10 Minute Savory Charcuterie Board

One of my absolute favorite things to make for parties, get-togethers, dinners, or even just snacks, are cheese boards. They’re seriously the perfect option for a quick and easy assembly and an even easier time serving! Especially for gatherings and holidays like New Year’s Eve, cheese boards are my go-to because not only are they beautiful spreads to display as a host, but everyone can just pick at what they want to eat off the board, rather than feel forced to eat larger dishes or deal with more elaborate foods. In honor of 2021 being just around the corner, I’m sharing this gorgeous board filled with savory cheeses, flavorful meats, and hearty fillers - no matter how big or small you’re celebrating this year, this board is the perfect way to ring in the new year!

The main factor I like to focus on with any food board I make is variety. Trust me, variety is the key to making your board look full and appetizing! You want lots of different colors, textures, and flavors spread out all over your display to keep people’s eyes moving, and to keep things even throughout the board. I’ll go a little more in depth about each category of foods I have on this particular board below, so keep reading for more tips, tricks and advice on food board styling!

The Cheeses

Cheese is arguably my favorite food ever, so I love to experiment with different kinds whenever I get a chance to. Seriously, my favorite section of the grocery store is where all the expensive imported cheeses live - I could browse for hours on end. I love sharp, hard cheeses, but I also like trying new soft cheeses, too; for this board, I used pepper jack, sharp cheddar, a soft herbed chèvre (goat cheese), and a big hunk of horseradish and smoked bacon cheddar. I always try to choose different colors, textures, and flavors in cheeses as well, so even though these choices are all mostly white, they still have different consistencies and cuts to give variation in appearance.

The Crackers

You always need some sort of crunch on your board, and crackers are the easiest way to get it! Along with everything else on your board, we’re looking for - you guessed it - variety. I like to find unique crackers to try out, and there are usually some awesome options by the specialty cheeses (again, best section of the store - don’t @ me). I used long rosemary and sea salt baked crackers, sea salt and cracked pepper pretzel crisps, and fig and olive raincoast crisps on this display, and they were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Get creative with your cracker choices to bring that crunch to your cheese board in a unique way!

The Accompaniments

Once you have your three main components of your cheese board, you’ll want to fill in the empty spaces with smaller accompaniments. These can range from fruits and veggies, nuts, olives, pickles, breads, dips like honey or jam, and more. You don’t want to go overboard with your accompaniments, but rather choose a handful that really tie your theme together, whether it’s a savory board, a sweeter board, a dessert board, etc. For this board, I wanted to keep things very savory rather than sweet; I went with a crusty baguette, red grapes, tangy olives, sweet and sour pickles, and dried fruit/nut mixtures. I find it more appealing to stick to a certain theme for your board, but you can ultimately choose whatever accompaniments you’d like!

Ingredients & Equipment

You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this savory cheese board:

• Salame calabrese
• Pepperoni
• Capocollo
• Cheddar cheese
• Pepper jack cheese
• Horseradish and bacon cheddar
• Herbed chèvre (ball)
• Raincoast crisps
• Baked sea salt crackers
• Pretzel crisps
• Baguette
• Grapes
• Olives
• Pickles
• Mixed nuts
• Dried fruits

Customize This Recipe!

There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:

• Choose your favorite meats & cheeses. Capocollo, pepperoni, salami, prosciutto... use whatever cured meats your heart desires, as long as they can fan out, stack, or fold nicely! Do the same with your cheeses - triangles of gouda, cubes of cheddar, a big block of crumbly gorgonzola... you name it.
• Find a new wine for pairings. Half the fun of making a cheese board is choosing which wines to serve alongside it! Hit up your local grocery store or winery to find a new bottle - lots of brands even give pairing suggestions on the back to help out.

Kitchen Tips:

• Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
• Presentation is everything. This is your chance to grab that funky cutting board you've been eyeing at the store, or to break out that marble slab you've been saving for special occasions! You actually don't even need a cheese board - a cutting board, serving tray, or large plate will do the trick.