Recipe: How to Make a Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are such a fan favorite when it comes to appetizers or finger foods. There’s so much you can do with them, the variations are practically endless! Also, who doesn’t love a variety of cheese? If you’re hosting guests, or just want to snack on something that’ll hit the spot for a movie night, keep reading for the perfect charcuterie board (of course, you can replace things or remove things depending on allergies or taste!).

Now, for charcuterie boards we like to follow the rule, 3 3 3 3. This means, 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 sweets, and 3 starches.

For the 3 meats, we recommend salty meats like salami, ham, and prosciutto. If these don’t work for you then pepperoni is also a great and easy to find option. The salt of these is great to cut the sweet that is to come, and it adds a nice contrast to the rich and strong flavor of the cheeses.

For cheese, we like a mix of hard cheeses and soft cheeses. These will offer complex textures that you can go back and forth from so you don’t start to get bored of the options. Goat cheese is an acquired taste, and if you’ve acquired it, then it’s the perfect soft cheese addition to your board. If you haven’t, brie or havarti are both amazing options and will definitely offer the softness you’re looking for. Hard cheeses can include cheddar (of any degree), manchego, swiss, or gouda.

Onto the sweets, fresh fruit like strawberries, grapes, or raspberries are a must, but you could also use dried fruit like dried apricots or spread fruit like jams and fresh compotes. If you wanted to spice it up even further, honeycomb is such a tasty addition and goes amazing with fruits and cheeses.

Last but not least, starches. You should serve at least two different kinds of crackers. Try for some regular butter rounds, and then accompany a whole grain cracker to add a different taste and texture. For the third starch, sliced baguette is the best option because its slightly more filling, and the fruit or fruit spread would go great on it.

For serving the perfect 3 3 3 3 charcuterie board, you’ll need the perfect board. For this, Binya has a great new board in stock from The Royal Standard, and it has everything laid out for you right there! It sections everything out for your starches, sweets, cheeses, and meats, and also has a section for olives if you’re an olive lover! If not, simply fill that area with any extra goodies you think would blend well. Happy charcuterie making, and we hope you love everything on it as much as we do!