Description
This easy charcuterie board is the perfect appetizer to impress with minimal effort — made with cheese, cured meats, crackers, dips, olives, fruit, and nuts.
Ingredients
- 2-3 (1/2 cup each) dips and spreads (such as hummus, whipped feta, whipped ricotta, jam)
- 1/3 cup olives and antipasti
- 2-3 varieties of cheese (both soft cheese and hard cheese)
- assorted crackers and/or bread (such as pita chips, artisan crackers, breadsticks, mini french baguettes).
- 200 grams cured meats (such as salami, prosciutto, pepperoni)
- 1-2 fruit (such as grapes, figs, pomegranate, berries)
- 1/2 cup nuts
Instructions
- On a large platter, arrange the items that are in a bowl (these are your dips, jam, antipasti and olives), spacing them apart from each other in a non-symmetrical pattern.
- Arrange the cheese around the bowls, also spacing them away from each other to keep things pleasing to the eyes.
- Arrange the cured meats around the bowls and cheese. You can use your hands to roll up the meat to create an aesthetically pleasing texture.
- Arrange the crackers and bread in gaps (also keeping them apart from each other).
- Fill any large gaps with fruit, and all remaining gaps with nuts.
Notes
Don’t prepare it too far ahead of time: We know that you’re as excited about making this charcuterie and cheese platter as your guests are to eat it. But don’t set it too far in advance. Warm meat and dried-out cheese are just as bad as refrigerated toast. If you want to do prep work, cut up any ingredients and store them in the fridge. Then, do your arranging last minute (up to a few hours before).
How to make ahead: You can make this charcuterie board a few hours ahead of time (leaving out the crackers and nuts), wrapped tightly in plastic cling wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving and add the crackers and nuts.
How to store: Cheeseboards are best served fresh. If you end up with leftovers, remove the crackers and nuts and store in airtight containers at room temperature. Cover the rest of the board with plastic cling wrap and store in the fridge for up to one day.
Customize the quantities: Whether you are serving 4 guests, 10 guests, or 20 guests, this easy to follow recipe will guide you in what you need. Depending on the number of guests, you may need more (or less) items in each category. For instance, if you are serving 4 guests, you should have at least 2 types of cheese. For 20 guests, you may want to consider 4 or more types, and of course in larger quantities.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Assemble
- Cuisine: French