by a pro!

#3: Fill in Empty Space

• Start filling in the empty space with an assortment of meat and cheese, veggies and fruit, and of course your favorite crackers and bread!
• There are so many different ways to cut cheese and arrange the meat. You can do the cheese in cubes, thin squares, triangles, or even just stick a knife in the cheese block for a few (I like to do this with soft cheese like brie)! For the meat you can fold it in a fancy way and make a train around the board. You can also make a train of crackers! Making charcuterie boards is so fun because you can really get creative with it!
• Quick tips:
  • The best charcuterie boards use tons of variety in ingredients! Get creative and add different colors!
  • Fill the board entirely!! This is super important and the key to making a good charcuterie board. Trust the process and keep adding on ingredients, I promise it will turn out looking amazing!
  • Garnish with herbs and use smaller items like nuts to fill in gaps!

What goes on a charcuterie board? 

Whatever you want! I love going to Trader Joes and getting a variety of cheese and meat there! Here is a list of popular cheese, meats, and other ingredients you can find on a board:

Meat:

• Salami
• Prosciutto
• Bologna
• Pepperoni
• Ham
• Smoked dried beef
• Snack sticks
• Pâté

Cheese:

• Fresh mozzarella
• Brie
• Swiss
• Smoked gouda
• Blue cheese
• Aged cheddar
• Havarti

Other Ingredients:

• Bread
• Crackers
• Fruit
• Jellies
• Pickles
• Olives
• Spreads
• Dips
• Nuts
• Fresh Herbs
• Vegetables
• Berries
• Dried Fruits
• Chocolate
• Pretzels

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do you have to be artsy to build your own charcuterie board? No! You do not need to be super artsy to make an amazing board. You will definitely get better at making them over time but the key is to add as much as you can to fill the board completely and add in lots of different colors!
• How to do you save the leftover food? I normally never have leftovers when it come to my charcuterie boards but it is super easy to pack up what is left over at the end. I put everything in separate bags and put them in the fridge so I can make another board the next day or use the ingredients in a different recipe!
• When should you make a charcuterie board? Charcuterie boards are great for large or small gatherings with friends and family! They are the perfect appetizer to get everyone excited for the main dish. There is never a bad time for a delicious cheese board!!
• Can you make other kinds of boards without cheese and meat? Yes! I love making themed charcuterie boards. Here is an example of a board I made for Valentine’s Day:

I hope you loved this post and got tons of awesome new charcuterie board ideas and tips! Trust the process and bring out your creative side! I promise they will all turn of amazing!

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