Description
Everything you need to know to easily build an amazing cheese and charcuterie board including our favorites meats, cheeses and extras!
Ingredients
MEATS:
- Prosciutto 18–30 month (the older the stronger the flavor)
- Italian Salamis – Soppressata, Coppa, Schiacciata Piccante, Finocchiona, Calabrese
- German-style Salamis – Hungarian-style, Mustard Seed, Cliente Picante
- Mortadella with or without pistachio
CHEESES:
- Triple Creme
- White Cheddar – Ivy’s Vintage Reserve English Cheddar (my absolute favorite cheese!)
- Aged Gouda
- Manchego
- A “stinky” cheese like blue cheese or gorgonzola
- Something unique – truffle, spicy, fruit-infused or wine-soaked
EXTRAS:
- crackers – we will get a variety of crackers: sea salted, multi-grain, fruit
- nuts – marcona almonds, glazed pecans, pistachios, cashews, etc.
- dried fruits – figs, apricots
- fresh fruits – grapes, apples, pears
- mini cornichon pickles
- pickled veggies such as peppers or brussels sprouts
- olives
- fig spread
- preserves or jams – any flavors
- stone ground mustard
- honey
- baguette – sliced and toasted in the oven
Instructions
- Gather all of your meats, cheeses and extras.
- I recommend 4-5 different cuts of meat or even more for a larger crowd. If eating the board as a meal, plan for about 3-4 slices of each meat per person. Thinly sliced. For your reference, each package of sliced meat for two people (8-10 slices) ends up weighing anywhere from .05 to .25 of a pound.
- I recommend 3-4 cheeses for a small (party of 2) board and about 5 or more for a larger crowd board.
- Prep the fruit and any other extras. Wash the fruit. Let the grapes dry. Slice the apples and/or pears.
- Toast slices of baguette if you’re putting bread on the board.
- Set out a large wooden board or platter to fit everything on. Set out a few small bowls to put jams, honey, mustard, etc. in.
- Arrange the meats and cheese on the board first.
- Usually, we serve the cheese as it comes and put a cheese knife next to each one, but sometimes I’ll thinly slice the harder cheeses so people can just grab and eat. The creamier/softer cheeses need to stay in their original shape though with a little knife so it can be scooped and spread on crackers, fruit slices, etc.
- Next, arrange all of the extras in and around the meats and cheeses, squeezing it all in. It’s okay for items to touch each other and overlap. Place little bowls of the fig jam, fruit spreads, honey, mustard, etc. across the board.
- Pour some wine and enjoy!