Aug 072018

Charcuterie Platter

Charcuterie Platter

It’s my personal belief that no party is complete without a beautiful Charcuterie (pronounced: shahr-cute-uh-ree) platter. It’s easy to put together, but it always impresses the company. Also, there’s a little bit of this and that to please everyone. Which is why I’m helping you up your party game!

 

I love charcuterie because you can dive into complementing AND contrasting tastes, and encourage people to try new combinations. Also, it’s a great way to start conversations with people you’ve never met…. “Oh that cheese is so good! Any idea what it is?” or “Oh try that cheese along with a date if you like sweet and savory!” BOOM! New friends!

I will look for any excuse to put one together!

 

…Although I got weird looks when I told someone that the cheese washed down with Dr. Pepper tastes like cookie dough… I swear it did! I’m not crazy! Well… I am, but not in this way!

Every time I decide to put together a charcuterie board I choose at least one cheese that I’ve never had. I usually pick one new cheese and a few good ol’ reliables. Manchego, brie, cheddars, and Jarlsberg are a few of my go-to cheeses. But there’s so many and I’m always excited to find a new favorite that I can add to the list. When picking out cheeses I recommend getting a variety so that you have a good mix.

 

Not to mention you have an excuse to buy cheese… Noms!

 

 

Now, enough about cheese. Let’s get to some of the other fun stuff! Like the next important element of any charcuterie platter… the meat! Like the cheese, this is also where you can add some variety. Peppery salami, spicy pepperoni, summer sausage, and smoky prosciutto. These pair really nicely with the cheese since they go through an aging process as well.

Find a few that you like and make sure to place them scattered on the board. Remember, this is a time to encourage your guests to mix and match with what you’re presenting.

Now lastly, the unsung heroes of any cheese board… The little nibbles (yes, this is a technical term!). This is going to be your fresh fruit, dried fruit, olives, pickles, crackers, bread, nuts… These really bring everything together and add the pizzaz in there.

Love these little gems!

I love serving everything clustered together on my wooden cutting boards. I have several and sometimes I like to spread everything out among them, or sometimes I’ll pile everything onto one. The wood makes this feel homey and informal.

Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

Cheese
  • Manchego
  • Double Cream Brie
  • Dubliner Cheddar
Crackers
  • Water Crackers
  • Cheese Twists
  • Trader Joe’s Rosemary and Sea Salt Italian Style Crackers
Meat
  • Prosciutto
  • Calabrese Salami
Nibbles
  • Garlic stuffed olives
  • Cornichons
  • Truffle Marcona Almonds
  • Medjool dates
  • Champagne Grapes

Instructions

Arrange and pile on a board as you like and let the fun start!

Cheers!