How to Make a Charcuterie Board

Have you ever wondered about how to make a charcuterie board? There may seem like a lot that goes into making a charcuterie board, however there are strategies and tips to make a charcuterie board an easy and fun process along the way. Today we are gonna share with you our tips on how to build the BEST charcuterie board effortlessly to impress your guests for your next event!

A well arranged charcuterie board is the perfect appetizer or gift for any occasion. From birthdays to date nights, baby showers, and simply as a gift to say thank you to someone who means a lot to you, it is also a show stopper at any parties or get-together!

Today we are gonna share some of our own tips learned from making thousands of charcuterie boxes. With this thought in mind, today, we’ll be looking at some of the key things you need to know about making your very own charcuterie board. After all, if there’s one thing we know, it’s that a well-presented charcuterie board can work wonders – and we’re here to help make that a reality.

What to Put on a Charcuterie Board?

So, you’re ready to learn how to make a charcuterie board. YAY! That’s great news and you’ll need to consider what to put on a charcuterie board before going any further. Let’s start with the star of the show-CHEESE!

Cheese

Cheese is the MOST important ingredient on your charcuterie board, everything else will be built around the flavours of types of cheese you choose to put on your board. From the pairing for the cured meats, fruits, dried fruits. And if you are a wine lover, the right pairing of wine and cheese will take the whole experience to the next level!

The first question you may want to ask yourself when deciding is what cheese to put on a charcuterie board? Arranging your charcuterie board from soft to firm cheeses is a great way to bring variety to your cheese tasting experience.

Here is a list of our favourite cheeses ranging from soft to firm,

Soft Cheese

Double cream brie
Cranberry goat
Blue cheese
Boursin

Semi-Firm Cheese

Gruyère
Oka
Truffle Manchego (All time favourite!!)
Manchego

Firm Cheese

Asiago
Pecorino
Port wine derby
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Charcuterie

Once you know the types of cheese you want to include on your charcuterie board, the next step is to choose the type of meat you’ll be using for your charcuterie board. Generally most salty cured meats pair really well with salty cheeses. You can experiment with different types of charcuterie to find out which one you like the most. For example, the classic mild salami goes great with asiago, goat, smoked gouda or some pecorino. Prosciutto is ideal for a little saltiness, pairs great with some aged parmesan or blue cheese. If you love spicy, a nice hot salami or hot cacciatore will add a nice kick to your board.

How much cheese and charcuterie should I serve?

A general rule of thumb is to serve around 30g of each type of cheese per person. As for charcuterie, we recommend serving around 90g per person. For gatherings and dinner parties, we would recommend 5 types of cheeses and 3-4 types of meat.

Accompaniments

There are countless excellent accompaniments that you could serve up alongside your meat and cheese selections.

To pair with salty cheeses, fresh fruits can help to draw out the contrast of sweet and salty, and also adds some freshness onto the board.

Also some type of dip like pepper jelly or fig jam makes the perfect bite when they are put together with some nice salty brie, prosciutto, and water crackers.

Another of our favourite accompaniments are the crunchy topping such as pecans, cashews, or almonds. We love a nice mixed salty nuts, it really brings out the saltiness and nutty flavour of the cheeses. Lastly, dried fruits such as figs, and apricots also add another layer of flavour to your charcuterie board, making the perfect sweet and salty pairing.

Here are some of our favourite accompaniments,

Dry

Salted mixed nuts
Dried fig
Dried apricot
Dried cranberries (goes amazing with baked brie)

Dip

Fig jam
Pepper jelly
Hummus
Antipasto

Fresh Fruits Pairings

Grape - Soft and creamier cheese like brie, goat.
Pear- Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino romano, blue cheese, prosciutto,
Apple — Cheddar, Manchego, Brie,
Blackberries — Aged Cheddar.
Cranberries — Mozzarella or Manchego.
Raspberry — Cream Cheese, Swiss Cheese.
Fig —Double Cream Brie, Blue Cheese or Smoked Gouda.
Cantaloupe- prosciutto ham

Garnishes

Let's talk about garnish! Garnishes are the finishing touch to any charcuterie board. Herbs such as sage, thyme or mint are some of our favourite.

Raw honeycomb is another wonderful idea for garnishing your charcuterie boards.

At The Graze Anatomy, we take our garnish game very seriously! We use our house made candied lemon along with mini dried roses to top the honeycomb, making it look extra dreamy! If you can get your hands on some edible flowers that would really make your charcuterie board pop!

Tips for How to Make a Charcuterie Board Stand Out

We eat with our eyes first, so let's take your board to another level to make it really stand out in the crowd! Colourful fruit selections are a simple option.

We can also make a beautiful rose out of salami, or layer your meats carefully to create a visual design overall. (See how to made a salami rose on our Instagram reel )

Little pops of colour and beautiful garnishes goes a long way.

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that charcuterie boards can offer an excellent solution for countless different occasions – and they’re so easy to customize based on their intended purpose and recipient, too.

If you have any more questions regarding charcuterie related topics, please reach directly to us at info@thegrazeanatomy.com. We would love to answer all your questions. Or if you just want to enjoy some charcuterie on the go, our charcuterie boxes are made with love and packed full of the most delicious and premium ingredients. We also offer same day delivery for any of your last minute gifting needs.

Either way, we hope this was helpful for you to build the BEST charcuterie board for your next event! Tag us and let us on IG @thegrazeanatomy and let us know how you did.

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