Charcuterie Board Ideas

Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. I’m sharing my best charcuterie board ideas, with yummy flavor pairings and tips for arranging the perfect meat-and-cheese board for your next gathering.

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Charcuterie Board Video Tutorial

This homemade Charcuterie Board is the perfect Appetizer, and often it’s all you need on the menu for special occasions. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.

Your Guide to Building a Charcuterie Board

For the longest time, I pronounced it wrong, but the correct pronunciation is “shar-koo-ter-ee.” My sisters and I lovingly call it “sharkootik,” which you can adopt, but be aware that it’s a completely made-up word (lol).

A Charcuterie is a display of cured meats. It has gained popularity in recent years and now includes meats, cheeses, and accompaniments that pair well, such as fruit, olives (or Stuffed Olives), nuts, spreads, etc. When people think of charcuterie boards, they usually mean a cheese board.

How much does it cost? You can create a beautiful display even on a tight budget. The cost can vary greatly (from $75 to $300) depending on the types of meat, cheese, and fruit you buy. The cheese board photographed here costs about $175, sourced entirely from Costco and Trader Joe’s. That said, the board you see photographed will easily feed 8-16, depending on whether it’s served as an appetizer or as a grazing menu.

Tools for Making a Cheese Board

You don’t need fancy equipment to make a gorgeous spread. You can even serve them directly off a clean kitchen counter. Here are some tools that make displaying and serving easier.

• A serving board – a rimmed board helps contain everything but any cutting board, rimmed baking sheet, or serving platter will work.
• Serving utensils – you can use specialty cheese serving knives and forks or use normal salad forks and butter knives to serve.
• Ramekins – or any small dishes work well for messy or moist items like jam, honey, olives, pickles, etc.

What to Put on a Charcuterie Board:

To make the best Cheeseboard, focus on 3 things: variety, taste, and texture. Variety makes a great board – add items that are sweet, salty, crunchy, fatty, savory, carb-rich, pickled, and brined. See the full list of items and quantities that we used in the print-friendly recipe below.

The Best Cheeses for a Charcuterie Board

I highly recommend a combination of cheeses, ranging from creamy spreadable cheese to hard cheeses. Work in odd numbers to make it more visually appealing. For a smaller board, use 3 kinds of cheeses, and for a large board, use 5. These are my favorite cheeses for a cheese board:

• Spreadable Cheese– “Triple Cream Cheese” is super creamy. Some great options include Saint Andre (Trader Joes) or De Bourgogne (Costco). These are perfect for spreading on toasts and crackers. Less expensive options include making herb-flavored cream cheese, or you could even make a Cheese Ball.
• Soft Cheese – My favorite for a cheeseboard is Brie. It is mild in flavor, creamy, and wonderful served with honey, walnuts or pecans, and water crackers. Flavored goat cheese such as blueberry or cranberry goat cheese is great for the holidays. Another inexpensive option would be marinated mozzarella balls.
• Hard Cheeses – One of the most popular picks for a cheeseboard is Manchego because it pairs really well with fruit, crackers, and cured meats (like our Manchego Cheese Bites). It’s mild, nutty, and pleasant. A less expensive and very tasty option is Gouda or Vermont white cheddar which I love to dice for added texture on my board.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

To make a charcuterie board, arrange things so they are easy to grab – fan out the slices of cheese, cut grapes into small segments.

• Cheeses. Arrange them around the board. Pre-slice hard cheeses and cut a few wedges into the brie.
• Meats. Fold them in a variety of patterns. I fold salami and coppa into halves or triangles. As you fold each piece, arrange them in your hand as you would a deck of cards then set them down in groups. Arrange prosciutto directly on the board in ribbons. Watch my video to see my process in action.

3. Pickled Items. Add items that require a dish so you can gauge your space.
4. Condiments and Spreads. Place condiments near cheeses that pair well. (i.e. honey next to brie). Keep dips and condiments in jars and ramekins. Hummus is also a great addition!
5. Fresh Fruit. Cut grapes into small portions and pre-slice apples, rinse, and pat dry berries. Arrange fruit with cheeses they pair well with (see notes below).
6. Nuts and Extras. Place pecans or walnuts and pistachios next to brie or soft cheeses. Also add chocolate squares. Candied Pecans and dried fruit are fun to add.
7. Arrange crackers and baguette toasts in the remaining spaces of your charcuterie board or serve them on a separate platter. A variety of crackers makes it more fun (don’t forget gluten-free options if needed).

How to Pair Fruit with Cheese

Place the fruit next to the cheese that it pairs well with. The key to the best-tasting fruit is to buy what is in season.

• Apples and Pears – pair well with most cheeses, especially cheddar, mozzarella, brie, triple cream cheese (Saint Andre or De Bourgogne), and manchego.
• Grapes – pair well with mozzarella and hard cheeses. Avoid placing them with creamy or soft cheeses.
• Strawberries and blueberries – pair well with creamy, soft cheeses like goat cheese.

Make-Ahead Tips

The cheese platter can be assembled earlier in the day, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. If you need to make it ahead, pick a platter that will fit in your fridge.

The recommendation is to serve cheese and cured meats at room temperature, so you can remove the cheeseboard from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. 

More Party Appetizers

If you love this Charcuterie board, then you won’t want to miss these crowd-pleasing, celebration-worthy appetizers.

• Deviled Eggs
• Ceviche
• Guacamole
• Cowboy Caviar
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Bruschetta
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Shrimp Scampi