Charcuterie Board Guide: How to DIY

Cheese Brothers has a charcuterie board guide to help you DIY tasty snacks, including the components, finding the best cheeses and meats, and how to arrange it all.

Charcuterie boards are visually appealing, and the different colors and textures of the components create an eye-catching display. The arrangement of the various tasty elements on the board can be creative and artistic, making it a centerpiece for any gathering. Building a charcuterie board is a great way to impress your guests and offer them a variety of delicious snacks. Once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to put together and require minimal cooking or prep work. And they can be compiled before your guests arrive.

The popular art of charcuterie combines America’s love of snacking with the rising popularity of capturing stylized photos to impress social media followers. It’s also a fun, hassle-free way to feed guests over cocktails. Charcuterie is also a “rising star” on restaurant menus. It garnered a spot on the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast.

Shop for Ingredients

Building your first charcuterie board can be intimidating. Especially if you’ve spent any time on Instagram exploring some of the options influencers share. But, creating a DIY charcuterie board is not out of reach and can be an ideal way to flex your creative muscle. Having a plentiful amount of ingredients will help improve your board’s appearance and provide an array of options for your guests. To create a beautiful and tasty charcuterie board, the first step in our charcuterie board guide is to gather all the elements you need to set your charcuterie apart.

1. Start with a board or serving dish large enough to hold all the elements you plan to include. Wooden boards, slate platters, and marble slabs are popular options.
2. Consider including a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and crackers or bread. You can also add other elements like olives, pickles, jams, or honey.
3. Cured meats such as salami, prosciutto, and ham are excellent additions. For cheeses, aim for a mix of hard, soft, and blue-veined cheeses. Some popular cheese options include brie, cheddar, gouda, and goat cheese.
4. Add a variety of fruits, such as grapes, berries, and figs. Dried fruits like apricots or cranberries also work well.
5. Almonds, cashews, or walnuts provide a crunchy element that complements the other flavors.
6. Crackers and bread can be used as a base for meats and cheeses and provide a range of textures and flavors.

If you are short on time, we recommend relying on us for unique charcuterie board ideas. Our charcuterie boxes contain all the ingredients needed to build a tasty board. They include a good variety of meats, cheeses, and other elements. Our Deluxe Charcuterie Pack has six blocks of Wisconsin cheese and four blocks of our reserve cheeses, such as Rhapsody and 8-Year-Aged Cheddar. Two black peppercorn salamis, a jar of cherry lavender jam, stone ground mustard, and classic organic crackers round out the pack. You can build your own box of cheeses if you prefer certain flavors, such as Tuscan Fontina or Wisconsin Gruyere.

Assemble the Board

After you’ve gathered all the different cheeses and accompaniments, it’s time to let your creativity run wild. When arranging the components, start with the larger items, such as cheeses and meats, and then fill in the spaces with the smaller items, like fruits and nuts. Group similar items together for a cohesive look. Adding some greenery, such as lemon leaves or rosemary, helps round out the board and gives it a natural appearance.

Remember, the most important tip is to have fun and create a board that you and your guests will enjoy. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations and textures to find what works best for you.

Plan DIY Charcuterie Board Online

Explore Cheese Brothers to find all the ingredients to build a beautiful cheese board. Our all-natural Wisconsin cheeses come in a variety of flavors, textures, and tastes. Shop charcuterie boards and accouterments before your next party.