When it comes to entertaining, easy food prep is crucial to reduce your stress as you prepare for your party. Instead of thinking of an elegant dinner menu or finding someone to cater, let us introduce you to a charcuterie party! Charcuterie boards cover every aspect of feeding your crowd with its inclusion of several cured meats, velvety cheese, and fruit. Curious about what to put on a charcuterie board or how to arrange a charcuterie board? Don’t worry. We’re laying everything out (literally) in this inclusive guide!

What to Put On a Charcuterie Board
How to Arrange a Charcuterie Board
Other Charcuterie Party Necessities
Charcuterie Party Hosting Tips

What to Put On a Charcuterie Board

Hosting a book club, impromptu visit, or get-together with friends? You’ll love making a charcuterie board party simply for the fact that no cooking is required… at all!

A charcuterie board is a flat platter that varies in shapes and sizes for you to throw together different snacks for your guests to nibble on. Traditionally, charcuterie boards hold cheeses, meats, fruits, and other savory and sweet foods.

Need some specifics? Check out this list for your charcuterie board ideas:

• Meats (salami, prosciutto, bacon, ham, etc.)
• Cheeses (any will do!)
• Olives
• Crackers & pretzels
• Pickles
• Fruits
• Tomatoes
• Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamias)

To accompany your crackers or pretzels, think about placing a small dip bowl filled with your favorite jam or spread to make the board even more complete.

The best part about opting for a charcuterie board party to feed your guests is that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what you serve. A charcuterie party is all about variety and including a mix of foods for everyone to enjoy.

As long as you have a charcuterie board for your food and spreaders for your cheese or jam, you’re all set!

How to Arrange a Charcuterie Board

Now that you know what you’re going to serve on your charcuterie board, the fun part begins! Charcuterie boards – similar to the ingredients they serve – don't have a specific way they need to be arranged on your platter. You can play around and arrange the board however you like, or follow these basic steps for customizing your charcuterie board ideas.

Step 1: Start With Spreads

If you’re serving jams, dips, or mustards to go with your charcuterie items, it’s best to start with these first. This is because you will be arranging the foods to pair with your specific spreads around the bowl, so it makes sense to place the spreads first.

Use small dessert bowls to house your spreads before placing them on the board. Dessert bowls have just the right amount of room to hold your dips without consuming too much space on the board.

The best placement for spread bowls on charcuterie boards are off to the sides or near the corners. Leave the center open for your biggest cheese or meat to be the star of the show. Spreads are accompanying other charcuterie board items, so placing them out of the middle is the best way to arrange them.

Step 2: Add Your Cheese & Meats

Cheese and meat are the main ingredients of any charcuterie board, which is why they need to be placed on the board first before other food items. If you have a big wheel or block of cheese, place that in the center of your board followed by arranging your cured meats and other cheese elsewhere on the board.

It’s okay if your meats and cheeses touch since everything is meant to be enjoyed together. When you start to arrange your meats, don’t be afraid to make them overlap or create a shape instead of laying them out flat.

Step 3: Mix In Crackers, Nuts, or Bread

Once your cheeses and meats are placed where you want them, the rest of the board should be filled with your other foods like crackers or pretzels, nuts, and bread. Use these items to fill in major empty spaces around your meats,cheeses, and spreads.

Step 4: Finish With Fruit

To fill in any leftover space and complete your charcuterie board, use the remaining gaps to fill with fruits or vegetables like tomatoes.

Other Charcuterie Party Necessities

Hosting a charcuterie party is easy and laid back since food prep is minimal and quick. In fact, you can make your charcuterie board ahead of time and keep it in the fridge to chill. Just remember to sit it out for at least an hour before serving so your cheeses can soften and develop their aromas and tastes.

Other than the board and all of its delicious belongings, don’t forget to have these items ready to go for the greatest (and tastiest) charcuterie party.

Plates: Guests will need plates for the food they pick off of the board. Make sure you’re stocked up on enough plates for each guest before they arrive.

Napkins: Turn up the elegance with your charcuterie party ideas by giving each guest a cloth napkin instead of paper. Napkins are essential for any charcuterie party to clean up spills, especially if you’re serving spreads.

Wine Glasses: What is a meat and cheese party without wine? Have glasses ready to serve your favorite crisp white wine or lighter red wine as these pair best with charcuterie board elements.

Dessert: Don’t leave out the sweets! Dessert items make excellent charcuterie board ideas as another fun way to stay with the party theme and enjoy some sweets. Throw in another charcuterie board to arrange sweets as you did your main board. Think chocolate or peanut spreads to fill more dessert bowls, chocolate covered pretzels, cut up strawberries, pieces of chocolate bark, and more for a sweet-tooth approved charcuterie board.

Tip!

For info on entertaining, check out this guide: Entertaining 101: Your Guide to 13 Stylish Hosting Essentials

Charcuterie Party Hosting Tips

Follow these tips to host a successful charcuterie party that everyone will enjoy.

Keep It Bite Sized

Charcuterie parties are typically casual and laid-back, which means lots of conversation is to be had. With that said, it’s crucial to leave the pieces on your board (minus the big block of cheese) bite sized so it’s easy to eat and converse.

Plan Ahead

Charcuterie boards range in size which impacts how much food each board can hold. To ensure you have enough for everyone, knowing the general rule for charcuterie food prep will help. Charcuterie boards are meant for nibbling and snacking instead of filling like a meal, so you will not need as much as you would for a standard dinner party. Around 2–3 ounces of meat and cheese per person will do. Also make sure you pick out the right size board to arrange all your belongings while considering how many mouths you’re feeding. If you’re expecting a lot of guests, you may need more than one board.

Small Boards: Small charcuterie boards can comfortably feed up to four guests.

Medium Boards: Medium charcuterie boards can comfortably feed up to six guests.

Large & Extra-Large Boards: Large charcuterie boards can feed between 10–12 people while extra-large boards can feed between 20–30.

Follow the Rules

Planning a charcuterie party can feel challenging, especially if this is your first one. When it comes to preparing a charcuterie board like a pro, follow the 3-3-3-3 rule for a balanced board. Place three meats, three cheeses, three starches, and three sweets on your board for an all-inclusive setup.

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Now that you know everything you need for a great charcuterie party, it’s time to prep!

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