How to Make a Charcuterie Board (VIDEO)
Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. We’re sharing our best charcuterie board ideas with yummy flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. Charcuterie cheese board with serving utensils](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-1-728x1092.jpg)
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There are some appetizers like Shrimp Cocktail and Bruschetta that everyone loves, and this Charcuterie will impress everyone.
Charcuterie Video Tutorial:
This homemade Charcuterie Board is the perfect Appetizer and often it’s all you need on the menu for special occasions. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.
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What is Charcuterie?
Charcuterie is a display of cured meats. It has gained popularity in recent times and now includes meats, cheeses, and accompaniments that pair well with meats and cheeses such as fruit, olives, nuts, spreads, etc). When people think of charcuterie boards, they are essentially referring to a cheese board.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. Showing what is charcuterie with arrangement of cured meats and accompaniments](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-4-728x1092.jpg)
Tools for Making a Cheese Board:
You don’t need fancy equipment to make a gorgeous spread. You can even serve them directly off a clean kitchen counter. Here are some tools that make displaying and serving easier.
- A serving board – a rimmed board (we got the large board from Frontgate) helps contain everything but any cutting board, rimmed baking sheet, or serving platter will work.
- Serving utensils – you can use specialty cheese serving knives and forks or use normal salad forks and butter knives to serve.
- Ramekins – or any small dishes work well for messy or moist items like jam, honey, olives, pickles, etc.
What to Put on a Charcuterie Board:
To make the best Cheeseboard, focus on 3 things: variety, taste, texture. Variety makes a great board – add items that are sweet, salty, crunchy, fatty, savory, carb-rich, pickled and brined. See the full list of items and quantities that we used in the print-friendly recipe below.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. Cheese, fruit, nuts, and condiments arranged on a charcuterie board](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-3-728x1092.jpg)
The Best Cheese for a Charcuterie Board
We highly recommend a combination of cheeses ranging from creamy spreadable cheese to hard cheeses. These are our favorites.
- Spreadable Cheese– “Triple Cream Cheese” is super creamy. Some great options include Saint Andre (Trader Joes) or De Bourgogne (Costco). These are perfect for spreading on toasts and crackers. Less expensive options include making herb-flavored cream cheese, or you could even make a Cheese Ball.
- Soft Cheese – My favorite for a cheeseboard is Brie. It is mild in flavor, creamy, and wonderful served with honey, walnuts or pecans, and water crackers. Flavored goat cheese such as blueberry or cranberry goat cheese is great for the holidays. Another inexpensive option would be marinated mozzarella balls.
- Hard Cheeses – One of the most popular picks for a cheeseboard is Manchego because it pairs really well with fruit, crackers, and cured meats. It’s mild, nutty, and pleasant. A less expensive and very tasty option is a Vermont white cheddar which I love to dice for added texture on my board.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. 4 types of cheeses that are best for a cheese board](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-7-728x546.jpg)
Hosting Tip: Label the cheeses on your cheeseboard to make it easy for guests to select the ones they like. You can make your own or buy an inexpensive labels online.
How to Build a Charcuterie Board
To make a charcuterie board, arrange things so they are easy to grab – fan out the slices of cheese, cut grapes into small segments.
- Cheeses. Arrange them around the board. Pre-slice hard cheeses and cut a few wedges into the brie.
- Meats. Fold them in a variety of patterns. Watch the video to see how to fold meat for a cheeseboard.
- Pickled Items. Add items that require a dish so you can gauge your space.
- Condiments and Spreads. Place condiments near cheeses that pair well. (i.e. honey next to brie). Keep condiments in jars and ramekins.
- Fresh Fruit. Cut grapes into small portions and pre-slice apples, rinse, and pat dry berries. Arrange fruit with cheeses they pair well with (see notes below).
- Nuts and Extras. Place pecans or walnuts and pistachios next to brie or soft cheeses. Also add chocolate squares.
- Arrange crackers and toasts in remaining spaces or serve them in a separate platter.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. how to build a charcuterie board with cheeses, meats, condiments, pickled ingredients, fruit and nuts](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-3-1-728x1092.jpg)
Design Tip: Work in odd numbers to make it more visually appealing. For a smaller board, I will use 3 kinds of cheeses and for a large board, I use 5.
Common Questions:
Charcuterie is pronounced “shar-koo-ter-ee”
The cost can vary greatly depending (from $75 to $300) on the types of meat, cheeses, and fruit you buy. The cheese board photographed here costs about $130.
You can make a less expensive cheese board using less expensive seasonal fruit and the low-cost cheese options mentioned above. The multi-packs of cured meats can also be less expensive. We get our cured meat packs at Costco.
A rimmed baking sheet, large cutting board, or large serving platter or tray would work well.
We fold salami and coppa into halves or triangles. As you fold them arrange them in your hand as you would a deck of cards then set them down in groups. Arrange prosciutto directly on the board in ribbons.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. How to fold meat for charcuterie with 3 types of meats folded](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-8-728x546.jpg)
How to Pair Fruit with Cheese:
Place fruit next to the cheese that it pairs well with. The key to the best tasting fruit is to buy what is in season.
- Apples – pair well with most cheeses, especially cheddar, mozzarella, brie, triple cream cheese (Saint Andre or De Bourgogne), and manchego.
- Grapes – pair well with mozzarella and hard cheeses. Avoid placing them with creamy or soft cheeses.
- Strawberries and blueberries – pair well with creamy, soft cheeses like goat cheese.
![Making a Charcuterie Board is easier than you think. Sharing the best flavor pairings, and tips for arranging a meat and cheese board. Apple sliced for charcuterie with grape segments around it](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-6-728x485.jpg)
Make-Ahead:
The cheese platter can be assembled earlier in the day, covered, and refrigerated. The recommendation is to serve cheese and cured meats at room temperature. Remove the cheeseboard from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.
More Appetizers:
If you love this Charcuterie board, then you won’t want to miss these crowd-pleasing celebration-worthy appetizers.
- Deviled Eggs – so good with bacon and pickles
- Ceviche – this makes a big batch, perfect for events
- Guacamole – this one always goes fast
- Cowboy Caviar – you’ll get recipe requests for this
- Spinach Artichoke Dip – Creamy and easy, just mix and heat
Charcuterie Board Recipe
![Charcuterie Board on serving platter](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Charcuterie-Board-1-160x160.jpg)
Ingredients
Cheeses:
- 8 oz brie cheese
- 6 oz manchego cheese, cut into thin slices
- 8 oz triple cream cheese (Bourgogne), (sold at Costo as a 16 oz)
- 12 oz fresh mozzarella balls, (marinated)
- 8 oz Vermont white cheddar, diced
Meats:
- 8 oz salami
- 2 oz prosciutto
- 2 oz dried coppa
Pickled Items:
- 1/3 cup green olives, pitted
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 cup baby dill pickles, (or Gerkins)
Fruit:
- 2 cups grapes, cut into sections
- 2 cups strawberries or figs
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 apple or pear
Spreads and Condiments:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup fruit spread, (we love fig and strawberry)
Accompaniments:
- 1 cup pecans, walnuts, or pistacios, (or a variety of nuts)
- 3 oz dark chocolate bar, broken into bite-sized pieces
Crackers or Toasts:
- 4 oz water crackers
- 4 oz artisan crackers
- 1 baguette, sliced into toasts (brushed with olive oil and baked at 400˚F for 6-8 minutes)
Instructions
- Cheeses. Arrange them around the board. I pre-slice hard cheeses so they serve easier and cut a few wedges out of the brie to encourage guests to dig in.
- Meats. Fold them in a variety of patterns. Watch the video to see how to fold meat for a charcuterie board.
- Pickled Items. Anything that requires a dish such as pickles and olives goes down next so you can gauge your space.
- Condiments and Spreads. Place condiments next to cheeses they pair well with (i.e. honey next to brie). Keep condiments in separate jars and ramekins to keep the board clean.
- Fresh Fruit. Pre-cut grapes and pre-slice apples, rinse, and pat dry berries. Arrange fruit next to cheeses they pair well with.
- Nuts and Extras. I like to place pecans or walnuts and pistachios next to brie or soft cheeses. I also like to add chocolate which is delicious with cheese.
- Arrange crackers and toasts in remaining spaces or place them on a separate shallow bowl for serving.
Amazing, thank you. I made the platter for lunch today with all my in-laws; they loved it 😊
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed!
I made a board for my sisters 80th birthday. It was wonderful and easy to do. It came out great. Now I am going to make one for a holiday party. Love the tips and easy instructions on how to plan the board. Thanks
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Alyce!
Hi, i was wondering where to get the Staub dish that you have the olives in?
Thank you
Hi Janice, you can find the kitchen tools that I am using in our Amazon Affiliate Shop. Hope that helps!
Charcuterie looks like it should be 4 syllables but it’s not. The proper French pronunciation is shar-cu-tree. I have to say it kind of hurts my ears to hear you say shar-cu-ter-ee. Your boards are beautiful though!
You might want to goggle “charcuterie pronunciation” either you are wrong or everyone who does pronunciation videos including the French are…beside that, what difference does it make, really?
Where can I buy the Charcuterie Board I have looked all over .
Hi Dorothy, I have this note in the recipe, but I’ll link the board here also. We used a rimmed board (we got the large board from Frontgate) helps contain everything but any cutting board, rimmed baking sheet, or serving platter will work.
iwant your charuterie boad, byut i can not find one like yours… all the ones i see are ones with out the edge that helps keep the food on the board…
Hi Barbara, I have this note in the recipe, but I’ll link the board here also. We used a rimmed board (we got the large board from Frontgate) helps contain everything but any cutting board, rimmed baking sheet, or serving platter will work.
I found one in target, Joanna Gaines not as big but big enough
Hi Natasha, love all your recipes and copy them but wondering why I can’t copy the Charcuterie Board recipe? Please keep your recipes coming. Praying for all the people in Ukraine…God Bless them all!
Hi Debra, I’m happy to know that you are enjoying my recipes. How do you usually copy the recipes? I suggest clicking on Jump to recipe to go to the recipe card then click Save, then save the recipe as PDF.
need the measurements of your board> i am having one made for me since i can not find your nanywhere,,amazon are out of stock.
Hi Barbara, this is the board that I used.
I live in France so I used French cheeses instead of American ones. It turned out beautiful and delicious!
French cheese sounds wonderful! I’m happy to hear that you loved how it turned out. Thank you for the review, Emily.
I followed your instructions for making a charcuterie board for my niece’s bridal shower. Everyone loved them! They looked beautiful. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that, Cheryl! Thank you for sharing.
Do you ever line your wood board with anything?parchment or something else?
Hi Barbara, I didn’t but you sure can! I bet either a plastic wrap or parchment would work great to protect the wood!
What size is your charcuterie tray?
Tried to buy from your link, but they were sold out.
Hi Inna, I’m seeing it’s out of stock also. We purchased the large size: Large Palma Serving Tray (166636): 20″W x 25″ D x 1-1/2″H, 4 lbs. I hope this helps!
Can you supply the measurements for your charcuterie board used in your recipe? The one you linked to is sold out. I try to purchase the items you recommend but in this case it is unavailable. Your help greatly appreciated.
This was a great idea for Christmas this year. We made one to serve the kids, and gave them a board, cheese, meats, and home canned pickled veggies. Was great to serve. The only problem with the one you made was it did not have any Wisconsin Cheese on it. Living in Wisconsin that is a must. Some very nice 3-year-old cheddar along with the spreadable cheese. Thanks for the idea.
You’re most welcome, Randy. Totally understand about the cheese, the recipe is also so versatile so feel free to add/omit some ingredients from the list.
Where did you buy the charcuterie board you were using.?
I like the round with the rim & handle
Hi Sandee, I have a link to the one I purchased last year in the section titled: “Tools for Making a Cheese Board:”
Natasha,
Who makes a fig strawberry spread – I am in Canada and if there is a brand name it could help.
Thanks!
Hi Theresa, we got it from our local grocery store in the deli section. I bet your store may have some in the jam section also!
Thankyou, I didn’t think to check the deli area. Couldn’t find fig and strawberry but found fig and apple so will give it a try. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Natasha. I used to make a more modest charcuterie board until I ran across yours. It’s all about variety and presentation to get everyone to start noshing. This is a great tutorial. Merry Christmas to you all!
Hi Greg, glad it was so useful for you! I hope everyone will enjoy it, Happy Holidays too!
I followed your video and WOW!! Everything came out BEAUTIFULLY!! THANKS for the help 🙂 I only wish I could send you the pics!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Kim! You’re welcome to post photos to social media and tag #natatshaskitchen so I can see them! We also have VIP Private Facebook Group where my readers share photos with me!
My local grocery store was offering $100 gift certs for their Charcuterie Board contest. I submitted a picture and a link to this page and guess what! I won!! All your recipes are awesome! Thank you!!
Wow, congratulations, and good job!
Hi Natasha!
I am just discovering your blog/channel. I want to say, So well done! You are a delight to watch and the video editing is really outstanding! And of course, your recipes are down to earth and delicious! I have tried a few and will be doing a charcuterie board for Thanksgiving! So thank you for teaching us and helping us bring joy to our own families through cooking!
Charcuteries are perfect for parties, especially thanksgiving! I hope you all love it!
Just discover you on YouTube yesterday. What a wonderful and extensive list of recipes you have. You are so talented and your videos are fun to watch. I appreciate the attention to detail that you have when explaining how to cook the dishes. Some of those details would not be obvious. Thank you so much for sharing your gift.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, John!
Aloha from the land of milk & honey (Hawaii). You have a great smile and I enjoy watching some of your video’s. I’m 77 and old enough to be your father so watching you in the kitchen is like watching my doughtier in California. having said that I like your Charcuterie board idea. However I have an idea you might pass on. We have an Instant pot like yours and have the smelly order lingering on the seal ring after some foods. We wash the ring in soap and water and hang it outside in the sun to dry. The sun seems to remove all the odors and doesn’t damage the seal. We have been doing this for over a year using the same seal ring. The extra ones I bought are still in the original wrappers.
Great idea; thank you for sharing that odor-saving tip, Merrill! I’m so happy to hear you love my recipes!
This is beautiful .I love this idea. But how can it be kept cool. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I hope you try to make one of these soon!
We were hosting out of town guests, and I was looking for a “wow” welcome dish. The charcuterie board was PERFECT! I followed your presentation tips, also asking my local cheese chop for cheese suggestions. It looked like a magazine photo and was a huge hit! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Amanda!
Looks delicious! Wondering where you got your Charcuterie board? Like that it has the edge around to hold things in. Hard to find this exact board. Thanks!
Hi Becky, we used this serving board – a rimmed board (we got the large board from Frontgate).
Thank you so much!
What size is the board in the video? Do you know where I can get one? It sounds like your saying the large flat cutting board was the item you got from Frontgate. Is that correct?
Sorry…. I clicked on the link for Frontgate and found the board!
Hi Christine, we have it linked in the recipe post. Isn’t it beautiful! You can also find it HERE. We got a large one.
Fantastic video. I am inspired! My only gripe is that adding a gluten-free cracker offer still leaves the entire board inedible to anyone with celiac disease or a severe wheat/gluten allergy. As a celiac, I appreciate when my friends make the effort, but feel terrible when I still can’t eat the food. If you’ve got gluten-free people coming over, it’s very, very easy to leave all gluten-containing ingredients off the board.
Right on Nathan! I am a celiac and so I always make the charcuterie board using only gf crackers. I put wheat based crackers in a seperate basket so cross-contamination doesn’t occur – my family and friends are very conscious and careful!
Going to try this for Mother’s Day!:)
Sounds like a good plan, I hope you love it!
This is an awesome post and so glad I found it!
Thanks for the tutorials and recipe too:)
You’re welcome, Maria! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Thank you for your advice and inspiration! I created my first charcuterie board for Easter and my family loved it! Couldn’t have done it without you!
Happy Easter!
That is awesome, good job and thanks for your great feedback!
I would like the name of that derp truer you did the donut s in
Hi Kathryn, you can see the kitchen tools that I use here on my Amazon affiliate shop
Where did you get your Charcuterie board? Love your recipes!
Hi Vickie, I have that information in the post above. I’m so glad you enjoy our recipes!
Hi Natasha: I enjoy watching your videos and have tried many of your recipes and love them all. I just watched your video on making a Charcuterie board and I am wondering where you got the small glass honey container that you used? Thanks, Cherilyn
Thank you, Cherilyn and I’m happy to hear that! You can find the kitchen tools that I use in my Amazon Affiliate Shop.
Hi Natasha! The honey pot is not listed in your Amazon link. Can you please share it here! I can’t find anything even close to that pot that would look nice on the board.
Hi Lea, it’s actually a little yogurt jar that I re-used and had in the cupboard.
Thanks for appearing on my Facebook site, Love your recipes
You are so welcome. I’m so happy to hear that!
Natasha, love watching you!!! Where do I get your cheese board with handle?
Hi Marie, I have a link to the board in the post above.
Beautiful board ! Where did you get the cute honey pot?
Hi Carolyn, it’s actually a little yogurt jar that I re-used and had in the cupboard.
Hi Natasha! I have a question about your John boos block, I’ve admired it for a while now and been reading reviews. I would love to get it but the things some people post make me nervous. It seems like it’s very high maintenance which makes me wary considering I have a 14 month old and time is not on my side right now, and some seem to have different opinions on how to care for it. Some even say never to wash it which to me sounds gross especially after meat. Any insight you can give me on how you take care of your board and how long you’ve had it?
Hi Jane, I love my boos block. I always wash it but after it is dried, I apply some coconut oil or olive oil so it doesn’t dry out and get warped or cracked, but that is normal care for any wood products (cutting boards and mixing spoons, etc). I don’t think it’s overly burdensome. I love my board and have had it for around 8-10 years. I actually have 3 of them.
Oh wow that’s great, how often do you oil them after each use? I read at least once a month. What other 2 boards do you have? Is it the same 3 or a bit different?
I have one for fruit, one for meat and veggies, and one for filming that is just a different color.
When is your 2020 bloopers coming out if you are going to post them? I can’t wait! 🙂
Also your cinnamon roll recipe is the BEST! Its so so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon roll recipe Mar! Stay tuned for the video!
Hi Salma! Doing great! I hope you’re enjoying our recipes!
Hi natasha I would love if you do a croissant recipe and say for me what do you think about my suggestion
Thanks for your suggestion, Noor. That is a good idea, I’ll add that to our list.
I can’t wait for your 2020 bloopers video! 🙂 Love your videos! 🙂
Thank you for always watching my videos!
I made my first board for a small gathering (2 couples) on New Year’s Eve and posted the picture on FB. WOW, You made it fun and it looked beautiful!
Thank you and hope 2021
I’m so glad this was helpful and inspiring!! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me, Charlotte!
You inspired me to make one tonight. A bit smaller (we are only 3), but it came out beautifully. Wish I could post a picture here.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Rebeca! We love to see your photos of food! We have a Facebook group. where you can join and share your photos or post them on social and hashtag #natashaskitchen
I did a Charcuterie board last night (New Years eve 2020) and it turned out so good. Not as pretty as yours, but it was still good.
That’s wonderful! I would love to see it. If you post a picture anywhere, please tag me #natashaskitchen. Happy New Year!
My 1st charcuterie!
I hope you loved it, Carol!
Thats just beautiful!
Thank you!
Thank you again for sharing another wonderful recipe! You have made my year wonderful with all the new recipes I learned from you! Happy New Year Natasha! I’m so excited to see what you have to bring next year ❤️
YOu’re welcome, Cindy! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the tutorial:-)
Awesome Natasha! You’re cooking & tips are really useful & helpful when entertaining. Thank you.
Thank you for the wonderful review, Sonia!
Natasha. What size is your round charcuterie board used in your video. I love love your show and your recipes. You have taught me so much.
Hi Angie, we have it linked in the recipe. We purchased the large size board.
This is such a great idea for NYE! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re so welcome, Toni. I hope you love it!
Loved the tutorial. I made my first charcuterie board over the summer and it was a bit hit. Got lots of great tips from your video. Btw we love your spaghetti and meatballs recipe and meatloaf. They have become family staples. Keep up the great work you are doing!
I’m glad you loved the video. I hope that you will love every recipe that you will try!
Natasha this is beautiful. Where did you buy this amazing cheese board?
Hi Aneta, we have it linked in the recipe post. Isn’t it beautiful! You can also find it HERE. We got the large one.
Natashia where can I purchase a board just like yours?
Hi Rita, we have it linked in the recipe post. Isn’t it beautiful! You can also find it HERE. We got a large one.
Thank you so much for the quick response. You are the best!!
This is going to be so fun for NYE! I can’t wait to go shopping for all the goodies.
I hope this will become a hit! Please let us know how it goes.
Looks so good. I know my family will love this!
I hope this will become your family’s favorite! Enjoy!
Great charcuterie tutorial. Your design is very artistic and functional. Who manufactured your board or where did you buy it?
Thank you for your good feedback, John. This is the board that I used.
This is a fantastic tutorial! I can’t wait to make it! Just got to find myself one if those gorgeous round charcuterie board. Happy New Year Natasha! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes all year!
Oh that’s wonderful and thank you for that sweet compliment. I’d love to hear where you got your board. I’m sure it would help other readers since that is a common question. Happy New Year!