Let me start by answering a common question: what is a charcuterie board? It’s the art of assembling meats and cheeses accompanies by fruit, nuts and crackers for easy and quick hors d’oeuvres.
Charcuterie boards are all over Pinterest right now, each one more elaborate than the next. I’m totally sold on this trend. These boards are genius for entertaining because they’re prepped in advance—no fussing around in the kitchen when you’ve got guests—and there’s something on them for everyone.
But I get it. Attempting a Pinterest-worthy cheese board can seem intimidating—and expensive. All those fancy cheeses, specialty meats, and froufrou crackers…cha-ching, right? I’m happy to report that I assembled this charcuterie board with all items from Aldi. Aldi is one of my favorite grocery stores. I wrote a whole blog post about my favorite Aldi products here. However, I have found more and more items that I love from Aldi.
Now, I have to be honest real quick. I did not start eating cheese until I was 18 years old. Fast forward 7 years and I do eat cheese, but I consider myself a novice. However, with my Italian roots, I feel like I can be educated on different types of cheese.
I think charcuterie boards are fun to make, and are the most insta-worthy appetizer in my book. They are also great for ANY occasion. Girls night with wine, bachelor night, holidays, or game night. When it doubt, make a charcuterie board!
CHEESE
The main ingredient in a charcuterie board is cheese.
There is such a wide variety of cheeses out there it can be hard to narrow down your choice to just one. My number one rule when putting together a cheese plate is to offer a variety of styles of cheeses. Try finding a combination of aged, firm, soft, crumbly and creamy cheeses.
It is okay to cut the cheese! If you are serving any hard cheeses, cut them into slices ahead of time to make it easier for guests to eat. That being said – don’t go too crazy, make sure to serve at least one cheese that people are familiar with. For a visually appealing spread, I plate an odd number of cheeses, using either 3 or 5. For this charcuterie board I used mozzarella balls marinated in oil and basil, pepper jack, brie, gouda, and sharp cheddar. There is a mix for everyone!
CHARCUTERIE
“Charcuterie”isn’t just a fun word to say, it is a fancy word for all of the meat that goes on your board. I like to use Italian cured meats such as hard salami, prosciutto, and capicola. You can roll meats such as salami to create a pretty structured look. You can also loosely pile meats such as prosciutto and in between cheeses to fill in open spaces.This is another time to try to mix up the textures.
BREADS & CRACKERS
Breads, crackers, chips, crisps – call it what you want, they all help you get the cheese to your mouth and are frankly my favorite part of a charcuterie board. I just love bread and carbs! I like to put out 2-3 options for people to decide. I usually pick up an assortment package of entertaining crackers, and then refill as need be. If you want to be real fancy, get a fresh baguette. It will be great for creamy cheeses, or frankly anything! For a healthier option, Mitch and I love Nut-Thins! They are made out of nuts, so they are gluten and wheat free.
EXTRA YUMMIES
To really take your charcuterie board to the next level, be sure to add other items beside cheese and meats. I love adding fresh fruit – I always have grapes and berries. This adds a sweet element and make your charcuterie board more colorful. You can also use dried fruit.
Be careful of allergies, but I enjoy adding nuts as well. It adds a great crunch. I found these salt and pepper cashews, and they are so yummy! Pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or honey roasted peanuts would be a great idea.
Adding small bowls or dollops of fig jam or bruschetta to your board makes it fun to build special bites and layer flavors. Adding small bowls filled with dill pickles, olives, jellies, mustards is a great way to add some zip and flavor to your board. Be sure to include small spoons for dipping.
Really the extra yummies can be whatever little touches you want or what you are in the mood for. Add some chocolate covered pretzels, or something sweet!
ARRANGING THE BOARD
Step 1) Arrange the board: Start by placing any bowls or ramekins. Plan to use them for nuts, olives, fruits, dips, etc. Avoid placing them all close together and space them out so that they are easily accessible from along the table.
Step 2: Add cheese and place crackers nearby
Step 3: Add meat
Step 4: Add fruits and vegetables
Step 5: Fill in gaps with nuts or dried berries
Step 6: Add a sprig of rosemary to add a nice scent and a cute touch!
Keep toothpicks near the board
This is the time to be creative and have fun with your charcuterie board. Here are some of my favorite charcuterie board essentials!
Check out these BEAUTIFUL charcuterie boards for some inspiration!
[…] a wine and cheese night. Make your own charcuterie board (tips here!) and conduct your own wine […]