These Simple Charcuterie Board ideas make it so easy to put together a perfect board & still feature a huge variety of options. Follow my advice and you will be a Charcuterie master in no time!
The best thing about a Charcuterie board is it presents so many options for guests. It becomes the centerpiece of a conversation, but watch out because it will get devoured quickly. I always bring the extras to a party, so I can quickly refill the popular items.
Let's get started and elevate that boring cheese platter!
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Why You'll Love Making a Charcuterie Board
- There is no cooking, I repeat there is NO cooking. Must I even continue..just kidding, there are more!
- It's so simple to make one and it always impresses everyone.
- There is always something for everyone, even if they are super picky.
- It can be cost effective, if you shop around for the right items.
If you love appetizers, make sure to check these recipes out too:
Baked Brie with Fig Jam -this would also be incredible on a charcuterie board!
Ingredients
Here are some great ideas and tips that you can follow to build your own Charcuterie Board. These are just some of the basics I follow when I'm choosing ingredients. It helps to choose a general theme for the board too. The photo above is for Fall. I've also done them for Halloween, and brighter ones for Easter and Summer. Don't overthink it though, it will all come together.
Cheese: Arguably the most important part. Cheese is all pretty similar in color, but it does take up a lot of room, so I typically start with it. I pretty much always choose brie for the center of my board, because it is delicious and I've never met a human that doesn't like it. Plus, it looks gorgeous with a drizzle of honey over it.
Other types of cheeses that are really popular on boards are a firm cheese, like cheddar or Colby Jack. Gouda chunks are also amazing or fresh mozzarella.
I like to pick two to three cheese varieties.
This article titled Best Cheeses for your Charcuterie Board by Wisconsin Cheese has a lot of great ideas.
One cheese I would stay away from on the board is burrata, or if you use it make sure to put it on it's own plate. I love burrata, but boy can the inside make a nightmare mess!
Meat: Cured Meats like Pepperoni, Prosciutto and Salami generally make people's day. I stick with those.
Crackers: Grab the variety pack of fancy crackers, so it looks like you really attempted to make everyone happy.
Nuts: Adding nuts are a great option to fill in spaces. Cashews, pistachios, almonds, pecans, or walnuts all make fantastic choices.
Fruit: Choose seasonal produce if you can. It is cheaper and fresher. Plus, it helps develop the theme. In Summer, berries are bright and fresh. In Spring, I might do grapefruit and oranges for the lighter color. For Fall or Winter, I love Pomegranate.
Don't choose really watery fruit, like watermelon, or fruit that turns brown quickly, such as pears, and apples.
Keep in mind, you don't need a lot of fruit choices. Choose one or two.
Sweets: I don't go crazy with sweets. I mean it's not dessert, but do choose one. Whether it is chocolate covered pretzels, pieces of a chocolate bar, even cinnamon glazed nuts would be incredible.
I also like to add a little jar or small bowl of honey for anyone who wants sweeten up whatever they choose!
Olives: These are a must have, even if it's just a small little bowl. A lot of the grocery stores have where you can mix your own, which is really fun and cost effective. That way you aren't buying three jars of olives.
Extras: One of my favorite things to add is pepper jelly. If you haven't had it, you've got to try it. It tastes amazing spread over a cracker with cream cheese. Weird? Kind of. Delicious? Abso-freaking-lutely!
How To Make A Simple Charcuterie Board:
Start with the empty board.
Organize the meats and cheeses on the board, spreading them out a bit. You don't want all the meat in one area and all the cheese in another. Give them some space.
For the meat, I love doing a Salami rose (or two).
Here is a video that shows the art: (It’s not my video)
Add any little bowls of olives or honey, for example, onto the board.
Next, work in the crackers. (Crackers you can always serve on the side too, if you are running out of room. They also have less possibility of getting soggy this way.)
Finally the fruit, nuts, and sweets.
PrintRecipe
Simple Charcuterie Board
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 people
Description
These Simple Charcuterie Board ideas make it so easy to put together a perfect board & still feature a huge variety of options.
Ingredients
- Cheese Ideas: Brie, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda, Colby Jack, etc.
- Meat Ideas: 1 package of thinly sliced salami for the Salami Rose, Pepperoni, Prosciutto
- Small Serving bowl Ideas: Pepper jelly, Pimento Cheese, Olives, Honey
- Crackers: Variety Pack of Crackers, Triscuits, Asiago Cheese Crisps, Pretzels
- Nuts: Pistachios, Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews or Pecans
- Fruits: Whatever is in season and fresh (only need 1 or 2)
- Sweets ideas: Chocolate Covered pretzels, broken apart candy bar, small brownies or cookies, etc.
Instructions
- Start with the empty board.
- Organize the meats and cheeses on the board, spreading them out a bit. You don't want all the meat in one area and all the cheese in another. Give them some space.
- For the meat, I love doing a Salami rose (or two).
- Add any little bowls of olives or honey, for example, onto the board.
- Next, work in the crackers. (Crackers you can always serve on the side too, if you are running out of room. They also have less possibility of getting soggy this way.)
- Finally the fruit, nuts, and sweets.
Equipment
Notes
Be creative! That's what it is all about. My ingredients are just for inspiration. Go wild with it!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: charcuterie
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: american
Holly
Thank you for the help building this. Total hit of the party!