How To Make The Best Charcuterie Board (video)

How To Make a Charcuterie Board step-by-step tutorial

An elegant and beautiful charcuterie board is a great addition to any dinner, party or get together! It’s the best party food, the perfect way to gather your guests around for some finger food and drinks before a dinner. You’ll be the talk of the town with this Instagram-worthy spread! Plus, it’s actually quite easy to put together! Use my simple, step-by-step guide on how to make a charcuterie board for your next party!

And check out my latest charcuterie board with hummus, too! 

Watch My Charcuterie Video!

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Variety is Key!

Making a great charcuterie board is all about variety, textures, and colors. I always add a nice variety of cheeses, cured meats, dry goods, crackers and fruit. A little something to please everyone! Use my ingredient list below as a shopping list!

beautiful charcuterie board for party

Step 1: Start with a nice wooden board!

A good wooden cheese board or cutting board is a must for any charcuterie spread. I picked this olive tree board up at Home Goods – they usually have several, inexpensive options! Or, buy it online on Amazon here!

Step 2: Add the dry goods/base

Add a variety of crackers, nut crisps and thinly sliced baguette. I like to fan out the pieces, then arrange a little of each over the board, not crowding everything into one place. For this board, I went with butter crackers, cranberry nut crisps and baguette. Parmesan cheese crackers, cheese twists and cocktail bread are also great options.

step 1 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 3: Add the sweet spreads

I absolutely love a good pepper jelly with a mild soft cheese! There’s something so delicious about the combination of spicy jelly with salty cheese! I like to add a variety of sweet spreads, including honey, fig jam and pepper jelly. I also added some apricot jam for this board.

step 2 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 4: Time for the cheese!

The cheese is super important when making a charcuterie board! Make sure to add a variety of cheeses, something for everyone. I like to go with at least four varieties; here I used a mild blue cheese, breakfast brie cheese, smoked gouda, and aged white cheddar. Go for a variety of firmness, taste and texture! To make guests more comfortable with trying different cheeses, slice a few pieces of each variety to get the tasting started!

step 3 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 5: Cured Meats

Just like with the cheese, it’s important to have a variety of cured meats to go along with the crackers and cheese. Use a variety of Italian cured meats such as prosciutto, salami, dry coppa and mortadella. Arrange the meats in between the different varieties of cheeses.

step 4 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 6: Add some refreshments

Add a few different savory snacks to break up all that rich cheese! I like to include some olives, pickles, and even the colorful watermelon radish! You can also add vegetables, like baby carrots and cocktail cucumbers.

step 5 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 7: Nuts and dried fruit

No charcuterie spread would be complete without some nuts and dried fruit! I recommend adding a few handfuls of mixed nuts to the board. I also love some good dried fruit, such as dried apricots, dried apples or even some dried cranberries!

step 6 how to make a charcuterie board

Step 8: Fresh fruit and berries

And last but not least, the fruit! Berries and fruit are a great refreshment and they add tons of color to the cheese board. Add a few handfuls of raspberry, strawberry, grapes or even pomegranate.

And that’s it! Don’t forget to place a few spreaders, lifters, tongs and cheese knives on the board so guests can serve themselves. This set on Amazon is perfect for any charcuterie board lover!

fruit and olives on cheese board

More Recipes!

Enjoy this charcuterie board with more appetizers on the side! Check out some of my appetizer recipes you’re sure to enjoy!

Enjoyed this ‘how-to’ tutorial? Share it on Pinterest!

Step-by-Step: How To Make a Charcuterie Board for the holidays

How To Make The Best Charcuterie Board (video)

30 minutes prep
10 servings
Learn how to make an easy charcuterie board with cheese, salami, antipasti, dried fruit and nuts!

Ingredients 

  • French baguette, thinly sliced
  • Multi-grain butter crackers
  • cranberry/fig nut crisps
  • fig jam, apricot jam, pepper jelly
  • honey
  • Soft cheeses: brie, triple creme, goat
  • Medium cheeses: blue cheese, muenster cheese
  • Hard Cheeses: smoked gouda, aged cheddar, parmesan
  • Cured meats: prosciutto, salami, dry coppa, mortadella, ham
  • mixed nuts
  • fruit: raspberry, strawberry, grapes, pomegranate
  • mixed olives
  • mini pickles, radishes
  • watermelon radish
  • gourmet honey mustard
  • dried fruit: apricots, apples, pineapple, kiwi

Instructions

  • Make a master list of all the ingredients and items you want for your board. Prep as much as possible head of time, then assemble the board about an hour before enjoying.
  • Use my step-by-step photo tutorial for best results and tips on how to arrange the charcuterie board.