Charcuterie boards have consistently held a spot of honor at dinner parties and wine nights, but it feels like over the past few years they’ve gone from plates of Ritz crackers with pepperoni and cheddar cheese, to works of art. I have always loved the way a beautifully designed cheese board looked, but was intimidated to try creating my own until I learned there was a simple process to getting a well-balanced and delicious display assembled. Follow the five simple steps below to create your own:
Assemble the Cheeses
Start by assembling your cheese on the cutting board. I usually like to add a mix of three different cheeses, a goat cheese, a soft cheese like brie, and a hard cheese like cheddar. Feel free to customize the cheeses to your own taste. I personally love the cheese selection at Trader Joe’s, I find they have the most affordable options and a wide variety of different types and flavors.
Surround the Cheese with Meat
My favorite part of a charcuterie board is arguably the meat. I’m a huge fan of prosciutto and salami. I like to surround the cheeses with the meat slices to keep things together and create a sense of organization.
Add Fruit and Ramekins
No charcuterie board is complete without some fruit to balance out the savory flavors of the cheese and meat. For this board I used red grapes, however you could use whatever you have on hand. Oranges, apple slices, and dried fruits also go great on a charcuterie board. I placed a ramekin on each side of the board to fill with olives. You could add additional ramekins for jams, honeys, and mustards as well.
Fill the Ramekins and Add Nuts
Fill the ramekins with olives or condiments. Add nuts to any remaining blank spaces on the board. I used almonds and cashews for this board, but pistachios are always a crowd pleaser. I highly recommend the nut selection at Trader Joe’s, they once again have the best flavor combinations and prices.
Add Fresh Rosemary
This step is definitely not necessary since the rosemary usually doesn’t get eaten. However, I think the rosemary really adds to the look of the board and brings in an additional pop of color.
That’s all there is to it! Sometimes I will add crackers to the board (Simple Mills are my favorite), but I think it’s easier to place them on a separate plate close by to maximize space on the board. I’d love to hear what your must-haves for charcuterie boards are!
[…] When I went to Madrid to visit my college roommate who was living there for a year, I became obsessed with jamón (or as we call it, prosciutto). This pack from Trader Joe’s has some of the best tasting prosciutto I’ve tried. It makes a great quick snack when you’re in need of some extra protein, and it’s an amazing addition to a charcuterie board. You can learn how to make a beautiful charcuterie board from this post. […]