Happy Holidays folks 🎄🎅 and tis the season for indulging 😉. I don’t know about you, but Charcuterie is one of my favorite ways to indulge.
I mean it has it all, i.e. cured meat, cheese, pickled veggies, nuts, fruit, jam and crackers. It’s also the perfect way to create a beautiful spread and hold folks over until the holiday meal.
This isn’t the first time I’ve shared my love for Charcuterie on Jackie’s Eats & Treats and I will admit that I have an obsession with Charcuterie and this tends to be a go-to on a Friday night. I’m usually inspired to create a spread when I find something delicious while grocery shopping.
The key to a great Charcuterie is providing something for everyone and enticing those taste buds, i.e. salt, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. Below you will some of my favorites for a Charcuterie Board…
- Cured meats 😋
- Salami and prosciutto are my go-to for a Charcuterie Board.
- Cheese
- I recommend a variety and including something for the cheese novice and the funk lover, some of my suggestions:
- Brie
- Smoked Gouda
- Stilton Blue
- A Mild Cheddar
- Pub Cheese or my Pimento Cheese Spread
- I recommend a variety and including something for the cheese novice and the funk lover, some of my suggestions:
- Pickled Veggies
- You can find some great pickled items at your local farm or cheese shop, get creative (i.e. Mediterranean Olives, Stuffed Cherry Peppers, Pickled Tomatoes)
- Nuts
- I prefer to serve nuts out of their shells, i.e. peanuts, cashews, toasted and/or candied pecans.
- Fruit
- You could include both fresh and dried.
- Relish/Mustard/Jam/Pâté
- This will be the item that impressives, again get creative and don’t be afraid to try something new.
- Crackers
- Again, make sure you have some variety.
Don’t forget the cocktails:
There’s no wrong way to create a Charcuterie Board, so get creative. I would suggest using a large platter or board and if your platter has a slick surface, I might suggest adding some lettuce to stabilize the items. Also you don’t want your flavors blending, so keep your pickles and/or the items that should remain on their in their own bowls or serving vessel. You can also pull those holiday serving platters out of the cabinet.
Have fun building it and enjoy the festivities, cheers 🥂