The Holidays are Here! Serve a Beautiful Charcuterie Board at Your Holiday Gatherings

The holidays are officially here! Serve a stunning charcuterie board for two or more people for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s or for everyday snacking. Sometimes you don’t need big. Sometimes, you only need a little. You can make a small charcuterie board for just one or two people and snack on it for a few days. The cheeses and meats will store in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. All you have to do is grab some chips, veggies or crackers to complete your tiny board. Usually, charcuterie boards are enormous and unique to feed a crowd, but you can downsize a board for something special for a lovely evening at home with some sunshine and a glass of wine. Sometimes small is big!

Supplies

Instructions

Select one or two nice trays for the charcuterie board. You could use a wood cutting board, serving tray or any other flat tray. The tray is just a vessel to hold all your goodies.

Shop your pantry, refrigerator and freezer for items to place on your charcuterie tray. What’s in there that you can use on your board

A charcuterie tray is often aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Start by placing the cheese on your tray and surrounding it with crackers.

Next, transfer your jam and jelly or spread into a small bowl. This item will add height to your tray. Place the container on the opposite side of the cheese. If you are using more than one tray, place the container on the tray without cheese.

Including more than one meat is nice, but don’t go overboard here. Since this tray is for two people, two types of meat are sufficient. A good meat selection could include pepperoni, salami, capicola, prosciutto, sliced ham or turkey. Some of these meats come in a package arranged perfectly to place on a tray. You will have to arrange some meat yourself. A fun way to present deli ham or turkey is to roll it into little cigar shapes and stack it on the tray. Meats, like pepperoni, work in small piles. If you are using two trays, place one meat on one tray and another meat on another tray.

Veggies on a charcuterie tray add color. Roasted red peppers are very nice on a charcuterie tray because they do not require an extra dip. Don’t go overboard on veggies, though, because they can overpower the tray and cause it to become a vegetable tray—a whole separate kind of snacking tray. Other types of veggies that work well on a charcuterie tray are cucumber slices, olives, and small pickles, such as cornichons or sweet baby pickles.

Now that your charcuterie tray contains the main elements, you can step back and look at the blank spaces that remain. Fill those in with nuts, crackers, and dried fruit. Fresh grapes are also a pretty addition.

The only thing left to do is enjoy. Charcuterie trays are an excellent way to enjoy an afternoon of snacking and grazing. Sometimes it can become a light meal if you don’t like making dinner or lunch. You can also keep it Keto or low-carb by only including foods on the approved list of Keto foods. Take some inspiration from the charcuterie boards below. I encourage you to play with your food and get creative in your kitchen.