Start with a large platter. Pile up a mound of grapes or fill a glass with crackers to add height to make it more visually appealing - a center piece of sorts to create around.
Add the cheeses and small dishes of spreads to the tray. Disperse the spreads or place them next to a cheese to accompany it. Setting the cheeses out first also helps serve the cheese optimally, with the chill taken off.
Add the meats to the tray. Play with the shapes of the meats - slices, rolls, triangles, or loose bunches.
Fill in all the nooks and crannies with small snacks, like almonds, sliced fruit, crackers, olives, gherkin pickles, or dried fruit.
Finish off by placing serving utensils in the cheeses and garnish with greenery.
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Notes
Cured Meats - hard salami, prosciutto, smoked ham, dry-cured chorizo, genoa salami, capicola, mortadella, summer sausageGourmet Cheeses - Choose at least three flavors and textures. Creamy (brie, goat cheese, camembert, burrata, Delice de Bourgogne); Hard (Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Manchego); Semi-Soft (Butterkase, cheddar, gouda, Emmental, Edam)Small Bites - crackers, olives, gherkin pickles, sweet red cherry peppers, nuts, dried fruits, sliced apples, sliced pears, fresh honeycomb
Additional Tips and Ideas for Making a Charcuterie Board
Consider your pairings. If you are including spicy meats or cheeses, have something sweet to go with it, such as fresh honeycomb, fruits, or jams.
Include items that will appeal to a variety of tastes and preferences. Salami will be a familiar meat, while mortadella or capicola might be something people haven't tried before.
When considering how much to buy, use 2 ounces per guest as a guideline. Buy 2 ounces of meat and 2 ounces of cheese per person for a small plate.
The entire platter recipe can be prepared ahead of time, wrapped and refrigerated until ready to serve. However, save slicing fruits right before serving.
Cheese is best served not ice cold, so allow about 15 minutes for it to sit out before serving.
To keep your charcuterie board affordable pair speciality cheeses with more common ones. It will fill out the platter and, trust me, guests enjoy it all!