How to Make a Charcuterie Board

People often use charcuterie boards to provide finger foods that pair well with wine. However, you don’t have to serve wine to have a charcuterie board handy at a party. You should know how to make a charcuterie board before planning what to pair with.

How do you say Charcuterie? It is pronounced Shahr-cu-tuh-ree, which is the easiest way to get fancy when hosting parties. A charcuterie board is filled with finger meats, cheeses, and usually some sort of bread.

Charcuterie boards are an easy yet elegant party food, and once you know how to make a charcuterie board, you can entertain groups of any size! Everything can be turned into a more complicated thing.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board Close Up of a Charcuterie Board with Meat, Cheese, Fruit, and Bread

All it takes is for the details to come out. For example, a charcuterie board looks easy to make but is far from it. At least, it is far from it if the goal is to create a good charcuterie board.

It is easy to get some sliced meats and cheeses and organize them on a beautiful wooden board. Pour a glass of wine, and you have yourself a wine party. But there is more to it if you want to go above and beyond, a pro charcuterie board builder.

However, learning how to make a charcuterie board isn’t difficult. It just might take a little more than you might think.

Charcuteries boards are an easy yet elegant party food and once you know how to to make a charcuterie board, you can entertain groups of any size! Charcuterie Board Cheese | Charcuterie Board Definition | Charcuterie Shopping List | Charcuterie Amazon | Italian Charcuterie Board | Charcuterie Recipes | Charcuterie Board Pronunciation

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

One of the important things to consider is appearance. After all, you’re simply putting meats and cheeses on a plate; there has to be some art to it. We aren’t looking for bright colors; there is no salad bar here.

We are looking for splashes of colors to go among the browns, whites, and oranges the meats will provide. Many people like to use fruits like grapes, oranges, and olives.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board Close Up of a Charcuterie Board with Meat, Cheese, and Bread on a Table Outdoors

You could also use veggies like cucumbers, carrots, or anything else that could add some color but not destroy palettes. This is the first step because the next step is to buy what you need.

However, you should pay attention to colors when you buy things for your charcuterie board.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board Shopping List

You might need a few things when building a charcuterie board. The board might be the most important part. You must be sure that the board you buy is safe for food.

You might be surprised how many woodblocks you might find that seem perfect but aren’t meant for food. You will also want to get:

Cured meats
Cheese
Olives
Nuts
Dried Fruits
Bread (crackers or baguette)
Spreads (jelly or jam)
Olive Oil

These things will come together nicely on the board. You can choose from a wide variety of options. You will find a few staples on almost all charcuterie boards. Sausages, salami, prosciutto, and sliced baguettes are very common.

Grapes, jam, and olives are also very common charcuterie board ingredients. You can learn how to make a charcuterie board and then customize it to fit your needs.

Organizing a Charcuterie Board

You have the board, you have the ingredients, and now it is time to put everything together. Of course, this is the last thing you should put together before throwing a party.

In fact, you might not even want to put it together until after the first glass of wine has been poured. First, you want to set three small ramekins of olive oil on the board and spread them out so they form a triangle.

Place a small bowl of olives right in the middle of the triangle and leave some space between each bowl and the edges of the board. Now grab your meats and spread them out in a straight line from the center bowl of olives going all the way to the edge of the board.

Do one line of meat in between each ramekin of olive oil. Then, do the same with the veggies, but don’t go all the way to the edges of the charcuterie board. Instead, fill that empty space with bread. Continue this way until the board is filled.

You could start from the board’s edge with some of the veggies and then place some bread between them and the olive bowl. The possibilities are truly endless. Don’t forget to sprinkle some nuts in any empty spaces.