How to Assemble a Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards are very popular these days. When Valentine’s Day and the Big Game fall so close to each other, why not try one recipe that can be customized for either event. Here are some tips for your board and a creative way to make it special for Valentine’s Day.
1. Cheeses
Make sure to choose a variety of hard and soft cheese:
- Hard cheeses: manchego, cheddar (white or orange), Swiss, gouda, gruyere, parmesan etc.
- Soft cheeses: brie, triple cream, goat cheese, havarti, burrata, cream cheese with pepper jelly, blue cheese or gorgonzola.
2. Meats
There are so many meat options to choose from in the Sparkle Deli department! Prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, ham, cured chorizo, capricola, soppressata, summer sausage, etc. just to name a few
3. Savory Accompaniments
To offset the meat and cheese, make sure to choose a few options to balance the spread:
- Nuts: almonds, pecans pistachio nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, etc.
- Briny, pickled or marinated: hot peppers, olives, dill pickles, pepperoncini.
4. Savory Dips and Spreads
You cant have a charcuterie board without some creamy additions! Mustard, balsamic glaze, and cocktail sauce are the perfect add-ons to your board.
5. Sweet accompaniments
Along with the salty and briny features on your board, you need something sweet to go with it all:
- Fresh fruit and berries: grapes, apples, pears, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries.
- Dried fruit: apricots, cherries, figs, pineapple, mango
- Sweet spreads: fig jam, orange marmalade,
- Chocolate: a few pieces of quality dark chocolate or chocolate covered nuts.
6. Crackers
Everyone knows that meat and cheese go great with something crunchy. Choose a variety of crackers, (or even sliced baguette or Hawaiian rolls) of different shapes, sizes and flavors. Or if you’re looking for something to accompany the Big Game, set out some dinner rolls to make sandwiches!
7. Meat roses
Looking for a way to make your board Valentine’s Day friendly without only putting out desserts? Try making roses using different deli meats! You’ll need:
- One wine glass
- Sliced pepperoni, salami or ham
Take your wine glass and begin layering circles of meat on top of each other around the rim of the glass. Make sure the first layer has the least amount of slices, then adding more for each later. Start with 3 slices of meat that overlap, then the next layer 4 slices, then 5 and so on.
Once done layering, flip the wine glass onto the board, and leave the glass on until you are ready to serve. Check out our tutorial below!
