What To Serve With A Charcuterie Board Today! (2024)

Feel stressed about cooking a complete meal for friends? No worries! Let’s talk about charcuterie board ideas for your next party. A good charcuterie board is one of my favorite ways for easy entertaining! Everyone loves them, and they’re all over social media. So, let’s jump in and learn different ways and what to serve with a charcuterie board today! Whether hosting a large crowd or having a few friends over, get ready to impress with your next charcuterie board. So, what delicious treats will you put on your charcuterie? Let’s find out!

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Charcuterie Plate

What To Serve With Your Charcuterie Board Today!

A charcuterie plate has the best cheeses, fresh fruit, and a combination of salty meats. Pairing different varieties of fruits such as red grapes, berries, figs, and pears with a wide variety of cheeses makes the perfect charcuterie platter. Visit your grocery store, add your favorite items, and create the perfect charcuterie board that entices anyone’s taste buds. Sharing this with friends, family, or your significant other is a great way to relax enjoy your favorite wines, and catch up.

Italian Traditions

From Cold Cuts To Charcuterie: A Journey Of Italian Traditions

Growing up in my Italian family, we always had a ton of cured meats at our parties. They called them “cold cuts,” and had them all the time, especially for any holiday party. We’d eat prosciutto, Italian dry salami, sopressata, and capicola like at every holiday party or on numerous special occasions. Italian families seem to have frequent “special occasions”. And let’s not forget about the cheese, we had both hard and soft cheeses, plus lots of other yummy stuff like dried fruit, fresh figs, olives, almonds, and red wine watered down, for kids. Olive oil and herbs were our secret ingredients that made everything taste amazing. Who would’ve thought these favorite items would become known as a “traditional charcuterie board”? It’s funny to think about it now, especially when my dad jokes about it before we eat our main meal.

Most Asked Questions

What does Charcuterie mean?

The term charcuterie means cured meats. It’s a French word from the 15th century. Then, people used every piece leaving nothing to waste. The meat went through the preserving process and curing. It became a cured type of meat. Charcuterie is pronounced (shar-coot-er-ee). The meat was then put through a preservation process of curing and often formed into some sausage or dry-aged meats.

What makes a beautiful charcuterie board?

Creating a beautiful charcuterie board means the art of preparing and combining different accompaniments that work together and complement each flavor profile.

When to build your charcuterie board?

One of the best things about a good charcuterie board and a wine tasting is being able to prepare head.

Pro tip: Meat products, a wide variety of cheese, and jams are most flavorful at room temperature. I assemble my board about 45-60 minutes before serving. Cheese and the variety of meats I’m adding are easiest to cut when cold. So, I cut these fresh from the refrigerator.

What can you serve on a charcuterie?

You can include a variety of flavors, soft cheeses, hard cheese, fresh fruit, cured meat, and more to make a good charcuterie board. Visit your local grocery store or Trader Joe to grab your favorite things.

Fruits

Fruit Fusion: Balancing Sweetness With Seasonal Fruits And Dry Fruit Selections

• Fresh Fruit– Raspberries, cantaloupe, strawberries, red grapes, and sliced green apples are good choices for adding seasonal fruits to any cheese board(a bit of lemon juice to apples, will prevent them from turning brown).
• Dried Fruit– Good choices for dry fruit for a charcuterie plater include dried figs, cherries, cranberries, and apricots.
• Fresh Herbs: Rosemary or Thyme are the perfect herbs paired with cheeses and fruit. These will create a beautiful charcuterie board. Rosemary is one of my favorite ways to add beauty to a holiday party.

Pro Tip: Here’s a fun way to add fresh fruit to a charcuterie platter. Cut seasonal fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and sliced pears into slices. Use a wine glass or wine bottle cookie cutter to create different shapes. The best part is to add fruit to skewers. It makes it a great way to enjoy fruits while enjoying salty meats and cheeses.

What To Serve With A Charcuterie Board Today!

Best Cheeses Bliss: Indulge In The Ultimate Selection Of Cheeses

Choose an assortment of cheeses that complement the meats on your wood board. Consider options like white cheddar, and creamy cheeses such as brie, goat, blue cheese, or burrata. Adding a variety of cheeses adds depth and will make your charcuterie platter the main event!

Hard Cheese: Best Cheeses To Serve With A Charcutier Board

• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Pecorino
• Gruyere
• Blue cheese
• White cheddar
• Bel Paese

Soft And Creamy Cheeses: For The Best Charcuterie Board

• Soft blue cheese
• Brie – NOTE: I USED INDIVIDUAL BRIE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. DON’T DO IT, THEY WERE TERRIBLE!
• Goat cheese – room temperature is best
• Fetta
• Ricotta
• Burrata

Cured Meat

Cured Creations: Good Choices For Your Charcuterie Board With Salty Type Meat

Here are choices of cured meat that add different flavors. Adding a variety of textures, and flavors creates the perfect charcuterie board.

• Italian dry salami
• Summer sausage
• Hard salami
• Prosciutto
• Ham
• Roast beef
• Sopressata
• Capicola

Visual Appeal

A Feast For The Eyes: Best Charcuterie Board With Visual Appearance

To have the best charcuterie board pay attention to the visual appearance. Use a large board that’s round, a rectangular wooden board, a large slate board, or a decorative platter with a flat surface for your charcuterie plate.

One of my favorite ways to coral certain items is using small bowls, shot glass mason jars, or ramekins. These are a great way to hold different accompaniments such as olive oil, kalamata olives, Marcona almonds, fig spread, and jams. Add cheese knives, small tongs, and forks.

Add different sizes of wine glasses and drinking glasses for white wine, red wines, and sparkling water. This will make yours the best charcuterie board at your next dinner party or wine tasting!

Figs

Mediterranean Magic: Perfect Harmony Of Fresh Figs And Creamy Cheeses

Goat cheese is another one of my favorites.

Add fig flavored jam and my taste buds have a party! The sweet, savory, and salty combination with the pecans is incredible. Add a teaspoon of fresh thyme. This is perfect for any holiday party or all special occasions. Serve it with a warm slice of baguette and people will be excited for good reason!

• Stuffed Figs:Cut the stem off and cut an “X” on top of the fig about 1/3 of the way through. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add room temperature goat cheese. Lightly brush the figs with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Broil the figs for about four minutes. Warm up honey and drizzle.
• For Your Next Party: cut figs in half and roll goat cheese into 2½ teaspoon-sized balls. Add the cheese to the center of each fig and drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction. Serve within an hour. The best part is that these are easy and perfect for a large crowd!

When fresh figs are in season in NJ and available at the grocery store, I will make these and share the details and recipes especially, my balsamic and pot reduction sauces. They are perfect to drizzle onto any of these food items! So, remember to sign up for my opt-in so you don’t miss anything!

Diversity: Items To Enhance Different Accompaniments For Your Spread

Here are my favorite items to add to a cheese board:

• Cheese knives
• Small tongs
• Small forks
• Spoons

These are a great addition and can elevate any charcuterie platter. The little things are what make your traditional charcuterie the main event! They are perfect accompaniments and the best ways to serve cold cuts, cheeses, kalamata olives, fig, apricot jam, raspberry jam, and dill pickles.

Wines And Beverages

Sip and Savor: The Art Of Wine Pairing White Wines And Red Wines With A Cheese Board

Wine Pairing with white wines, Champagne, and sparkling wine are often considered the best choices with any cheese board This is due to high acidity, lower alcohol, and their affinity for salty dishes.

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Prosecco
• Pinot Grigio
• Reisling
• Champagne
• Roses
• Sparkling Water

Wine Pairing with red wines, Light to medium-bodied wines that offer the same amount of complexity and flavor. Soft and reds like Cabernet, Merlot, or Zinfandel won’t overpower your favorite cheeses.

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Syrah

Ultimate Flavors And Textures

Ultimate Charcuterie Experience: Elevate Your Board With Flavors And Textures

• Mix It Up With Different Cheeses:Offer a wide variety of cheeses to make a perfect charcuterie board, including soft cheeses, hard cheese, goat, Bel Paese, and blue cheese. Bel Paese is a semi-soft Italian cheese and the softer this cheese gets the better the flavor. This Bel Paese cheese paired with fig, apricot jam, and raspberry jam is delicious on a sliced baguette and pita chips it’s amazing!
• Fresh Fruit And Dry Fruit:Add beautiful colors and freshness with seasonal fruits and dried fruit to your charcuterie platter. Good choices, red grapes, raspberries, fresh figs, or sliced apples and pears. Dry fruit such as dried figs and dried apricots.
• Savory Delights Meat Products:Offer a variety of meats, cured meat, and meat products such as prosciutto, Italian dry salami, summer sausage, chorizo, or thinly sliced ham and roast beef.
• Crunchy Goodness A Variety Of Textures:Add textures with water crackers, breadsticks, pita chips, and a toasted sliced baguette are a great addition to any cheese platter.
• Pickled Items:Enhance the flavors of a meat board or cheese plate with pickled vegetables like cornichons, kalamata olives, pickled onions, dill pickles, or gherkins.

Sweetness And Herbs

• Sweets Best Flavors:To add a touch of sweetness that perfectly complements the savory flavors, consider incorporating honey, raspberry jam, apricot, fig, or fig spread. They are perfect with gouda, asiago, brie, and blue cheese. As a sneak peek, stay tuned until the end of this post for a recipe featuring fig jam pizza with sausage and gouda. This is one of our favorite combinations to enjoy homemade pizza every Friday, and this recipe has become a favorite. Additionally, I’ll share a recipe featuring fig jam and one of my favorites, brie, guaranteed to make your taste buds dance!
• Favorite Ways To Add Textures Nuts:One of my favorite ways to add a variety of textures is nuts! Add some crunch with a selection of Marcona almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or pecans.
• Garnishes Fresh Herbs:Herbs like rosemary, thyme, or basil are a great addition for a fragrant and decorative touch to any cheese platter.
• Wine Pairing And Beverages: Complete the perfect charcuterie board with complementary beverages such as wine, beer, or sparkling water to complete the experience.

Pro Tip: If I’ve got jams chilling in the fridge, I pull them out early to warm up to room temperature. Fig, raspberry jam, and apricot jam are must-haves in our kitchen. I scoop them into bowls and stir them. It’s the perfect way to spread jams on a slice of baguette. This makes it easier for guests to combine jams with soft cheese

How To Make The Best Cheese Platter Today!

Step 1:A Canvas: Wood Board Or Slate Board For A Beautiful Charcuterie

First thing, a flat surface to make a beautiful cheese board. This is when your favorite things will be the main event and make taste buds do a happy dance at your next party! A natural wood board adds rustic charm, while a marble board adds an elegant touch. If you’re aiming for an industrial feel, consider a slate board. Don’t stress too much about it; as long as you’ve got a flat surface, it’s good to go. And if you have a spacious counter area, cover it with brown paper to create a perfect charcuterie for a large crowd.

Pro Tip: Make sure your wood board is food-safe.

Step 2: Stagger Bowls For Accompaniments

The variety of meats and cheeses will be the main event for good reason. The first thing I add is my different accompaniments to a woodboard. Small bowls, butter pats, mason jar shot glasses, tiny gravy boats, or ramekins are good choices for fig jam, dill pickles, red pepper, olives, almonds, candied pecans, and a favorite, pistachios. I try to use odd numbers.

Pro Tip: As I mentioned, brie is one of my favorite cheeses along with gouda. Imagine brie, paired with brown sugar, toasted pecans, and puff pastry. Stay tuned, this flavor profile is AMAZING!

Step 3: Artful Arrangement: Placement Of A Variety Of Meats And Cheeses

The first thing is to add your larger items and favorite cheeses. Arrange them evenly around when creating a traditional charcuterie board, allowing space for slicing. I like to use a wide selection of cheeses. I added brie, aged white cheddar, Asiago, Bel Paese, Mozzarella with prosciutto, and Fontina. Next, I add the cured meats. I placed the Mozzarella and prosciutto, Italian dry salami, and summer sausage next to cheeses.

Step 4: Savor Every Bite: Pairing Crackers, Water Crackers and Sliced Baguette

Water crackers, sliced baguette, olive oil sea salt flatbreads, and pita chips to add a variety of textures. This is a fun way to serve a large crowd. I add three choices for my charcuterie board ideas.

Step 5: Fruits: Enhancing Your Charcuterie Plate With Fruit

The best part is fresh fruits like sliced red apples, red grapes, and dried cranberries add beautiful colors to any cheese plate.

Step 6:Fresh Herbs: Create A Good Charcuterie Board

Add fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme for the perfect final touch for your board. Make sure you snap pictures of your stunning work before diving in!

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Accompaniments:

Mix & Match: The Perfect Cheese Plate With Accompaniments

This is a fun way to enhance the different flavors and textures for a beautiful charcuterie board.

Add different accompaniments to small bowls, shot glass mason jars, and ramekins. What to serve with a charcuterie board, Marcona almonds, or shelled pistachios are great to add crunch.

• Fresh fruits
• Fig spread or jam
• Slice a baguette, water crackers, sea salt flatbread, and pita chips
• Apricot jam
• Kalamata olives
• Fresh figs (Stuffed figs are perfect for a cheese plate)
• Dill pickles (not a fan)
• Bell peppers and red pepper

Crackers And Bread

Crackers And Bread Partners For Charcuterie Spread

This will be the base guests will enjoy the different varieties of cheeses and cured meats, so provide 2-3 options! Sliced baguette, ciabatta, water crackers, sea salt flatbreads, pita chips, and multigrain crackers are all perfect additions to your charcuterie.

Main Course/Dinner Party

Charcuterie Board Ideas: Your Perfect Solution To Hosting A Complete Meal

A charcuterie can be turned into a complete meal I have done this a few times and it is a fun way to have an out-of-the-box dinner party. When serving a charcuterie as a main course I add more substantial items than meat and a selection of cheeses. I add stuffed bread with sauteed sausage, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and gouda. Stuffed bread is great because they don’t need to be hot, room temperature is fine.

When doing this I cut back on meat products and cheeses. Incorporating them is still important to offer different varieties of food. Olives, jams, and dry fruits are still included.

Food Options: Turn A Charcuterie Into A Meal

• Polenta Chips: Polenta is one of our favorite things. Have you heard of Polenta chips? It’s a breeze to whip up, and the best part is all the ingredients can be picked up at your local grocery store. Slice it up, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and then pop it in the oven for a side dish.
• Risotto: A great choice for a main course is baked risotto, yes, baked! Add the ingredients to a Dutch oven, bake it for 45 minutes and, voilà! A secret ingredient for me is a dash of lemon juice, it’s perfect every time. Serve the risotto in small bowls or ramekins with little forks for another main course option.
• Quiche: Adding a quiche from the food store cut into different shapes works well and I also make a Pancetta Torte filled with Parmesan cheese that’s ideal for a dinner party.

Be sure to sign up for my opt-in so you don’t miss a few of these recipes to add to your next charcuterie board.

When putting together a charcuterie spread, don’t hesitate to include items from the grocery store. Charcuterie is all about creating a laid-back atmosphere whether hosting a large crowd or serving it as a full meal.

Take Your Entertaining Game To The Next Level!

• Ready to impress your guests? Learn how to craft the perfect charcuterie board today!
• Join the charcuterie craze! Get inspired and start assembling your own delicious board now.
• Elevate your next party with a mouthwatering charcuterie spread. Start planning your menu today!”

Conclusion

Unleash Culinary Creativity: Elevate Your Gathering with a Charcuterie Masterpiece

In conclusion, serving a charcuterie board is a delicious and convenient option for hosting gatherings. It’s also a great culinary experience to enjoy. Whether you’re enjoying a traditional charcuterie plate with an assortment of cheeses, fruits, and cured meats, or exploring Italian traditions with a selection of dry salami and prosciutto, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The arrangement of flavors, textures, and colors on a well-crafted charcuterie board creates a beautiful presentation that adds fun to any meal. With the flexibility to customize your own board based on personal preferences, pairing it with beverages like wine, a charcuterie board is the perfect solution for any occasion. So, when deciding what to serve on a charcuterie board next time you’re planning a gathering, visit this post on your Pinterest. This board will impress guests and make for a memorable time. FOLLOW US ON: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, X, THREADS, AND TIKTOK.

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