Charcuterie Boards are not all that new!

My parents were great parents! They were VERY busy but always tried to balance family time with adult time. Monday nights, I had piano lessons at 5:30 and mom had Junior League. Tuesday, I had Girl Scouts and mom acted as chauffeur. Wednesday, I had no activities, so that was the night that they would have their friends over at 9:00. I would always marvel at the fact that I was going to sleep and they were just having friends over! Mom would always make a snack board which consisted of cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts and some butcher bologna. It was the 70’s version of a charcuterie board! My mom was so hip and I didn’t even know it!

What more could celebrate daily life than inviting friends over for a late evening drink and charcuterie board. So lately, I have been seeing lots of posts featuring these fantastic looking charcuterie boards. I have made many over the last few years and can tell you they are pricey! I’ve spent $100 on a board that only fed 10 for appetizers. Not so cool! With a little bit of elbow grease you can successfully put a charcutery board together that looks like a million bucks but doesn’t cost quite a much! With some artful arranging and creative “shopping” in your own house this can be a stylish appetizer that will be devoured by your guests.

First step is to find a platter on which you will arrange the food. If you don’t have a fancy wooden board or slate cheese plate, don’t fret! Get out a meat platter or cutting board. To make a simple plastic cutting board look a little more upscale, wrap it in parchment paper and tape it to the bottom. The key to a fantastic looking board is to make it look bountiful and full with different heights. Next grab a few Champagne, martini or margarita glasses and a few custard cups. Ideally they would coordinate but do not have to match.

This one is much more formal than most people would use, but if you are having a formal Holiday party, it may be an option. I always try to match my dinnerware selection to the type of party.

Does your family have a lot of ethnic pieces, then by all means, pull them out. In the above photo, I have wrapped an ugly plastic cutting board with parchment paper. See how cute it looks with the copper mule mug on top?

Here is a traditional slate board with the white and clear dishes…..it’s a more farmhouse look. As you can see from the above photos, nothing looks really cute until you fill it up with the goodies.

This was a quick meal for my family a few weeks ago at my daughters request. You can see that we put the olives in the container which they were sold, right on the board. But you can probably get the idea that you don’t even really see what the dishes are because the board is filled with food.

Here are two links to great videos on creating two different Salami Roses:

Now, moving ahead to what goes on the board. I like to choose a variety of meats, cheeses, nuts and brined veggies like cornichons and olives crackers and french bread. With regards to the meats….. they tend to be pretty expensive. So if you are trying to cut costs, the quickest way to minimize your meats and select lower costs meats. In the chart below, I have put approximate prices from my local grocery store, so that you can see what the range is.

I tend to focus more on the cheeses that are presented. I like to offer a combination of Hard and Soft cheeses and a balance of mild and sharp tangy cheeses. So for example, for the hard cheeses, I may chose a sharp white cheddar (sharp/tangy) and a smooth nutty Manchego (mild). For the soft cheese selections, a Boursin (Mild/Herby) and a goat cheese (Tangy.) For a more cost conscious option, consider making a mock Boursin or a homemade ricotta.