19 Unique Charcuterie Board Ideas and Themes (2024)

FAQs

19 Unique Charcuterie Board Ideas and Themes? ›

No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

There are a few that I would stay away from eggplants, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, zucchini and mushrooms. Many of these vegetables taste best when cooked, and Charcuterie boards generally don't include steamed or cooked veggies.

A balanced board should have a range of complementary flavors and include cheeses along with meats. Pickles, olives, jams, fancy cut fruit, fresh veggies, crackers and nuts are all great items to include. Beyond that, the sky's the limit!

After all that meat and cheese, you're going to need something to balance those rich flavors. Cairo suggests accenting the board with acidic pickles, crunchy nuts, whole grain mustard (Maille is his favorite brand), tinned fish, and something sweet like quince jam or a drizzle of honey.

Here's some of the best cheese for charcuterie boards: Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago. Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar. Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.

What should you not put on a charcuterie board? You'll want to avoid overly juicy fruits whose juices will run across the board and turn your crackers and bread soggy. Skip fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and tomatoes and stick with grapes, berries, and apples or dried fruits.

The most popular charcuterie meat is capocollo, a thin Italian pork cold cut, which is most popular in 15 states, including Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Following closely behind in 14 states is pâté, a variety of different meats ground together to create a meat paste.

What is something special for a charcuterie board? ›

Grapes are a favorite on a charcuterie board for a reason — they don't oxidize, they are fine room temperature, and they love meat and cheese flavors. And don't forget seasonal fruits; in late summer peaches and melon are a revelation with prosciutto and Brie!

Start by adding structure with little dishes, then place your ingredients on the board starting with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats, followed by smaller items like crackers and fresh produce.

To add flavor and texture, consider adding some accompaniments like olives, pickles, nuts, fruit, and crackers or bread. Arrange the items on the board – Once you've selected your meats, cheeses, and accompaniments, it's time to start arranging them on the board.

Add savory and sweet accompaniments.

For example, mustard, briny foods and nuts near salami and sopresseta, and sharp cheeses like parmesan. Pair sweet accompaniments like fresh fruit, jams, and candied nuts, near the brie cheese or goat cheese. Cheddar cheese pairs well with savory and sweet.

Stick with cuts of meat shaved from a larger piece of meat, like prosciutto or cured, thin-sliced ham, as opposed to blended meat like salami.) The flavors can be paired with the cheeses or chosen for their unique qualities, but always aim to have something spicy, something smoky, and something unexpected.

3 Starches: we like Taralli (a traditional Italian cracker almost like a small, circular breadstick), Artisan Crisps by Rustic Bakery, and baguettes from Gilles Baguettes.