Ready to learn how to make a charcuterie board? This beginner’s guide will make it easy for you to get started!
Charcuterie boards have gotten so popular and it’s not hard to see why. They’re basically a fancy adult lunchable with a very beautiful, instagram-worthy aesthetic. I’ve been obsessed with them since the moment they started to take over my Instagram feed.
To get technical for just a moment, the word charcuterie specifically refers to the meat element of a board but these days, most people say “charcuterie board” whenever they’re referring to any type of food board with meat and cheese or an array of tasty snackable options.
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How to Make a Charcuterie Board
Before you can put a charcuterie board together, you’re going to need a few things. Typically, you adjust the amount of goodies for the number of people you’re serving but your first goal should be to understand what you need and how to arrange it.
To get started choose a few items from each category:
- Cheese: Choose 2-4 types of cheese in different varieties (soft, hard, etc)
- Cured Meats: salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, etc.
- Vegetables: carrots, cucumber, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
- Fruit & Berries: grapes, raspberries, strawberries, pears, etc.
- Olives & Nuts: almonds, cashews, pistachio, etc.
- Crackers: pick a simple cracker like a water table cracker and an artisan cracker ( I love raincoast crisps)
- *Optional: hummus, dipping sauces, honey, jam or jelly (these pair well with soft cheeses like brie)
Assemble Your Board:
- Start by setting down your cheeses in different areas of the board. You’ll build off of this so spread them out and try to mirror them.
- Next is crackers, and you have two options here. You can either put the crackers next to each cheese or you can put them in their own container separate from the board, which I personally prefer.
- Set your meat options down on the side of the cheese. (Salami folding video below to give you a few ideas on how you can display your salami!)
- Grab your veggies and place these in little piles (this truly depends on the veggies you’re using since everything stacks differently). The most important thing here is to make these look neatly arranged.
- Start to fill in the empty spaces with the remaining elements: fruit, berries, nuts & olives.
- If you’re serving up any sauce or dip, you can add it to the board in a small sauce bowl or choose to serve it on the side. You can also top your brie with a few spoonfuls of your chosen jam before serving.
- Time to Break the Rules: This post is designed to help you if you don’t know where to start with creating a board but there are no charcuterie police! Get creative, mix up your layout, and most importantly, have fun!
Charcuterie Board Basics: Salami Folding Video
Pro Tips for How to Make a Charcuterie Board
- You can use small sauce bowls to hold anything that’s harder to stack (berries, nuts, olives, etc). These small bowls also help define sections on the board.
- Use each item in multiple sections on the board to make it feel more full.
- Add decor items to create a theme to your board. Whether it’s flowers, umbrella toothpicks, or a holiday ornament, you can easily make a board feel more festive by adding a decor element to it.
- Level up your cutting. A sliced orange can go from 0 to 100 in an instant when you add a zig zag cut and the same goes for a lot of fruit and veggies. If your board is looking a little boring, google a new way to cut one of the fruits/vegetables on your board.
Charcuterie Boards & Tools
- Rectangle Board for 4-6 people: This is a simple and affordable wood rectangular board that works for a small family or intimate dinner party.
- Small Wood Board for Couples: This little board is truly meant for a little light snacking or a little “me time” on the couch.
- Marble Circle Board: Circle boards in general are my favorite and this stunning marble board is a one you can use for both everyday serving and special occasions.
- Classic Cheese Knife Set: This is a simple yet beautiful set of knives that you can use for tons of occasions!
