Charcoal and cheese boards look impressive, but they’re surprisingly easy to make! I’ll show you how to make a charcuterie board with a variety of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments for a party or snack.
The epic charcoal bar is easier than you think!
Charcoal and cheese boards are my favorite place to enjoy super relaxing, stress-free entertainment all year round. With a little planning and creativity, you can create stunning and delicious appetizers that will impress your guests, whether you’re hosting 4 or 40 people. Fill your charcuterie boards with all your favorite cheeses, cured meats, fruits, nuts and spreads. Add a Salad plateOr a vegetable dish or a Pasta saladSome wine and baguette, and have a meal!
What to add to a charcuterie board
The most important part of a charcuterie board is the selection of meats and cheeses. Choose a variety of textures and flavors to provide balance and interest. Then, to add more flavor and texture, consider adding some accompaniments such as olives, pickles, nuts, fruit, crackers or bread.
Why charcoal boards are my favorite party trick
Charcoal plates are easy to assemble and can be customized to suit any occasion or dietary preference. They look so luxurious and are always a staple in my house when I have a party to serve Along with hot and cold dips, sangria, and more appetizers like mine Shrimp avocado salad. Here’s why it works:
- Visually stunning: Charcoal bars are a delight for all the senses, starting with the eyes. They look so beautiful, like edible art. They immediately draw attention to the table.
- Something for everyone: I love that Charcoal Bars has a wide variety of items, so everyone can find something they like.
- Simple to make: I’ll show you how to make a beautiful meat board step by step. The best part is that if you don’t like the way it looks, you can always start over!
- Scale up or down: Sometimes I make a meat dish to have as a snack or lunch! On the other end of the spectrum, you can get a huge board and make something big enough to fuel a large event.
Processed meat: Prosciutto, Genoa salami, chorizo, soppressata, ham, and cured sausages are all classic choices for a charcuterie board. If you live near an Italian store or market, this is a great resource for creating a great collection!
Cheese: Choose a variety of textures and flavors. Some soft options are brie, burrata, and camembert. For hard cheese options, try cheddar, manchego, parmesan, and gouda. Be sure to add some creamy options as well like creamy blue cheese, gorgonzola, or goat cheese. My favorite hard cheese is Bella Vitano Merlot. If your grocery store has a cheesemonger, they can help you with your selection and perhaps introduce you to some new varieties!
Accompaniments: Olives, pickles, cornichons, walnuts, and pickled vegetables are great options. I like to use the olive bar found at my grocery store; In addition to olives, they have marinated cheeses, pickled vegetables, roasted red peppers, and other fun additions to charcuterie and cheese boards.
Fruit: Choose any fresh fruit that is in season. Some options are grapes, raspberries, blueberries, pears, apple slices, figs, strawberries, or raspberries. I like to keep my grapes in bunches to give them an attractive appearance; The little bunches are great for filling in gaps on the board. You can also choose dried fruits such as dried apricots or cranberries.
Fresh herbs: Herbs that do not wilt such as rosemary or thyme make a beautiful addition to the palette in terms of color and visual appeal. It’s another useful item for filling empty spaces and adding texture as well.
Spreads and dips: Hummus, tapenade, honey, and other spreads and dips can add flavor and variety to your plate. I love adding the Whipped Feta Dip too, which is always a crowd pleaser at parties.
Vegetables: Roasted vegetables, such as bell peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, add color and flavor to the plate. In the summer, I also like to add crunchy raw vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and radishes.
Crackers and bread: Add it as a base for serving cheeses and spreads. I include regular and gluten-free options so there is something for everyone.
How to arrange a charcoal and cheese board
Once you’ve chosen your meats, cheeses, and accompaniments, it’s time to start arranging them on the board.
- Choose your board: Use a large plate, cutting board, slate cheese board, marble board, etc.
- Start with larger items: If you have anything in the bowls, it will go first. Otherwise, add meat and cheese to the plate first.
- Fill in the gaps: Add any smaller accompaniments. Keep the visual appeal of the board in mind as you arrange items, using different heights, colors and materials to create a cohesive and attractive display.
- Serve and enjoy: Once your charcuterie board is assembled, it’s time to serve! Be sure to provide knives for cutting meats and cheeses, as well as plates for guests to use.
More tips about meat and cheese
- More is more: You don’t want empty spaces or gaps on your meat and cheese board. We’re going for the look of abundance here, so fill every empty spot with something, even if it’s just a sprig of grass or a small bunch of grapes.
- Playing with shapes: Cut the cheese in different ways, some into cubes, others into triangles, and others into thin slices. Do the same with meat – get creative and make some rosettes or strips of prosciutto on the skewers. This adds more visual interest.
- Add height: Don’t just look at your board from above when you do this! Look at it from the side too because that’s how your guests will first see it when they walk into the room. Bowls and stacks help add another dimension to your painting.
- Use a variety of colors: It’s easy to create a charcuterie board in orange, white, and shades of pink and brown. Be intentional when adding pops of color to fruits, vegetables, and spreads.
Make-Ahead Game Plan
If I’m making a charcuterie and cheese plate ahead of time for a party, I add anything to the board that can be refrigerated without compromising its texture or flavor: cheese, most fruits and vegetables, meats, etc. Crackers, bread, dried fruit, and nuts I set aside in a separate container so I can put them on the board right before serving.
- A variety of sliced ​​meats and salumi such as Sweet Sopressata, Salami, proscuitto, pepperoni
- A variety of soft and hard cheese options such as brie, Havarti, Gouda, mozzarella, provolone, blue cheese, etc.
- Processed olives and colorful toppings
- Roasted and fresh vegetables on the side, My choice
- Spreads, jams and mustards with a variety of biscuits and bread sticks
- A colorful variety of fresh and dried fruits such as grapes, Berries, dried fruits
- A variety of nuts , Such as pinioli, pistachios and almonds
- Sprigs of fresh herbs such as mint or rosemary
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Get a large plate or two, you can use cutting boards, ceramic plates, cheese boards, marble slabs, etc.
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Artfully arrange where you want your collection of cheeses, jars, olive dishes, jams and appetizers to go, then place different types of steaks and meats wrapped around them.
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Scatter crackers and bread sticks to fill the space, then add fruits, nuts and herbs to keep the colors balanced and pretty.
Final step:
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