In our home, charcuterie is a lifestyle—meaning a regular meal. For those who don’t love that word or are scared of pronouncing it (shar-coot-er-ee, but I totally throw in the “ch” sound), consider this a post about fancy meat and cheese boards! I learned about the word charcuterie at my first job out of college from one of my classy coworkers. I have been addicted ever since.
Since Ryan and I first started dating, we’ve been all about spending time together over wine and charcuterie. Now that we entertain so often, we are known for throwing together meat, cheese, and goodness boards for guests to snack on until dinner is ready (which is always late behind our red door).
I have a hard time doing these halfway, so please enjoy some of the boards I’ve put together over the past 6 months or so. I’m certain there are real standards for putting a true charcuterie board together, but here are some guidelines for how I create my amateur boards:
- Start with cheese.
There are few things in life that we love more than goooooood cheese. We usually grab at least three different flavors/consistencies – think soft, hard, and wild card cheese – but it’s all personal preference. I love soft cheeses like goat and creamy brie, so at least one of those (or a hybrid like the goat cheese brie Ryan keeps bringing home; God bless him) always makes my boards. We’re blue cheese people, so that’s usually our wild card flavor, but we’re also suckers for a great asiago with those satisfying crystals throughout. - Weave in great meat.
Pick superstar cold meats to snack on. When I’m in charge of picking the meat, I almost always have the meat counter guy at HyVee slice up some spicy soppressata as thin as he can (more fun to eat that way, in my opinion, and easier to twist around when styling). Then I grab some prosciutto and call it good. If you’d like more recommendations, message me and I’ll consult with meat man roomie Ryan. - Cut up bread or add in a bunch of water crackers.
Not everyone loves water crackers, but we do. I think they are the perfect vehicle for getting delicious flavors in your mouth without overpowering them! Very strange to type out, but I’m all about them. Obviously, yummy French bread is another great option. - Incorporate jams and spreads.
This is often overlooked, I feel, but is a GAME CHANGER. Red pepper jelly with asiago cheese will change your life. Creamy goat cheese and rich blackberry jam is phenomenal. Adding in jellies, jams, spreads, whatever, encourages those enjoying the board to get creative! - Raid your snack closet/fridge for extras.
If you’ve got grapes, throw them on the board! Raspberries or blackberries are also awesome flavors to pair with sharp, savory cheeses on a board. Nuts of any kind are great for boards, as well as salty olives. I don’t care for olives myself, but they’ve always been a hit when I incorporate them for guests and Ryan.
If this was a very overwhelming post for you, we get it. We’ve discovered what we like by trial and error, but highly recommend consulting someone at a meat and cheese counter. If you have access to a HyVee, some of the updated ones have full charcuterie counters with experts ready to give recommendations. Ask questions! We all start somewhere. And if you’re in the Des Moines area, go to Gateway Market. The cheese counter is heaven on earth (but expensive).
Are you a charcuterie fan? Or did this post inspire you to become one? Let me know! I want to be as helpful as I can be. But, I’m hungry now. Off to go raid our cheese drawer! Thanks for stopping by!
