From savory to sweet, these delicious charcuterie board ideas will help you celebrate any occasion in style! From traditional meat and cheese boards to dessert boards, there is a perfect party platter for any celebration.
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Time to Get on “Board”
Charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-kyu-tuh-ree”) boards have become very popular recently and with good cause – they provide an effortless way to serve a variety of items to many guests.
Plus, you can design your charcuterie platter around a theme of colors, seasonal fruits and veggies, or decorative items to celebrate any holiday or event.
What is a Charcuterie Board?
Most people think of charcuterie boards as a platter of meat and cheese (and many are just that), but there are so many other ways to make a board these days. You can make it sweet, savory, spicy, or simple.
There are some things I like to consider when planning a charcuterie board for a party.
- Type of board. Will I use round, rectangular, square, or a fun shape? I typically like a wooden board, but marble or ceramic work well, too, for any charcuterie board ideas.
- Small bowls. It is nice to have small bowls to offer separation, even when you are not serving a dip. I like to keep the focus on the food so I choose white bowls, but use whatever looks good to you and fits on the board.
- Serving utensils. Small spoons and cheese knives can range from decorative to simple.
- Color. I like to consider what colors are the foods I am using and if I need to add anything to break up monotone items.
- Variety. How can I vary the ingredients so anyone can find something to enjoy? I also want to be sure that everything goes well together and nothing feels too out of place. See my categories below when trying to choose things.
- Textures. This is often overlooked but really important to a well-made charcuterie board. Is there enough crunch against the soft cheeses and meats?
How to Make a Charcuterie Board
Now that you know what you need for a charcuterie board, it is time to pull one together. I have gathered my best tips and tricks on how to make a charcuterie board and
how to make a fruit platter to help you get started.
When making one of these simple charcuterie board ideas, I like to choose a variety of items that will work well together. I usually pick a few from these categories and I always start in the pantry before I buy extra items. You can create an entire platter from items you have at home.
- Cured meats
- Various cheeses (including my favorite cheese ball)
- Olives and/or other pickled veggies
- Roasted or candied nuts
- Fruit (grapes, figs, strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, or anything else that goes well with cheese)
- Veggies (cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, celery, snap peas, cucumbers, etc.)
- Dried fruits
- Crackers, bread, or chips
- Jelly or jam
- Dips (hummus, olive tapenade, guacamole, spinach dip, etc.)
- Dark chocolate
- Fresh herbs for decoration
Savory Charcuterie Board Ideas
Meat. Cheese. Pickled. Crunchy. Fresh. Here are a few of my favorite ways to make savory boards for any get together.
- Mezze Platter. I love this board of Mediterranean dips and snacks as a lighter way to end the year.
- Fruit and Veggie Platter. This is such a great way to get creative with colorful and healthy food options. Feel free to add some cheese and meat.
- Italian Antipasto Platter. Talk about a variety of meat, cheeses, and pickled veggies. You could even turn the platter into mini antipasto skewers which is a fun variation.
- Christmas Charcuterie Board. It doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy the goodies on this platter.
Charcuterie Cheese Board Ideas
Who doesn’t love a board featuring cheese? Get creative with adding all your favorite soft and hard cheeses. Here are a few charcuterie board recipe to get you started!
- Fruit and Cheese Platter. It really is as simple as it sounds, but will also be a hit at every party.
- Easy Spanish Inspired Cheese Board. Travel to another place with the flavors of Spain.
- Cheese Fondue Board. Just a little bit fancier than your typical cheese board, this is perfect for the holidays. Try it with my cheese fondue recipe.
- Game Day Board. Make a board for your next big game with pretzel bites, pretzel cheese dip and lil smokies.
Sweet Charcuterie Ideas
Who doesn’t love choices when it comes to dessert or breakfast? These boards are such a fun way to display a variety of treats for fondue chocolate or create a fun activity for the entire family.
- Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board. I make this platter on chilly days when the kids (or adults) need a warm and sweet pick-me-up.
- S’mores Charcuterie Board. This is always a huge hit with the little ones and gives them something fun to do.
- Christmas Dessert Board. Filled with treats perfect for the holidays, or any time of year, really.
- Chocolate Dessert Board. If this platter tastes half as good as it looks, you are in for a real treat.
- Pancake Charcuterie Board. I love serving this breakfast platter to a group as it always wows.
- Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board. Share this special charcuterie board with those you love!
FAQs
It’s pronounced “shar-koo-ter-ee”.
Yes. Assemble up to a day in advance and keep covered and chilled until ready to serve. Any dips or spreads can be kept in small containers in the refrigerator.
When it comes to meat and cheese, you will want to plan on about 3-4 slices of meat and 2 ounces of cheese per person. I would always plan to have some extra crackers on hand and seasonal nibbles are always great additions.
You can fold meat in halves or triangles. I like to fan them on the board as I fold them to keep them in a group.
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Charcuterie Board Ideas
Video
Equipment
- Large wooden board or platter
Ingredients
Meats (choose 3-5)
- 4-6 ounces salami variety
- 4-6 ounces prosciutto
- soppressata
Cheeses (choose 3-5)
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces gouda cheese
- brie cheese rind
- goat cheese
- mozzarella balls
Crackers
- 1 french baguette , sliced
- crackers
Fruit and Veggies
- mini bell peppers
- sliced cucumber
- fried fruit
- pears
Extras
- jam
- honey
- vegetable dip
- nuts
- rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Decide which charcuterie board idea you'd like to try. Then find a large board or platter you'd like to use.
- Place the largest cheese and mini bowls onto a large board or platter. In individual small serving bowls, add anything that has juices.
- To make the board, start by thinking how you want it to look before placing anything. Then arrange each bowl.
- Place the meat on opposite ends of the platter. Add remaining meat, either folded or in piles, away from the other meat. Position the cheese around the meat.
- Arrange the fruits and veggies in individual piles between the meat and cheese. Finally, add the crackers and bread (or on another serving board if there isn't enough room).
- Add the smaller ingredients last to fill in any empty spaces. For some color and texture add some fresh sprigs of rosemary.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Full List of Charcuterie Boards Ideas
Click on the links below to find the recipes for all of the easy New Year’s Eve charcuterie boards mentioned above.
Categorized as: American, Appetizers, Christmas, Platters, Recipe Roundup, Thanksgiving
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Thank you for sharing! This helped so much when making a charcuterie board for a get-together and it ended up being a huge hit!
Loved these charcuterie board ideas! I used them to make a smaller board for game day (just meat, crackers, cheese, veggies and used 2 bowls for dip and spread). Thank you!
This was so helpful when I was making my board for a party! Thank you so much for the ideas!
So glad you enjoyed the charcuterie board ideas!
I just got a new charcuterie board for Christmas so this is so helpful! I love the hot chocolate charcuterie board idea!! So cute.
All great ideas! I copied your savory board for NYE and for our girls’ night! Such a hit, thank you!
So glad it was a hit!
These are brilliant charcuterie board ideas! I made the Christmas Charcuterie Board last Christmas and it was a hit! I’m excited to use these ideas in the future. Worth saving!