The main ingredients for a charcuterie board are meats and cheeses. I like to get a variety of Spanish and Italian meats and a mix of soft and hard cheeses. Goat cheese and brie and great options for soft cheese. Some good, crowd-pleasing options for hard cheese would be cheddar, gouda, and a spicy cheese like pepper jack.

Some other good snacks for the board are fruits. I include fresh and dried options, like grapes and dried apricots. I also love to add olives in a small cup so the briny juice doesn’t leak all over the platter. You can also add nuts to the platter, but with nut allergies in the family I always make sure to put them in separate cups or off to the side of the board.

Arranging the charcuterie board is the most fun! I like to start with a wheel of brie smack in the middle of the platter. It may be because brie is my favorite cheese, but I think brie centers the board nicely. Then I place the meats in different piles on the board, making sure to spread them out. I try to fluff them a bit so they are easier to grab with tongs or a toothpick. They stick together if you leave them lined like they are in the packaging. Next, I spread out my cheeses, doing my best to have hard and soft options from any angle. I fill in the rest with my fruit and olives, trying to spread out the colors so the platter is balanced. For example, I don’t put my white cup of olives directly next to the brie, and I don’t put the orange apricots next to orange cheese. It just makes the presentation nicer when the colors are distributed throughout the board. Finally, I take fresh herbs to line the different foods so there’s not too much cross-contamination. This ensures people can take anything off the board as well as offers a nice green color to the platter.

I typically serve the charcuterie board with fresh sliced baguettes and various crackers. These can be put on the side, or if you don’t have quite as much variety on your board, you can place them right on.

I love the versatility of charcuterie boards. They allow for creativity and are easy to create with things I can store at home. I keep meats, cheeses, and olives in my fridge, apricots and crackers in the pantry, and we usually have fruit. If someone stops by to visit unexpectedly, this is a great spread to put out that will make your guests feel special.