While I love to cook and try out new recipes, I also prefer easy and quick meal solutions. Charcuterie boards make life a little bit easier and are great to include in your for dinner rotation. Charcuterie boards are also great for any gathering where food is expected. This no-cook option is quick, easy, and has something for everybody — plus it will satisfy even your pickiest of eaters.
Your board can be as simple or creative as you want. Ingredients can be chosen to match any theme and a festive board makes the perfect display for holiday parties, book club meetings, showers, and even poolside. We always make sure our charcuterie boards have a protein, carb, color, and something sweet! Craft fairs and farmer's markets are great places to pick up jams, jellies, dips, nuts, and pickled items for your board. Pick up some cured meats and hard cheeses and then, all you need is a nice flat surface, some small cups, and a little greenery, like a sprig of Rosemary for a polished presentation.
Want to give it a try? Erin Michael, the publisher of Macaroni KID Plymouth, Mass shares how to make a charcuterie board at home that your guests and the whole family will love:
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Protein:
If my kids don't have protein with their meals, they don't stop asking for snacks until the next meal rolls around. I always have them add their protein first — so I know that it will be a filling meal for them. For the meats, try to use a variety of thickness and cuts to keep it interesting. Personally, I love salami sliced thin, but prefer pepperoni a bit thicker.
Here are some protein ideas:
- Deli turkey
- Varied hard cheeses (we love cheddar and Manchego)
- Spreadable cheese
- Tuna (Try this yummy Apple Harvest Tuna Salad recipe from Safe Catch)
- Pepperoni
- Salami
- Meat sticks
- Nuts
- Marinated mozzarella balls
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Carbs:
I think we can all agree that the best part of a charcuterie board is the carbs that come with it. Making your own at home is no exception! In my opinion, I find that choosing a cracker without a ton of flavor works best, so that you can taste all of the different flavors on the plate. These are our favorite carb sources:
- Crackers
- Round pita chips
- Homemade crostini
- Crusty bread
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Color:
I always make sure our boards have some "color," as colorful foods tend to be more nutritious. Some of our favorite ways to add color on our boards are:
- Carrot chips
- Gherkin pickles
- Grapes
- Apple slices
- Pear slices
- Dried fruits like apricots, dates, and raisins
- Olives
- Berries
- Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with salt and pepper
- Pickled green beans
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Something sweet:
Is there anything better than a salty and sweet combo? I love adding a little something sweet to my plate just for that flavor combination!
- Jams
- Red pepper jelly
- Honey or honeycomb — if you haven't tried it, honeycomb is an amazing addition to a charcuterie plate. Like honey, it is best to buy local, but it can be hard to find.
- Dark chocolate (sounds weird, but a piece of dark chocolate drizzled with an amazing olive oil on a slice of cheese, sprinkled with some flaky salt is a flavor extravaganza — seriously, just try it.
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Extras:
I always like to add something extra to a board to make it feel a little more special. Here are some ideas for charcuterie extras:
- Dip it. This could also be a sneaky way of getting in more veggies or protein too.
- Add some kid favorites. If you have a picky eater, it can help to add a couple of kid favorites to the board too. Heat up some chicken fingers or add grilled cheese — whatever will give your child something familiar to eat, while exploring some new tastes as well.
- Pick a theme. if you're celebrating a holiday, birthday, or are just feeling festive, try to come up with a theme for your boards.
- Use cookie cutters. Cut up cheese, meats, and even some fruits into fun shapes using cookie cutters.
- Separate foods. If your kids don't like their foods to touch, use cupcake liners to separate the foods.
