Easy Mini Charcuterie Board in 15 Minutes - The Foodnom (2024)

Why not have something nice for a light weekend brunch, or serve your guest amazing food? Get your hands on this mini charcuterie recipe. It requires a few simple ingredients that are readily available at your home.

Here, we will guide you through the easiest way to prepare your small charcuterie board at home and enjoy it as brunch, lunch, or dinner with your friends or family.

What is Charcuterie?

Charcuterie is an appetizer that can light up the menu of gatherings, parties, and even a simple weekend lunch at home. This name is an advanced version of saying “meat and cheese board.”

You might find it hard to pronounce when you hear the word “Charcuterie” for the first time. So, let us make it easier for you. It’s pronounced as ‘shahr-coo-tuh-ree.’ It is a French term and refers to its tradition.

If we talk about its look, it delivers an adequate representation of your favorite food items like meats, cheese, fruits, veggies, cookies, and some dried goods, including a bowl of jam and spread.

It makes a perfect meal for a starter or appetizer in restaurants or hosted parties, or you can have this mini charcuterie board as a brunch as well.

How to Choose a Perfect Board for Charcuterie?

There are many different options available when selecting a board. You do not have to go for the fancy luxury boards you see in other images. Yes, they make your platter elegantly unique, but they can get you out of budget sometimes.

We have some more accessible options that you should try. It could be something already present in your kitchen. Let’s find out!

• Dinner plate – perfect for the servings of 4-6 guests.
• Salad plate – useful for less quantity and can be a good meal for 2 people.
• Charger plate – great for gatherings with 6-8 people.

Besides that, you can also try a bamboo cheese board and knife set to make it look more lavishing.

Ingredients You Need for Simple Charcuterie Board

If you think this recipe requires some hard-to-find ingredients, stop stressing! You only have to gather a few already available items at your home which are also super easy to find.

Cheese:

A charcuterie board is incomplete without the cheese. Here are some options for cheese from which you can select the right one according to your preference.

• Parmesan cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Stilton cheese
• Burrata cheese
• Soft goat cheese

Since we are preparing a small charcuterie board, keep the varieties of cheese between 2-3.

Meats:

The meaty flavor is essential in most recipes, and if you make a charcuterie board, you can add different kinds of meats of your choice. It can be:

• Prosciutto
• Salami (thin)
• Rillettes
• Soppressata
• Speck

If you make a charcuterie board for 2 or 3 people, you should use only two kinds of meat. You can definitely go for 4-5 meat flavors if the amount is more extensive.

Cookies:

It’s normal to find cookies in your pantry; use the salted ones in a charcuterie board to give a snack touch. You can also use mini toasted pieces of bread if cookies are not available.

Other kinds of crackers, like baguettes, will also work great on this small charcuterie plate.

Jams and Spreads:

If you like dips in your meal, then go for it. Adding these items will enhance your meal greatly. It’s up to you which flavor you choose; remembering the other ingredients on a board, add sweet or savory jam.

Be creative in including your favorite items. We all like honey, mustard sauce (which works great in baked meatballs), and other spreads. So, try it with your mini charcuterie board and enjoy it with other included ingredients.

Fruits and Veggies:

Grab your favorite fruits or veggies and fill up your charcuterie board. You can choose dried fruits like cashews, peanuts, almonds, and many more.

Besides that, cucumber slices, fresh thyme, or sliced carrots will perfectly enhance your meal. Moreover, you can add small-sized fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or grapes to light up the colors of your charcuterie.

How to Set Up a Mini Charcuterie Board

When you have all the ingredients and a selected board, start preparing! Follow the steps below and create an attractive charcuterie board in 15 minutes.

Step 1: Plant the Cheese

Flatten the cheese into large slices and place them on the board. You can also cut them into a triangle shape, or if you have chosen a hard cheese, cut them into small pieces, be creative!

Place the cheese on the opposite sides of the board instead of putting all pieces next to each other. Leave a flexible space for other items, so it does not make your board look congested.

Step 2: Add Jams and Spreads

Next, add jams and spreads of your choice. Remember to use only two kinds because it is a small charcuterie board. You can use mini bowls for this step.

Jams can be sweet or savory, depending on your board’s theme. The same goes for spreads; you can use any flavor, whether it is spicy or sweet. Place these things in a small bowl on the board beside the cheese.

Step 3: Coat the Meat

Since you are preparing a mini charcuterie board, we recommend using only two kinds of meat of your choice. For example, soppressata is thick, and salami can be thin.

Now grab thick meat after cutting them into a coin shape and make a spiral or flower-like design from thin beef. Place them around the cheese and bowl filling.

Step 4: Insert the Fruits and Veggies

It’s time to give your charcuterie a fresh look and fill up the empty spaces. Add the fruits and veggies. You do not have to use an enormous amount necessarily.

Cucumber and carrot slices, grapes, and berries can do wonders. Carefully place them in the empty spaces around the corner or middle.

Step 5: Adjust the Cookies and Enjoy!

Finish up your small charcuterie board by making salted cookies to balance the meal. You can alter the positions anywhere, put 2-3 in the middle and rest on the other side.

To stay healthy, you can also add some dried goods like cashew, almond, or apricots.

Once you are done, garnish the whole charcuterie board with fresh herbs, thyme, and basil, or you can go for olives. It will wrap up your meal astoundingly!

5 Easy & Helpful Tips for Making a Simple Charcuterie Board:

1. Ensure that you remember the number of servings and adjust the amount of food accordingly.
2. Layer the large-sized items at the start and add other minor ingredients.
3. It’s essential to add fruits and veggies to make your board showy and refreshing.
4. Always select the items first before starting to prepare the board.
5. Make the charcuterie board right before you serve it.

Serving Ideas

When your mini charcuterie board is ready, serve it with a few utensils essentials. Although this meal does not require it, you might need it for some purpose. For example, if it is a two-person serving, then:

• 2 forks
• 2 plates
• 2 knives
• 2 napkins

If there are more guests, increase the number of these utensils but ensure that you include all of them while serving; it also shows professional chef behavior.

Besides that, you can also enjoy this charcuterie as one of the Mexican Thanksgiving Foods. Serve it with any beverages of your choice. Here are some options that you might like:

• Fresh juice
• Lemonades
• Soft Drinks
• Mint Margarita
• Raspberry Mojito

Wrap Up

If you liked this easy, healthy charcuterie board recipe, you should try it. The sudden gatherings and meetups with family or friends can become a fun day because of this mini-fulfilling meal: so delicious and so enjoyable!

Learn More: How to Assemble a Breakfast Charcuterie Board?