Description
Stop tossing cheese and crackers on a plate and calling it a charcuterie board. A true board is a conversation piece and a host’s flex—balanced, beautiful, and ridiculously craveable. This guide shows you how to build a show-stopping spread that looks good, tastes better, and makes you the MVP of any gathering.
Ingredients
- Hard salami or soppressata
- Prosciutto
- Spicy Calabrese or Spanish-style chorizo
- Pepperoni
- Aged Cheddar
- Manchego
- Gouda
- Brie
- Camembert
- Burrata
- Gorgonzola
- Stilton
- Pepper Jack
- Havarti with dill
- Drunken Goat
- Water crackers
- Baguette slices
- Grissini (breadsticks)
- Fig jam
- Honey
- Dried apricots
- Grapes
- Cornichons
- Kalamata olives
- Marinated artichokes
- Mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts)
- Fresh rosemary or thyme (garnish)
Instructions
- Choose your base: Use a large wooden board, slate, or platter—bigger beats cramped.
- Anchor the board: Set ramekins with jams, olives, or honey first to create structure.
- Arrange cheeses: Space evenly; bring to room temperature 45–60 minutes before serving. Pre-slice hard cheeses.
- Style the meats: Fold prosciutto into ribbons, roll salami into cones, and stack pepperoni for height and drama.
- Fill the gaps: Add crackers, bread, fruit, nuts, and briny bites until the board looks full and lush.
- Garnish & serve: Tuck in herb sprigs, step back, admire, and accept compliments.
Notes
Storage: Wrap cheeses in wax paper then plastic; refrigerate. Keep meats airtight in the fridge. Store nuts, dried fruit, and crackers in sealed pantry containers. Safety: Don’t leave an assembled board out for more than 2 hours. Tips: Size up your board, never serve cheese ice-cold, include proper knives/spreaders, and mix textures. Swaps: Smoked salmon for prosciutto (pescatarian), plant-based cheeses/hummus for vegan, gluten-free crackers as needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Entertaining
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Per person
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: charcuterie board, cheese board, party platter, appetizer, hosting