6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush (2024)

by The Rustic Brush | Blog, Guest Blogger

6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush (1)

I love to put together a beautiful meat and cheese board. Some of my friends would call me a little fanatical about it! In my opinion, it is the perfect appetizer!

I’m often asked “What is a charcuterie board?” and what to put on a charcuterie board. Here it is – all the charcuterie board ingredients. These tips will guide you to creating the best charcuterie board for your next event.

Step 1: The Platter

Making a charcuterie board starts with a really great foundation. You can find great rustic wooden boards at your local craft store or make one at a DIY Studio. I simply rinse them off with warm water, soap, sanitize and they are good to go! I also love to use marble cutting boards, vintage sliver trays, wine glasses, and even bamboo wooden cones. Depending on the type of event you are hosting, you can literally use anything you have on hand.

6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush (2)

Step 2: The Cheese!

I love to buy a nice selection of cheeses. You will want to get a variety of flavors, such as a goat cheese, brie of some sort (goat’s milk brie is a favorite), a gouda or manchego, along with an aged cheddar. This makes a lovely mix on your cheese and charcuterie board!

*A general rule of thumb is to get one soft cheese, one firm, and one hard cheese for your board. If you need help selecting just ask someone who works at the store to help you. They usually have wonderful suggestions! Leave the cheese uncut and allow guests to slice off chunks to their liking.

Step 3: Meats

I love to provide a rounded out selection of charcuterie board meats. Prosciutto, salami, coppa, calabrese and chorizo are my go-to choices. Along with the usual suspects, I also like to add in quality sliced herb-roasted turkey slices. Having this kind of a variety allows for all guests to enjoy a little bit of everything!

Step 4: Condiments

This is where you can add in some fun gourmet touches to your board. I love to use an orange marmalade and local honey, as well as other fruit preserves. Adding some honey is so good drizzled on a piece of cheese! In addition to that you can also use whole grain mustard which allows guests to create mini sandwiches.

The condiments are like accessories to your board. They really top it off!

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Step 5: Fruits, Veggies, and Nuts

Fruits, nuts, and olives are a MUST! And, let’s not forget about your veggies which are essential to the arrangement. A crisp sweet apple sliced up or a crunchy grape tastes amazing with a piece of aged cheddar on top. I love adding cream cheese to sweet bell peppers, these are my favorite!

Not only is fruit and/or vegetable a compliment to the meats and cheeses, they taste great on their own. And they are a great way to cleanse your palate.

I love a good mix of salted/or unsalted nuts which are nice to offer, along with a good selection of olives. This combination of fruits, veggies, nuts and olives make a fresh, yet tasteful charcuterie board work great!

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Step 6: Carbs

A beautiful sliced baguette, artisan crackers, and crostini add so much to the mix here. They are the vehicles to get to all this yumminess into your belly! Choose wisely, because these will set the tone for your whole spread. You’ve come so far now, so don’t skip on this step!

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Final Touches to Your Charcuterie Board

Now it’s time to get your fancy on and accessorize your gorgeous spread! There are no limits to your charcuterie board items and decorations. Add in some fresh herbs – I love using rosemary, fresh thyme, basil along with many other herbs. I absolutely love accessorizing with flowers, or even edible flowers which can really help elevate the look of your feast! Add decorations to compliment the holiday or theme of your party! Have fun with it!

Gabby’s Table is a small business in the Houston area. The owner, Gabriela Frausto, is a nutritionist with a love for everything charcuterie! When not in the kitchen creating beautiful displays of food for her customers, friends, and family, she is a loving wife and mother of three.

www.facebook.com/gabstable

gabbys.table@gmail.com

6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush (12)

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6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush (2024)

FAQs

6 Steps To A Beautiful Charcuterie Board Display - The Rustic Brush? ›

The 3333 rule applies to the number of foods to create the perfect board. To follow the 3,3,3,3 rule, stick to three cheeses, three meats, three starches, and three accoutrements.

How do you make a rustic charcuterie board? ›

  1. Step 1: Pick Out a Hardwood, Cut to Size, and Flatten. ...
  2. Step 2: Fill Any Holes or Voids in the Wood As Necessary. ...
  3. Step 3: Design and Cut Out Your Handle. ...
  4. Step 4: Drill a Hole in the Handle. ...
  5. Step 5: Sand the Live Edge and Refill Any Exposed Holes. ...
  6. Step 6: Wet the Board With Water and Sand to Final Grit.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for charcuterie board? ›

The 3333 rule applies to the number of foods to create the perfect board. To follow the 3,3,3,3 rule, stick to three cheeses, three meats, three starches, and three accoutrements.

How do you make a prettiest charcuterie board? ›

There are different ways to place the charcuterie: You can shape slices into a rose-like shape, by rolling them like a cinnamon roll. Little clumps and swirls of cured hams are easy and fun. Salamis can be rolled or folded on themselves so they stand up. The most important thing is to make them easy to grab.

What are 5 things to avoid on a charcuterie board? ›

There are a few that I would stay away from eggplants, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, zucchini and mushrooms. Many of these vegetables taste best when cooked, and Charcuterie boards generally don't include steamed or cooked veggies.

How to decorate a charcuterie board table? ›

Whether it's on your dining table or your kitchen island, a charcuterie board is a perfect base for a decor vignette. Your board can act as a tray for a variety of items. Try featuring a vase of flowers, a candle, a small fruit bowl, or a bottle of wine.

How do you make a French charcuterie board? ›

For 6 people I would choose 3-4 types of charcuterie, one type of jam, one dried fruit, one fresh fruit, 2 types of bread and then some whole grain mustard as well as tangy cornichons. Et Voilà!

What should every charcuterie board have? ›

Note: these are suggested ingredients and you should feel free to tweak them however you see fit!
  • Cured meat. Use a selection of 3-4 different cured meats for your charcuterie board. ...
  • Cheese. ...
  • Bread and crackers. ...
  • Nuts and chocolate. ...
  • Condiments and jams. ...
  • Fruit. ...
  • Garnish.
Dec 16, 2023

What are 3 good cheeses for a charcuterie board? ›

Here are the best cheeses for your charcuterie board
  • Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago.
  • Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar.
  • Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.
  • Soft cheese: burrata, mascarpone, stracchino.
  • Blue cheese: gorgonzola, dunbarton blue, marbled blue jack.

How do you make an aesthetically pleasing charcuterie board? ›

Use small side dishes to elevate some foods and keep the board neater. Then, use fruit, nuts, and chocolate to fill in the extra spaces. For garnish, use fresh herbs like thyme to add extra decorations. You can also add small sides of sauces and jams.

What is the secret to charcuterie? ›

In addition to balancing flavors (sweet, salty, sour), you also want to balance textures. For cheese, you'll want something hard, medium and soft. For meat, pair a thinly sliced meat (like prosciutto) with something a bit denser (like a salami) and something more spreadable (like a pate).

What is the best shape for a charcuterie board? ›

Round is the most popular shape for medium sized parties, and handle boards is the most popular for smaller parties of 2 or 4. Round contrasts nicely with the shapes of a lot of cheeses and crackers. It is also easy for your guests to enjoy without feeling like they're on the "back side" of the board.

How do you arrange items on a charcuterie board? ›

I like to begin arranging my boards with the cheese first, and I follow the design rule of odds (3, 5, or 7 cheese selections, depending on the size of your board). Space the cheeses apart equally on your board, followed by the meats, then fill in the remaining empty spaces with fruits, nuts, crackers, etc.

What do you need for a basic charcuterie board? ›

Note: these are suggested ingredients and you should feel free to tweak them however you see fit!
  1. Cured meat. Use a selection of 3-4 different cured meats for your charcuterie board. ...
  2. Cheese. ...
  3. Bread and crackers. ...
  4. Nuts and chocolate. ...
  5. Condiments and jams. ...
  6. Fruit. ...
  7. Garnish.
Dec 16, 2023

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