What to Include on Your Charcuterie Boards
Cheese boards are the best, right? It makes the perfect little snack for a girls wine night, a dinner party, or a holiday gathering. You name a time and place, and I’ll confidently say that a cheese board is always appropriate AND appreciated.
One Thing I Never Leave Off a Cheese Board
Although the definition for charcuterie technically includes only meat, it is perfectly acceptable to add cheeses, fruits, and other items. When entertaining a good rule of thumb is always try and accommodate for guests with certain food sensitivities or allergies. One of my best friends is a vegetarian, so I make a point to separate the meats from the other ingredients on my charcuterie, making her more comfortable to enjoy the tray with everyone else.
Likewise, my mom has celiac, so the one thing I always make sure to purchase when building my boards is gluten free crackers. There are so many good options out there at merchants like Whole Foods and Fresh Market, but you can also find some of the same brands in stores like Winn-Dixie and Publix. A few of the companies with great gluten-free crackers are Blue Diamond – Nut Thins, Glutino, Back to Nature.
Feel free to get creative when building your cheese boards. I love to pick up inspiration on assembling them from fellow food bloggers who give advice on how to pick cheeses, and others that share tips on making great seasonal cheese boards. For Fall I’ll add figs and dates, and for Christmas, I cannot wait to incorporate this delicious cinnamon cranberry goat cheese from Costco!
So get out there and make something amazing! Here are some building blocks to get you started:
Cheeses
- Sharp Cheddar
- Pepper Jack
- Smoked Gouda
- Havarti
- Goat Cheese with Honey
- Brie
Meats
- Prosciutto
- Pepperoni
- Dry-cured chorizo
- Hard genoa salami
Fruits
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Figs
Add some specialty jellies and your cheese board is ready to jam!
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