This is post is all about how to make a charcuterie board.
Charcuterie boards are one of my all time favourite things to put together when we’re hosting. I also love them for an easy at-home date night or a quick lunch when I don’t feel like actually cooking something. I’m often asked how to make a charcuterie board so I thought this would be a helpful post to put together!
If you’ve ever found yourself googling “charcuterie near me” to purchase one, why don’t you consider creating your own! They look impressive but they are actually so easy to put together!
Let me walk you through everything you need to know to make a charcuterie board!
Now I know that it can feel a bit overwhelming to recreate things you see on Pinterest. We’ve all seen the Pinterest fails that don’t turn out the way you hoped. But I’ve actually found that when it comes to charcuterie making, there is a pretty easy formula to follow!
But first, let’s cover the basics of what you are going to want to have on hand!
Charcuterie Platter
A board of some type is a must for creating a beautiful charcuterie board spread. Wood, marble, glass – it all works and is more a matter of preference. You can find some cute options linked here.
Other Accessories For The Perfect Charcuterie
You’ll want to source a few small bowls for sauces and spreads, little spoons and forks for jams and garnishes, and cheese knives to put out with the various cheeses you go with.
Now that you’ve got all the accessories on hand, let’s talk about what ingredients you’re going to want to pick up to create your charcuterie board!
The Four Main Categories of Ingredients:
Cheese
I recommend picking 2-3 different types of cheese with varying textures. Choose at least 1 soft cheese (Brie, Blue cheese, Goat, etc) and 1 firm (Cheddar, Gouda, etc).
Meat
For the meat on your charcuterie, I also like to pick up between 1-3 types. I always like to get a salami and/or pepperoni and a prosciutto.
Grains
You’ll want to have some type of cracker or bread on your board. I usually pick up some type of seedy cracker or opt for a baguette cut into smaller rounds. I usually decide which one to get based on the cheese/spreads I choose. If I have jam, I typically do crackers. If I have a spreadable cheese, I’ll usually do bread.
You could totally do both if you prefer!
Crudités and Accoutrements
These are the things that bring colour and “fill” the board. This is my favourite part and also where you can make it feel more “seasonal” by bringing in the produce and colours of specific holidays, seasons, etc.
In this category are the different veggies, fruit, nuts, pickles, olives, chocolate, herbs, garnishes and sauces that will really bring your board to life!
Charcuterie Shopping List
- 2-3 types of cheese (at least 1 soft and 1 hard)
- 1-3 types of meat
- 1-2 types of crackers or bread
- 2-3 different coloured veggies
- 2-3 different coloured fruit
- 1-2 spreads (jam, honey, hummus, chutney)
- 1-2 seeds, nuts or dark chocolate
- pickles or olives
How To Actually Make A Charcuterie Look Great
When I begin to assemble the charcuterie board, I always start by placing the small bowls that will hold the spreads on the board. From there, I build out the board.
I always place the ingredients out in two’s – putting half of each item on opposite sides of the board to create balance. Pay attention to the colours of the ingredients and try to avoid placing items in the same colour palette next to each other. I try to mix up the “beige” items (cheese, crackers, some fruit) with the coloured, more vibrant items (typically the fruit & veggies).
The key to making your charcuterie board look really great is to overfill it. You want ingredients to be overlapping and stacked high in order to look full and impressive.
Once you have all your ingredients on the board, fill the small bowls with your spreads or any ingredients that need to be contained (olives or pickles can also go in these!).
Pop the cute little spoons into the spreads, place your cheese knives on the board and you’re ready to serve!
I hope this post was helpful and that you feel inspired to make a charcuterie board of your own!
Other Posts You May Like
Bar Cart Styling | Best Bar Carts and Bar Essentials In Canada
The Dishware Set You Need For Your Kitchen
11 Pretty Cookbooks (That You’ll Actually Want To Cook From)
