Charcuterie Board:

The thing I like about charcuterie [ pronounced: Shakr-koo-tuh-ree] boards is you can get super creative with what you put on your board, it makes it a no-fuss appetizer for guests, they are not difficult to prepare, and requires 0 cooking.

What is a charcuterie board?

A charcuterie board often consists of a variety or meats, cheeses, nuts, and fruits. Typically it is mostly cheese and meat, but as you can see I like adding a variety of snacks to leave my guest satisfied. Before getting starting think about the theme or colors you would like to have reflected in your charcuterie board. You also want to think about what various textures and different colors will need to be added to keep your board interesting and vibrant. My charcuterie boards always change with the seasons which makes it fun to get creative with items you could add to your boards.

Here is what I like to add to my boards:

Meats: I try to shoot for about 3-4 slices per person when placing it on the board. Don’t worry if you run low you can always refill as the night goes on. I like to use peppered salame, salami, and prosciutto.
Cheeses: I like to get a variety of cheeses that consist of hard and soft cheeses, from mellow to sharp. I find the easiest to use are already sliced cheeses. Some of my favorite cheeses are: Red wine infused goat cheese, brie, pepper jack, mozzarella balls, blue cheese. I try and shoot for about 2-3 oz of cheese per person when purchasing the cheese’s.
Fruit: I like using fresh and dried fruits which includes: grapes, raspberries, dates, cherry tomatoes, apples wrapped in prosciutto. The fresh fruit options will depend on the season you are in.
Crackers/Bread: You can use whatever sort of bread and crackers you prefer. I like using Simple mill crackers, Mary’s super seed crackers, Harvest Snaps green pea snack crisps, Plant Snacks beet with vegan goat cheese and slices of french bread.
Nuts: Pistachio’s, Super Seedz Maple sugar and sea salt pumpkin seeds, marcona almonds, Activated superfood nut blend in malted maple
Olives/Spreads: I like using Thrive Market’s olive bruschetta, green olives, and fig spread.
Vegetables: artichokes, persion cucumbers

Where to purchase items:

I like ordering some of the sides from Thrive Market because they have lots of great options, you can shop per your diet and lifestyle, and they deliver it all within a couple days. Did I mention they also have clean, organic, biodynamic, and sustainably farmed wine available? The perfect pairing for your charcuterie boards. But I also will buy items from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts because they have great affordable options too.

Prepping ahead of time:

I also like to prepare what I need to the night before so that the day of I just have to assemble my boards. And this means cutting up the cheese’s, prepping candied pecans, or any dips you are making from scratch. And don’t forget to prewash all of your vegetables and fruits and let them dry before storing in the refrigerator.