Sweet and Savory Charcuterie Board

★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★

Charcuterie Boards Are a Party Favorite

Charcuterie boards are a go-to for entertaining because they’re easy to make, look impressive, and offer something for everyone. The mix of sweet and savory flavors, textures, and colors makes them both delicious and visually appealing.

Sweet and Savory Made Simple

This recipe gives you a solid starting point for building a well-rounded sweet and savory charcuterie board. It covers the basics so you’ll always have a reliable formula to fall back on.

Customize to Your Crowd

While this lineup works well as-is, feel free to mix and match based on what you and your guests love. Whether you’re accommodating picky eaters or adding seasonal flair, the options are wide open.

Use This as a Guide

Think of this as a flexible template. Once you’ve got the basics down, styling and building your board becomes a fun, creative experience every time you host.

★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

Here's a look at the various foods we're using to build out this board.

• Grapes. Any color! But do keep in mind that a variety or color and hues will really make your charcuterie board sing. I love bright green grapes because they add a note of freshness to the board. The bright green also really plays off of some of the other green ingredients — the pickles and olives in this case. Having varying shades of a certain color is one secret to building a cohesive looking charcuterie board.
• Sea salt caramels. Almost everyone loves chocolate so this is an easy-add item that also brings in a rich earthy dark brown color which creates a beautiful contrast with the lighter, brighter ingredients such as white cheeses.
• Gherkins / Cornichons. Also known as baby pickles! These are just so cute and easy to pick up with a toothpick and munch on. They have lovely shades of both dark and light green and a fun nubby texture. All those qualities make this a go-to item for my charcuterie boards.
• Havarti, sliced. Havarti is a very mild cheese that goes with just about anything. This cheese adds creaminess to salty meats and sweet fruits. The creamy white color also adds that eye-popping contrast against the dark ingredients. This cheese can be sliced and staggered to create visual texture.
• Almonds. Not only do almonds taste great with a sweet earth flavor, they also have a beautiful warm brown color and grainy texture making them an excellent choice for a charcuterie board. You can use other nuts instead or in addition, too. I personally also really love cashews for their color, shape and of course flavor.
• Green olives. Stuffed green olives are a great little snack. You can find so many varieties of green olives stuffed with cheese, garlic, and different types of peppers. You can also vary the size you choose if you want to add contrast in size of your charcuterie board elements.
• Brie cheese. A wheel of brie cheese is another go-to item that looks amazing with its rustic bright white rind, creamy texture and mild yet tart flavor. It pairs well with dried fruits and can be pre-cut into triagular slices for easy serving.
• Figs. You can go with dried or fresh figs. Fresh figs are gorgeous but a little awkward to eat and aren't always easy to find so dried is a nice alternative. Figs have a mild flavor and grainy texture that pairs well with cheese as well as cured meats.
• Fig spread. This is a great alternative to dried figs or can be served along with whole figs to offer a more subtle swipe of fig flavor and texture vs. a whole bite.
• Crackers. Unique artisan crackers can really elevate your charcuterie board by offering an uncommon look, texture, and flavor that surprises and delights.
• Prosciutto. This thinly sliced cured meat has beautiful color and can be rolled or folded to show off its semi-opaque qualities.
• Whole-grain mustard. This colorful yellow and brown, heavily textured mustard can be offered with a small serving spoon to easy add a dollop to your cracker before building on that with cheese and/or fruit.
• Wafers. Offering several types of crackers not only adds interest to your board, it also delights guests with yet another flavor and texture to try.

★ How to Make this Recipe ★

There's an art to assembling a charcuterie board and that's the fun of it! Add your creative spin but here are a few tips and ideas for styling your board:

• Pre-slice your cheese. This makes grazing much easier and you don't need to worry about having a knife handy. Slicing and fanning out the cheese also adds interesting texture to the board.
• Spread out the light and dark ingredients to add contrast throughout the whole board.
• Roll or fold your meats to add shapes, creating visual interest. It also makes the meat easier to serve so it's not sticking together.
• Spread out the crackers so that multiple people can access and build their snacks at the same time. Multiple stacks of crackers also adds nice texture throughout the board.
• Offer toothpicks or small tongs if you are concerned about people using their fingers.
• Break up large chunks of the same type of food. Again, this allows multiple people to access the board at the same time without having to reach. And it also spreads out too much of the same color, unifying the look of the board, and giving it a more dainty, sophisticated look.
• Use small ramekins and tiny serving spoons to hold condiments like mustards and jams.
• Stick with a natural and non-patterned serving platter. A charcuterie board already has a lot going on, so a more plain serving platter lets the food be the hero.
• Having a pattern or a wood grain on the bottom of the tray that is revealed, however, can help make the platter not look bare once things are eaten.

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★ Tips & FAQs ★

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