Charcuterie Board Food

5 BEST CHARCUTERIE BOARD IDEAS

Steps:

• Gather board base essentials: board, cheese knife, dip bowls, condiment utensils, toothpicks.
• Placing larger items like blocks or slices of cheese on the board first.
• Add dips, pickled veg bowls, sliced meats next.
• Add crackers and breads spacing them out on board.
• Fill in gaps with fresh fruit, veggies and/or dried fruits and nuts.
• Add garnish and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Steps:

• On a large cutting board or platter, lay out the salami, ham, baguette and crackers. Place the bread sticks upright in a small glass jar. Add the olives and pickles to the board in small bowls, if you like, along with the jams in small bowls or jars. Put the Pimento Cheese on the board in a small bowl, along with a knife for spreading. Scatter Candied Pecans decoratively over the board and serve.
• Stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and hot sauce in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the pimentos, celery, Cheddar, blue cheese, onion powder and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the egg white in a large bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the pecans and toss to coat. Add the sugar mixture and stir gently until the pecans are well coated.
• Spread the pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until crisp and deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the candied pecans from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes, before breaking them apart. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Steps:

• Choose your board, depending on your party size. You could always use multiple boards if needed. See my notes in the post for more board ideas and links.
• Start with the cheese: I start with the cheese because it anchors the board. Work in odd numbers, so, depending on the size of your party, choose 3, 5, or 7 types of cheeses to place around the board.
• Fold and add the meats: check out my video below for a visual on fun ways to fold cured meats before placing them on the board, like folding them in half and fanning them out like a dec of cards, or folding them in half twice, so they are easy to grab. For thin meat (like prosciutto) fold them in a light and airy ribbon.
• Add savory and sweet accompaniments. Fill in some of the gaps with savory and sweet. Separate colors in a way that allows the brightest colors to stand out and place foods together that pair well together. For example, mustard, briny foods and nuts near salami and sopresseta, and sharp cheeses like parmesan. Pair sweet accompaniments like fresh fruit, jams, and candied nuts, near the brie cheese or goat cheese. Cheddar cheese pairs well with savory and sweet.
• Fill in extra space with crackers, and then any extra gaps with nuts or fruit.