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Charcuterie boards — or cheese platters, as I like to call them — provide the perfect snack before a big meal. When I was invited to a potluck, I told everyone I had the appetizer covered, because I knew how to *wow* everyone while putting together a pretty simple platter. Let me just say that is was a hit and I will gladly do it for all the events that I am attending. People love having a selection and being able to graze eat, which is probably my favorite thing about this trend.
Now, you can go big or go home when it comes to these platters. I didn’t go big but I didn’t go home either — I made it look super aesthetically pleasing, all while keeping it simple and affordable. Let’s get down to the basics and make you the life of the party with the prettiest platter of them all.
What exactly is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie is the art of preparing and assembling meats and other meat products. I personally like the name “grazing tables/platters” better as it can appeal to so many people from vegetarians, vegans, and more, since it does not always have to be meat.
Above all, it’s a beautiful art of crafted food that is perfect for the Instagram aesthetic. Depending on how you’re preparing and making it, it will take you some time to cut up everything and style it perfectly.
The fun part about your charcuterie board? Bringing it to life. From the vibrant colors of the food to the different textures, you can really make a platter pop.
What should you include?
This is totally up to you and who you’re serving! For example, I am in a family that loves meat and cheese, but I have a sister that is a vegetarian, so I wanted to make sure it appealed to everyone.
For starters, you will typically want different types of cheese. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, and/or cheeses that you know your guest will eat. I feel like some directions make it hard because they want to get to the specifics of certain things but you need to work with what people like. I was able to get all of my cheeses (about 5 different types) from the grocery store for $12-$15.
Generally, meat is always a winner. I went with a meat pack that my local grocery store had because it was $5.99 and had about twenty-four pieces of meat. which worked out for about 10 people. I also bought a summer sausage, as that is always a winner and can be chopped up.
For fruits, I went with what would be easy for people to grab and eat. Strawberries and grapes were on my tray but you can do so much from blueberries and blackberries to orange slices and kiwis. For instance, a rainbow of fruit on one of these boards is definitely out there on Pinterest and more than likely, delicious.
Lots of grocers and local markets have cracker packages with an assortment of crackers for anywhere around $5. As you can see, there are many different cracker types on this board and they all had their own taste. Plus, the pita chips and Italian bread are included and were adored.
Last but not least, condiments. I went with hummus as it was easy to scoop into the mini bowls. Not going to lie, I wanted to throw in some Nutella and Jam. But, I just didn’t think it would transport well.
Where to shop?
As I mentioned above, my local grocery store is my go-to for projects like these. The cheeses that I selected were under $3, some were around $2. For this project, I knew it could get out of hand as this was my first experience making this board.
Here’s my breakdown:
- Colby Jack – $1.84
- Mild Cheddar – $1.84
- Cheddar Ball – $3
- Mozzarella — $2
- Gouda — $3
- Pepperoni – included in 3 pack for $5.99
- Ham – included 3 pack for $5.99
- Summer Sausage – $2
- Hummus $4
- Pita Chips $2
- Crackers $4
- Grapes $3
- Strawberries $2
- Total: $34.67 for 10 people to eat
You can find different selections at different places around you, from large grocery chains or local markets. I would definitely window shop the different prices by checking out prices online — that’s an easy way to price check without leaving your couch so you can plan ahead.
Certainly, your future guests will thank you later. This is the perfect treat for all events — housewarming parties, baby showers, bridal showers, engagement parties, etc. By all means, you can’t go wrong with this choice.
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