Make Your Own Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards have become a popular go-to snack option when entertaining. Combining delicious appetizers into a visually pleasing arrangement, charcuterie boards are a relatively simple, yet delightful and beautiful way to feed your guests! While they may seem intimidating at first, they are easy to put together and will wow your friends and family.

What You Will Need

1. Cheese

There are so many different types of cheese that you can choose to add to your board. Having a couple of different varieties in texture and taste is key. The size of your group will determine how many different types of cheese to choose. Try starting with three types of cheese, two hard and one soft! Some popular options include cheddar, gouda, goat cheese, brie, flavored cheeses, and fruit cheeses.

2. Meat

Any type of cured meat works well for charcuterie boards. Ham, salami, and other sliced deli meats are popular, as well as summer sausages. Sliced deli meats work well as they are thin and easy to fit in between other items.

3. Crackers/Bread

Grab your favorite crackers from the snack aisle or slice up a toasted baguette. When using bread, smaller, bite size slices work best.

4. Filler Items

This is where the fun and creativity come in! There are so many options for additional items to add to your charcuterie board. To create a balanced board, try to add both sweet and savory items to fill in between your meats, cheeses, and carbs.

• Sweet
  • Fruit
  • Dried fruit
  • Candied nuts
  • Chocolate
• Savory
  • Veggies
  • Olives
  • Pickles
  • Nuts

5. Dips

The types of cheeses and filler items that you choose will dictate what types of dips you add to your board. Make sure that they compliment your selection! Popular options include:

• Jams
• Pepper Jams
• Mustards
• Hummus
• Salsa

Assembling Your Charcuterie Board 

While there are a few different places you can start, there really is no right or wrong way to assemble your charcuterie board. We recommend starting with some of your larger items, like cheeses or dips, and filling in the open spaces with increasingly smaller items.

• To keep the board from looking too symmetrical, focus on creating odd numbers of groupings. For example, choose three different types of cheese, or put a handful of crackers in three different locations on the board.
• Don’t put everything in one spot. Even if you only have a couple different varieties of crackers or bread, spread them out in a few different spots.
• Slices cheeses into different shapes and sizes.
• Don’t stack items too neatly, let stacks slide and have different items overlapping each other. This will create a spontaneous and intuitive flow.
• Don’t forget serving utensils!

If you are preparing your charcuterie board ahead of time, cover it with saran wrap or bag items that need refrigerated. When ready, pull out of the fridge and serve immediately!

If you are looking for inspiration on what to add, we have some tasty dips, jams, and meats that you can add to spice up your board.

Dips

• Hot Pepper Bacon Jam
• Hoppin’ Jalapeno Dip
• Smoky Onion Mustard
• Blueberry Bourbon Pecan Jam
• Apple Maple Bacon Jam
• Dill Pickle Mustard
• Hatch Chile Bacon Ranch Dip
• Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves
• Mango Pineapple Habanero Salsa
• Pecan Honey Mustard
• Champaign Garlic Honey Mustard

Meats

• Cherry Elk Summer Sausage
• Hickory Beef Summer Sausage
• Jalapeño & Cheddar Venison Summer Sausage

Other Items

• Candied Peanuts
• BJE Honey Mustard Pretzel Pieces
• BJE Salty Caramel Pretzel Pieces
• BJE Buffalo Pretzel Pieces
• BJE Cheddar Pretzel Pieces