Nothing is simpler or more flexible for entertaining than putting together a cheese and charcuterie board for guests to nibble on. Basically, it is Lunchables for grown ups?!

It’s painless to pull together on short notice for an impromptu cocktail party, and it makes for a low maintenance appetizer spread if you are managing last minute details for a dinner party.

Many of the larger buffet style parties I host feature this as an easy staple requiring no more than a trip to the grocery store and some creative arranging to create an appealing display.

The key is to choose ingredients that contrast in flavor, color, and shape for a pleasing variety.

Charcuterie is a French word that originally referred to prepared meats, but has come to be the shorthand for an appetizer offering that includes cured meats and cheeses. You can certainly do a cheese board without any meat at all as a perfectly acceptable option, but that technically is a cheese board not a charcuterie board.

charcuterie board on round wooden platter.

Your spread can be as simple or as lavish as you wish. From a handful of cheeses with crackers and fruit, to a tableful of cheeses, meats, dips, fruits, nuts, and assorted nibbles, the choice is yours!

top view of coffee table with charcuterie board

Here is our primer on how to plan an elegant cheese/charcuterie board

Ingredients

The minimum ingredients would include 3 contrasting cheeses, a cured meat or two (optionally), some fruit and bread or crackers.

I like to offer at least one popular hard cheese

Cheddar

Comte

Toscano (my fave is Trader Joe’s Syrah infused Toscano)

one soft cheese

Goat cheese coated in herbs or fruit

Creamy brie

Fromage D’Affinois (my absolute favorite…tastes like cheese flavored butter!),

and one spreadable cheese like

Boursin

or a prepared cheese spread like Alouette or Pub Cheese

charcuterie wreath on round wooden tray.

Other fun additions might include a few of the following;

Blue cheese served with a side of honey to drizzle and maybe a sprinkle of toasted walnut pieces

Apricot or mango studded stilton

Swiss or Fontina

Havarti with dill or caraway

Gouda or smoked gouda,

Parmesan or Asiago

Creamy burrata topped with honeycomb and cracked pepper

Cream cheese topped with a pepper jelly (mold the cream cheese into a cube or sphere for a more elegant presentation)

Skewers of mozzarella balls layered with cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzled with balsamic cream.

Fried goat cheese (dredge a disk of goat cheese in egg and panko crumbs and pan fry) - this is best served warm so I only do this if it is a small and immediate gathering - pair with a gourmet jam spread

Baked brie (top the brie with a fruit compote or jam and wrap the whole thing in a store-bought sheet of puff pastry, brush with an egg wash and bake) - serve warm

The aim is to have contrasts in flavors, textures, and potency to pique the interest of a variety of palates - Sweet and salty, spicy, herby, and mellow.

charcuterie board on a platter , brass basket of crackers, caprese skewers

Likewise meat offerings can include

A thinly sliced imported ham like Serrano or Prosciutto,

A cured mild sausage like salami

A spicier sausage like chorizo or pepperoni.

OR there are often meat wrapped mozzarella sticks or pinwheels for sale as an easy option.

Fruit always includes grapes as the classic accompaniment and a nice boost of color to add to the display. But other fruits cans be included like

Seckel pears

Fresh figs

Mandarin oranges

Any kind of berries, depending on the season

Dried fruits like apricots, dates, or preserved orange slices are a nice filler as well.

top view charcuterie on a large tray w seckel pears, currant berries, candied dried fruit burrata w honeycomb and artichoke dip

And finally sliced baguette, and an assortment of gourmet crackers provide an accompaniment to the cheeses.

Choose starches that complement the cheese choices. For example, I like to offer sliced baguette with a blueberry goat cheese log, and rosemary sea salt crackers with cheddar. And Syrah soaked Toscano is fabulous with the Trader Joes raisin rosemary crisps, while blue cheese works well on sturdy pita crackers topped with a drizzle of honey. Pretzel rods or breadsticks work well with pub cheese.

Try to vary the size and shape of the cracker/bread offerings for visual interest.

If you WANT to include some slightly more labor intensive offerings, I love this 5 minute totally addictive parmesan dip, or this savory roasted red pepper cheesecake dip, or this fan favorite warm artichoke dip (recipe below). Candied bacon would never go amiss either!

Another interesting addition to this display is a butter board where you serve a smear or cake of flavored high quality butter like Kerigold, perhaps studded with a scattering of fresh herbs or a sprinkle of gourmet salt crystals, alongside crackers or bread slices.

Cut vegetables and some kind of purchased dip or humus are other options to include if desired.

Beyond the expected carrot sticks and celery, you might include

miniature bell peppers,

cucumber slices and

blanched pea pods or broccoli or cauliflower.

Other items that could be included in the display include

Roasted nuts - sweet or salty or spicy -

Cornichons

Shrimp cocktail

Olives

Cheese stuffed peppers,

Candied ginger

Gourmet jam/spread

Patê

Crab dip

Trail mix

Kettle corn or popcorn can be a nice inexpensive option if you need to stretch the spread to accommodate a larger number of guests.

The presentation

Gather your serving pieces - traditionally a charcuterie board is served on a wooden board - thus the name - but you could also use a piece of slate which lends itself to labeling right on the board, or use any large platter or tray.

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I have a large round tray I often use and arrange the items in a wreath, but I also have several interesting wood cutting boards I can press into service, or a variety of ceramic and metal serving trays that work as well.

I generally arrange everything on my large coffee table to be in easy reach of guests and use a variety of serving pieces of different shapes and heights to create the table scape.

But an alternative for a casual affair is to cover a kitchen island or counter in butcher paper as a serving surface that can be written directly on to describe the items on offer.

Don’t forget to add cocktail napkins at the very least, and potentially small cocktail plates so guests can gather an assortment.

Alternatively, you can create individual charcuterie cups for grab-and-go cocktails. We did this for a ladies event using mason jars, but it can be as elegant or casual as you want. Use a teacup collection or wineglasses, or glass mugs for the containers if you have a large enough collection of any of those, or plastic or paper cups for a more casual affair.

For a table spread, I like to leave the cheese in hunks to be carved by guests as it tends to dry out faster if pre sliced, but it depends on the event. If it is a walk up buffet and a large crowd, precutting much of the cheese will cut down on people lingering at the table blocking traffic.

Cutting a few cheese slices into decorative shapes for the occasion (numbers, stars, hearts, etc) is an idea I’ve seen in commercially available mail-order charcuterie boards - I have yet to try it, but it could be a fun addition.

Use a set of ramekins or bowls to corral dips. These can be included on the actual charcuterie board/tray or set to the side.

Be sure to keep a variety of cheese knives on hand. I have a couple of these inexpensive sets that come with tongs and little spoons and forks for a useful assortment of appetizer serving needs.

I also always try to label the cheeses and dips to eliminate surprises. There are pretty erasable ceramic cheese labels, or disposable toothpick flag labels, or sometimes I just print out labels on card stock and add them to place card holders.

charcuterie wreath with shrimp cocktail on a round platter

Meat slices can be folded or rolled into flowers, fans, or just arranged in freeform ribbons. Whole sausages can be partially sliced with the remaining log left whole and a knife provided.

Use herbs like rosemary, basil, sage or parsley or even edible flowers to decorate platters. Add small clusters of grapes and of the fruits to fill the spaces between meats and cheeses.

Add separate crocks for spreadable cheeses and dips. Crackers/bread can be included on the platters and/or in a separate napkin or parchment lined basket or bowl.

parm dip, charcuterie platter, burrata with honeycomb

I like to keep any nuts or gluten free crackers in separate containers to avoid cross contamination for anyone with allergies.

Fun dessert idea: I have even done a chocolate themed dessert board before using the same principles and serving pieces that I use for charcuterie/cheese boards.