People say charcuterie boards are just grown-up lunchables… and as a true 90’s kid, I am 100% okay with that!
Before I jump into how I make my at-home charcuterie boards, let’s get one thing straight – the pronunciation! In every conversation where these come up, people STRUGGLE to figure out how they’re supposed to pronounce it.
Here it is phonetically: SHAR – CUTE – AH – REE.
I have to forget the spelling and think through the phonics every time I say it, too. And my dad calls it a “shark eatery” board… so it’s just an everybody struggle!
So, at-home boards have become a favorite of mine and Jake’s. We probably have them like once every 7-10 days. I’m a fan because they’re not really a junk food snack and they end up having some good and healthy items on them, so I don’t even feel guilty indulging.
As a side note, while I think the boards look really nice, I don’t spend an arm and a leg on them – instead, I typically purchase all of my items at Aldi for really good prices!
Here’s what I use:
- fruit
- snack meat
- sliced cheese block
- mixed nuts
- crackers
- pretzels
I always have a cutting board or tray handy to put this all together on, too.
First, I put my mixed nuts into a small ramekin or bowl and place that where I think it looks nicest on the tray or cutting board. I do mixed nuts because we almost always have them, but you could do trail mix or something similar, too.
Then I rinse off and prepare my fruit of choice. On this board, I used grapes. I think grapes are the perfect bite-sized fruit to complement the sharpness of the cheese on the board, but I also have used apple slices! (In our house, we particularly love green apple because it adds a touch of tangy-ness to the snack.)
Next, cut up your cheese. We love pepper jack and Colby jack cheese in this house but you can use anything! And if you’re in a hurry, you can grab cheese that is already cubed or even a cheeseball instead.
Next up is your meat. I often have pepperonis on hand and will use those. But you can use any deli meat or summer sausage – or, at Aldi this week, I found these spicy dried salami bites which worked perfectly. They were also SUPER good, if you like spicy snack meat.
You’ll notice that I’m particular with my placement. I just have a thing for food presentation and that’s not at all required to have a great board – but if you’re going to have guests watching a game or trying some new wine with you, I think being intentional with your presentation is always a great touch!
Next, it’s time to add your carbs! Pretzels and/or crackers are perfect for adding to cheese and meat. I like to do both if I have both handy. I’m a big fan of wheat thin-styled crackers and I especially love pretzel thins, so this time I added both to my charcuterie board.
Here’s the finished product – and I should have taken a picture of Jake’s happy face when I brought it down to the basement for him!
What do you add to your snack boards? Comment below – I’d love to hear from you!
Kate with a Twang 