Simple Charcuterie Board Ideas - Looking for some inspiration to up your appetizer game? Here's with the perfect appetizer for the holiday season. We'll show you all the how-to tips you need to make a beautiful charcuterie board.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, French, Italian
Keyword: homemade bread for charcuterie board, simple charcuterie board ideas, What Is A Charcuterie Board
Prep. Slice cheeses, put olives, jams, sauces, etc. in small bowls.
Arrange. Fold and artfully arrange all ingredients, bowls, and utensils on the board.
Serve. Or cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator until time to serve.
How To Arrange A Charcuterie Board
Make It Pretty. Make it pretty by artfully arranging all the delicious meats and cheeses, and such to make a beautiful board for your guests. The goal is to arrange your board so that each ingredient is easily reached from all sides of the board.
Cheeses. Start by arranging the cheeses first, as they will provide a place to lean the meats, which tend to unfold unless they have something to nestle up against.
Meats. Next step is to add the meats. Fold some meats and lay them pushed up next to the cheeses, so that they will remain folded. Arrange other meats by fanning them out as they lay flat.
Bowls. Next, arrange the filled dipping bowls and ramekins on the board.
Fill Empty Spaces. Fill in the empty spaces with fruit and nuts and such.
Utensils. Arrange the serving utensils by placing them with each item for which they will be used. Make sure to include a spoon for each dip or sauce, a little fork for olives, and small serving tongs here and there so that meat can be easily grabbed.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips:
Plan Ahead. Do all the shopping in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Many of the ingredients can be purchased weeks in advance and stored unopened in the refrigerator. Freshly sliced deli meats can be bought ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in the freezer.Prep Ahead. Slice the hard cheeses and gather the ingredients you are going to use a couple of days ahead of time. Put things in bowls covered in plastic wrap and ziploc bags. Try to keep flavors separated so that the flavor isn't altered by the smell of another ingredient.Baking Soda. Place an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb competing flavors and smells.Bread and Crackers. Add just before serving so that they don't get stale or soggy in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
Pull the board out of the refrigerator just before serving. It can remain at room temperature for a couple of hours. But watch that the temperature of the room doesn't get too hot. It cannot remain fresh and food safe if it is sitting in the hot sun. So, watch the edges of the meat for discoloration and that the cheeses don't sweat (condensation released on surface of the cheese).
Variations
Halloween Charcuterie Board - with candy corn and other holiday treats.
Dessert Table - filled with sweet treats.
Turkey Snack Board - filled with small bites of all the turkey day fixin's.
Steak Night Board - with slices of tender beef, some hard cheese, and a little horseradish sauce. We make these for just us two and sometimes for a crowd, served with crostini, bruschetta, and all our favorite flavors.
Freezing and Storage
Leftovers can be packaged up separately and used at a later date. Leftovers from our Thanksgiving board will portioned out and stored in airtight containers or plastic zipper bags in the freezer. Then we'll thaw them out and make small nibble boards to enjoy on the weekends.