Who can resist a charcuterie board? No one. Literally no one. Which is what makes charcuterie a great party trick to have up your sleeve.

But they can be intimidating right? Every blogger you know has perfectly curated charcuterie board on their feed somewhere and that might make you feel like yours looks like you just tore the cellophane seal off of one from the grocery store.

Part of the fun is that they are so pretty (or at least they can be… ) and I am here to tell you that it is not that scary and we can do this together! I am here to help make charcuterie boards fun and delicious for you to savor and share!

Part 1: The board

You can make a great charcuterie board on pretty much anything. I have used a large baking pan, cookie sheet, plate, platter (like this marble one!), or your typical wood board like this one from Target. Any of these are a great option. I would also grab a couple of little bowls or glasses (preferably with wide mouths for easy dipping and tooth-picking.

I would evaluate the materials you are using. Mix textures like glass, ceramic, wood, & metal to add depth to your charcuterie board. Set the little cups on the board where you want to place them.

Part 2: The Shopping List

I usually pick up the following for my boards:

• 4 – 5 cheeses
  • 1 brie
  • 1-2 salty cheese
  • 1 soft cheese (I recommend goat cheese aka one of my main food groups) or cheesy dip (think Pimento cheese)
  • 1 sweeter cheese
  • add or subtract based on what you like!
• 4 meats
  • Trader Joes carries a great 3 pack of meats perfect for a charcuterie board!
  • hard salami-type meat
• Little Sweeties & toppings
  • honey (bonus if its infused like Mike’s Hot Honey or Truffle Honey)
  • fruit jams
  • onion jam
  • dried fruits
  • berries
• Little savories
  • Burst tomatoes (recipe on the blog!)
  • Olives (I would recommend sure they are pitted so people are pulling seeds out of their mouths all night & like thats just not really cute)
  • Artichoke hearts – marinated or roasted in the oven (similarly to the burst tomatoes)
  • Crackers
  • Nuts – I like pistachio for a pop of color!

Part 3: Flavor Profiles & Placement

You want to have a variety of things that mix and match together well to make it accessible for large crowds. You want probably 70/30 savory to sweet ratio.

Once you’ve tried all of your ingredients, make sure you place them by what they would be paired best with – a salty parmesan or brie next to a sweet spread or a pimento cheese dip next to the crackers. This will help your guests from reaching across one another over and over again.

Part 4: Check the balance

Okay look at the charcuterie board. Really look at it. Look at the colors. Look at the meats and cheeses. Is anything off balance?

Yes? Okay move it so it balances out across the board.

No? Cool – just checking!

Part 5: Fill in the blanks!

Use nuts, berries, and grapes (i like pistachios for a pop of color!) to fill in the blank spaces on the board!

Now you have your perfectly balanced & delicious charcuterie board!

The post Charcuterie Board Basics: Steps to make sure your board is beautiful and balanced appeared first on Alex Schin.