The Art Of The Holiday Charcuterie Board
A few years ago, you’d likely never heard the word charcuterie. Cheese board? Sure. Snack platter? Yes. But there’s something about the elegance of the word charcuterie that makes you want to go all out with the cheeses, meats, sauces, and dried fruit.
With the holidays right around the corner, there’s no better time to build an extravagant charcuterie board worth snacking on all throughout the feast and festivities. Read on to discover how to build the perfect holiday charcuterie board and some photo inspo to get your creative culinary juices flowing.
How to Build a Holiday Charcuterie Board
The beauty of the charcuterie is that you can make it as simple, or as extra as you like. The only limit is how much time and creativity you want to put into it! Keep in mind that these steps are simply guidelines, and feel free to skip or add in other snacks that suit your tastes.
Step 1: Assemble Your Charcuterie Food
Head to the Co-op, grab a cart, and get ready to explore the wide world of all things charcuterie! On our cheese board trip around the Co-op, we’ll be stopping in our Meat & Cheese Department, Grocery Department, and Produce Department!
All The Cheese
First things first, let’s talk cheese. We’ll be honest, you can’t really go wrong in this department. But, if you want to build a board that’s well rounded and offers everyone a few different types of cheeses to sample from, you’ll want to include at least one cheese from each of these styles:
Fresh cheeses: chevre, mascarpone. Best served with a knife for spreading.
Soft cheeses: brie, camembert. Best served with a knife for spreading.
Semi-soft cheeses: mozzarella, fontina, Monterey jack. Best served pre-sliced for easy snacking.
Hard cheeses: cheddar, gouda, manchego. Best served pre-sliced for easy snacking.
Vegan cheeses: if you anticipate having guests that are vegan, consider adding some cheese from Miyoko’s! Just make sure to put it on a separate plate as to not cross-contaminate with dairy cheese.
Cured Meats
Salami, proscuittio, cappicola, oh my! There really is no wrong cured meat for a charcuterie board. The salty, sometimes smokey flavor of the meat pairs well with a variety of cheeses as well as sweet spreads to balance it all out.
Crackers, Pretzels, Cookies
What’s a charcuterie board without a vessel to transport your cheese and meat from the plate to your mouth? Crackers are a must-have on any snack tray, whether it’s hearty stone-ground crackers, light rice crackers, or rustic sea salt crackers.
Beyond offering a few different types of crackers on your plate, feel free to include some Christmas cookies or other sweet treats because it is the holidays, after all! Up the festive feel of your board even more with some mini candy canes, peppermint chocolate, and gumdrops!
Fresh Fruit
Just because it’s winter doesn't mean you have to skip out on adding some color to your charcuterie! Head to our Produce Department and pick up some pomegranates, oranges, apples, and pears to add a little freshness to your platter.
Some sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, and celery sticks also work well to cleanse your palate of particularly sharp cheeses, too. But wait! Don’t leave the produce aisle, yet! Make sure to snag some fresh rosemary and cranberries as a fancy and festive garnish, too!
Sauces & Spreads
Never underestimate the power of a high-quality fruit spread on your charcuterie board! They pair well with cheese and do an excellent job of breaking up the super savory elements of the charcuterie board.
When you’re choosing the perfect sauce or spread, make sure to think about the types of cheese you’ll have on the board. For instance, smoked gouda goes well with figs, while brie pairs well with stone fruits like apples, pears, and peaches.
Step 2: Gather Your Charcuterie Boards, Bowls, and Cutlery
Once you’ve stocked up the pantry with all your snacks and goodies, you’ll want to gather up your vessels and tools for enjoying your charcuterie. Round up a large platter or a couple of medium-sized trays, depending on how large your charcuterie will be. While fancy cheeseboards and serving trays are nice, they’re not necessary. After all, its the food that’s going to be doing the talking, not your platter.
Next, grab any bowls you’ll need for smaller items like nuts or berries as well as forks, cheese knives, and any other necessary cutlery. If you’re able, make sure to dedicate an individual cheese knife to every different cheese or spread you have.
Step 3: Arrange Your Food
Now, here comes the fun part: arranging your food all fancy-like!
And again, just remember there is no wrong way to arrange your food. You can simply make rows of cheese and crackers with fruit and spreads on the side! Or, you can create fun patterns and arrangements with alternating types of cheeses and meats.
What we will say, though, is to start with the larger items and work down to the smaller ones. For instance, situate large wheels of brie, bowls of fruit, or larger crackers first and then work down to smaller items like jars of sauces, rolled-up pieces of meat, and cookies.
You’ll spend a lot less time rearranging items when you situate the larger parts first. The smaller stuff is much easier to wiggle into the ienvitable gaps you’ll end up with on your charcuterie board.
Step 4: Snap and Pic and Tag Us!
Before guests arrive and turn your masterpiece into a bunch of empty plates and dirty cutlery, snap a pic! We’d love to see your creations! Make sure to tag us on Instagram @skagitfoodcoop!
Holiday Charcuterie Board Inspiration
Like we said before, there is no wrong way to charcuterie. As long as you’ve got the foods you and your guests like, that’s all the matters! But, if you’re trying to wow a crowd, the internet is full of brilliant ideas. Just take a gander:
