Charcuterie Tips

The word charcuterie specifically refers to cold cooked, cured, or smoked meats; technically, a traditional charcuterie board is just a meat platter. But as these communal boards have gotten more popular for entertaining at home, the definition has expanded to include abundant displays of meats, cheeses, dried and fresh fruits and vegetables, toasted nuts and briny olives, plus honeys, jams, jellies, chutneys, mustards and more.

Charcuterie boards are an excellent way to keep guests’ bellies full before the rest of the meal makes it out to the table. They are perfect for casual grazing, but still filling and satisfying. Plus, you can prep them ahead of time and save yourself the extra time on Thanksgiving Day by just popping them out of the fridge to the delight of your dinner attendees.

Need suggestions? Each section below features ideas for each category needed to make a well-rounded board. Feel free to use what you have on hand and get creative! There’s no wrong way to make your charcuterie board, but we’ve compiled some ingredients and suggested quantities to get your started.

MEATS

  • 2-3 oz of meat per person or about 1-1.5 lbs of meat for a tray serving 8-10 people

  • Use traditional deli options like salami, roasted turkey, ham, etc or elevate your board with cuts of mortadella or thinly sliced prosciutto.

  • Charcuterie doesn't have to just mean cured deli meats. With the tinned fish craze still going strong, there are tons of diverse options out there to pair with whatever cheeses + extras you want to include on your board.

    Also think about getting creative with meat spreads and paté!

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CHEESES

  • About 3 oz per person or 1-2 lbs per 8-10 people. Having 4-5 different cheeses is a good place to start. One from each category below will create a nice variety.

  • brie, cream cheese, burrata, ricotta, goat cheese

  • fontina, Muenster, roquefort, havarti

  • cheddar, gouda, gruyère, stilton, Jarlsberg, manchego

  • Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano, Asiago

TRY THESE:

BREADS + CRACKERS

  • As much as you want, but make sure there is at least a cracker or piece of bread for every few pieces of cheese and meat. You can't overdo the carbs!

  • A mix of crispy crust and softer breads for spreading and dipping is great! Our sourdough baguettes make great little rounds for piling high with meat and cheese slices.

  • Unique crackers with a variety of flavors and grains will give you plenty of crunch alongside softer cheeses and spreads.

TRY THESE:

EXTRAS

  • The more the better! Play around with salty and sweet items, spreads you love, fresh fruits and veggies, dried delicacies and whatever else sounds delicious! 5-6 extras is a great place to start.

  • Fresh fruits like berries, figs, apple and pear slices, peaches and nectarines, pomegranate seeds

    Dried fruits like apricots, dried figs, crispy dehydrated apples, dried cranberries

    Fresh vegetables like celery, snap peas, carrots, broccolini, radishes

    Preserved vegetables like pickled carrots, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, marinated mushrooms

    Nuts like pistachios, almonds, cashews, pecans. You can include candied and flavored nuts as well to increase the intrigue!

    Plus use sprigs of seasonal herbs as decoration and to fill any gaps on your board. Hearty herbs like rosemary and thyme won't wilt throughout the day.

  • Jams, jellies, preserves, compound butters, olive tapenade, nutella, honey, etc. Get creative and use what you have!

TRY THESE:

Need a board or wooden utensils for your charcuterie?

Locally Made Utensils by Vesper + Vine

Wooden Board with Cracker Groove