How to Make a Charcuterie Board
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If you’re wondering How to Make a Charcuterie Board, this is the best tutorial! From make ahead tricks to cheese and meat recommendations – we’ll teach you how to make a beautiful cheeseboard for grazing!
If you’re looking to make a beautiful (and delicious!) cheeseboard, we’ve got all the tips and tricks for you.
After making hundreds of grazing boards, I’m sharing how we build them, what we put on them, and what the best utensils are for serving!
Liz’s Tips for the Best Charcuterie Board:
- Prep what you can ahead of time! We’ve included a full list of what you can prep ahead of time below. You can cut some cheese and wash all fruits/veggies to save time!
- Shop at different stores. You’d be surprised at what you can find at different grocery stores. Venture out to new places to grab what you need!
- Have Fun! Making a giant charcuterie board is supposed to be fun. There’s really to right or wrong way to do it 🙂
What you’ll need to make a charcuterie board
To make a charcuterie board you’ll need
- A large wooden board, or brown food safe paper (can be placed on a table or counter
- Small bowls for jams, dips and spread
- Cheeseboard knives, spoons and tongs for serving
- Assorted Jams/Spreads
- Assorted Meats
- Assorted cheeses
- Fruit (I like a mix of fresh and dried)
- Crackers, chips and breads
- Vegetables (optional)
- Olives (optional)
- Caramelized Onions (optional)
- fresh rosemary (optional, for garnish)
Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards
Go for a variety of cheese that are soft and hard. Here are some of my favorites
- Brie – I like to cut in large wedges and put multiple. Saint André is also delicious.
- Goat Cheese – I leave in logs (keep it really cold before removing from package to maintain it’s shape) Boursin cheese is also a good option.
- Cheddar Cheese – cut into slices and cubes for variety. Gouda, Gruyere or Fontina are also great options
- Parmesan Cheese – cut into cubes/chunks for variety
- Pepperjack– cut into slices and cubes for variety
- Mozzarella Balls – these are nice in a bowl
- Blue Cheese – I always keep this whole in a block.
Meat
- Pepperoni
- Prosciuttio
- Salami
- Sopressata
- Ham
Need help finding the best tools and utensils for your cheeseboard? Check out this list we put together!
Fruit for a Charcuterie Board
- fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, halved strawberries are pretty)
- green and red grapes for color contrast
- fresh figs- cut them in half for a pretty addition (if they’re in season!)
- dried apricots or dried figs
- cherries
- pears or apples (red and green, wait to slice until right before serving!)
- you can also include this Fruit Dip if you are serving a lot of fresh fruit
Vegetables
- baby carrots – look for rainbow variety
- mini bell peppers
- sliced cucumbers
- cherry tomatoes
Jam/Dips
- Honey – ideally next to brie or parmesan
- Pepper Jelly – pairs well with goat cheese
- Fig Jam
- Lemon Curd – this isn’t often on charcuterie boards, but our family loves it
- Olive Tapenade – pairs great with Saint André cheese
- Hummus
Other additions
- mini pickles (cornichons)
- marcona almonds
- pickled veggies
- marinated olives
- marinated artichoke hearts
- edible flowers or fresh rosemary is a pretty garnish
Bread/Chips/Crackers
- Crostini – You can make your own crostini by slicing a baguette in 1/3 inch slices, spraying with olive oil and toasting at 400 for about 5-10 minutes on each side.
- Fresh sliced bread
- Plain Crackers
- Seeded/Flavored Crackers – Trader Joe’s has great options, some with fruit in them!
- Pretzel chips– These are my favorite because they’re flat and you can easily stack things on them.
- Small bread sticks– Cute but not super practical/can be hard to display and look awkward.
- Pita Chips
What you can prep ahead
Wash all fruit and dry well with paper towels. Store with paper towels to prevent the moisture from making the fruit go bad. I wouldn’t do this more than 24 hours in advance.
Slice breads – You can slice breads 24 hours in advance. Be sure to store in an airtight container.
Slice semi hard cheeses – Cheddar and pepper jack can be sliced 24 hours in advance. We don’t recommend pre-cutting brie or goat. Don’t buy pre-cut cheese, it’s not as good 🙂
How to Make The Ultimate Cheeseboard
- Lay brown paper or a board down.
- Place all bowls with jam/dips/snacky things down on the paper. Try to spread them out across the board (see photo 1) Don’t open the jams until you’re ready to serve.
- Add brie/goat cheese and whatever larger pieces of cheese you are going to use.
- Fill in with pre cut cheeses and meats.
- Add fruits and vegetables
- Open chips, crackers, bread and place around the meat/cheese/fruit.
- Open jams. Add serving utensils.
- Add fresh rosemary or edible flowers if using.
Need help finding the best tools and utensils for your cheeseboard? Check out this list we put together!
Best Places to shop for Charcuterie Items
I’ve found the best place to shop for Charcuterie Items are:
- Aldi – Aldi has a HUGE cheese section and is always changing it with fun seasonal items. Check the ‘Aldi Finds’ Isle for specialty chips/crackers/olives, etc.
- Trader Joe’s – Trader Joe’s also has unique chips/crackers. They have tons of ‘snacky’ things (olive, pickles, etc) and lots of options for dried fruits and jams.
- Costco- You can find tons of cheeses at Costco. If making a large charcuterie board, I often will buy blocks of cheddar, pepper jack and a wheel of brie and cut it myself. They sell prosciutto and other assorted sliced meats that come in varieties so you can have a bunch of different ones for your board!
- Whole Foods- You can find unique cheeses at Whole Foods, but it’s the most expensive place to shop.
Thank you for this. I have looked at many ideas for a charcuterie board and yours is by far the very best.