Charcuterie fans, unite! I have teamed up with a great group of bloggers to share more than 50 simple charcuterie boards for all occasions and seasons of the year. We have sweet grazing platters, vegetarian charcuterie boards, vegan charcuterie boards, Trader’s Joe’s charcuterie boards, ideas for a small charcuterie board for two or three, pancake charcuterie boards for breakfast or brunch – you name it! Additionally, I am featuring the cutest potluck charcuterie table idea from a friend of mine. If you are fan of grazing platters at parties, check out her idea!
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Charcuterie 101
What is Charcuterie?
Charcuterie is a modern take on the age-old finger foods served at parties. The foods are often displayed on a special wooden board in an artful arrangement. It is the modern day grazing platter.
How to Pronounce Charcuterie
Charcuterie board is pronounced shar-KOO-tree.
What does Charcuterie Mean?
Charcuterie is a French word connected to the cooking/preparation of meats and meat products.
What are the Typical Charcuterie Ingredients?
The charcuterie foods included are often nuts, cheeses, olives, special pickles, fruits, vegetables, bread bites, crackers, etc. It is typical to see beautiful fresh herbs adorned across the top or artfully tucked in. Typically, you will see some savory items along with spicy, sweet, salty, and even sour.
A board might boast tart blackberries, almonds, brie cheese, a block of cream cheese with pepper jelly over the top, sweet strawberries, antipasto, gourmet crackers, etc.
Why are Charcuterie Boards Expensive?
As mentioned above, preparing a DIY charcuterie board can become expensive. This is due to purchasing so many different items for the at home charcuterie. While these elevated snack trays can stretch to feed a crowd, it takes a lot of varied ingredients to fill it up.
Does the Charcuterie Table Display Have to Be Fancy?
For a conversation-worthy display, it can be time-consuming to get the presentation just right. Some people choose to go with a simple charcuterie board while others go all out with an elaborate display for charcuterie meats twisted and folded into floral shapes, etc.
Holiday or Seasonal Charcuterie Board Themes
Speaking of themes, part of the fun of creating a simple charcuterie board is establishing a theme and then curating your items around that central idea.
You can have a holiday charcuterie board for whichever season you are in at the time. Below you will find ideas for Valentine’s charcuterie boards (especially sweet grazing platters – loaded with all things SWEET), spring charcuterie table ideas, summer snack boards including Fourth of July, fall charcuterie boards (including Halloween charcuterie boards and Thanksgiving charcuterie boards), and Christmas charcuterie boards.
Other Simple Charcuterie Board Themes
No doubt, you can feature a charcuterie board theme around the food of a regional area. For example, have an Italian charcuterie board for a pasta dinner. Or how about a Mediterranean charcuterie board, Greek Charcuterie board, Mexican charcuterie board, Indian charcuterie board, or French charcuterie board? The sky is the limit when it comes to a cultural theme!
And while you are at it, you can also choose to narrow down your focus even more for dietary needs – a vegan charcuterie board, a Keto charcuterie board, vegetarian charcuterie boards, gluten free charcuterie boards, a low carb charcuterie board, a dairy free charcuterie board, etc.
For more fun charcuterie board themes, try bbq charcuterie board, nacho charcuterie board, dessert charcuterie boards, picnic charcuterie board, a breakfast charcuterie board (go even more narrow with a waffles board or a pancakes board).
You might want to feature a special charcuterie board for kids. For instance, you can make a sweet grazing platter made of sweet berries, cookies, and bite-sized candies. Or you can go with a combination of sweet and savory kid-friendly foods.
For game day, you could put together a football charcuterie board with all of the favorite things your family and friends enjoy for tailgating. (By the way, have you checked out my other round up post on best SEC tailgating foods?
How Much Meat is Needed for a Charcuterie Table or Simple Charcuterie Board?
According to Eat Cured Meat, six ounces of meat per person is sufficient if the charcuterie table is working as the full meal. If you plan for your guests to nibble on the charcuterie board as an appetizer before a larger meal, you can go down to three ounces of charcuterie meat per person.
Speaking of meat, check out tutorial on charcuterie board meat flowers! Such a cute touch to your snack board.
No meat? Plan a Sweet Grazing Platter
Traditionally, a charcuterie platter includes meat and cheese. However, in today’s society, you can make grazing platters out of whatever ingredients you wish. Below in the round up, you will see plenty of sweet grazing platters – made of cookies, candy, and other sweet treats.
Plan a Potluck Charcuterie Table!
If you love charcuterie boards but have realized already what many others have – that charcuterie boards are ex-pens-ive and not as easy to put together as they seem, you might benefit from this potluck charcuterie table idea! My friend’s Bunco group enjoys a ladies night once a month. Each lady takes turns hosting. My friend’s turn was February, and she typically goes with a Galentine’s theme. This is a picture of their simple Galentine’s charcuterie table.
However, this potluck charcuterie table idea can be used year round. There are so many ways it can be changed up. You can change up the themes to feature a winter charcuterie board or a summer charcuterie board. You can choose to just go with a dessert charcuterie or a simple veggie charcuterie board. The possibilities are endless.
But the best thing is that everyone pitches in! It is not just one person footing the expense. It’s amazing how one jar of those little olives and 30 of those special little crackers, etc., will spike a grocery bill! You can easily cross $75 in groceries. Even a simple charcuterie board can be pricey. If you have enough people involved, you will wind up with a whole potluck charcuterie table rather than a small charcuterie board.
Again, you can change the theme out as you wish and decorate to match the theme. Just save some space within your board or your charcuterie runner paper to pop in cute decor items for your theme.
Potluck Charcuterie Table with Bundle Assignments
I stole my friend’s idea this fall and planned a fall charcuterie table potluck style. Then, I planned another. After all, I bought the coolest bamboo charcuterie board and 2 ounce ramekins for olives and dips so I need to put them to use often, no? I love this board! Since had leftover charcuterie ingredients from the first potluck, it was just a no brainer to just plan another party!
Note: you don’t have to have a charcuterie board. You can do as my friend did in the image above and use brown butcher paper as a long table runner. Then just layer away with the food items. My charcuterie board comes with a cheese knife and spreader set stored on the inside. If you don’t a set of cheese knives, you might want to order one.
The key to pulling off the potluck charcuterie is to assign each person one item if you have a lot of people coming or a small bundle if you have a handful of people coming. My get together included six people. I tried to break down the potluck list so that each person would spend a similar amount of money. I, as the host, provided more items than the others. But you could easily divide things out more evenly if you wanted.
Here are the potluck bundle assignments I made:
- Person 1 (me, the host): pepperonis, fig spread, hummus, green olives, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, turkey, Pepper Jack cheese, fall cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels
- Person 2: 2 varieties of special crackers, Manchego cheese wedge
- Person 3: blueberries, raspberries, green grapes
- Person 4: salted almonds, Gouda cheese wedge
- Person 5: bottle of wine, jam
- Person 6: bottle of wine, special pickles
How To Plan an Organized Potluck Charcuterie Table
Obviously, the more people you have, the more items you could and should put on your snack board.
I suggest making a list of basic charcuterie table potluck bundles. In your digital communication to your guests (text thread, Facebook invitation thread, etc.), have them each sign up for a bundle. Notice, the items on this list would be for a non-theme charcuterie board. If you wish to go by a theme, you will need to think out different items for your potluck assignments.
Example for 12 Guests:
- Bundle 1: 2 types of special crackers, one package of crusty bread
- Bundle 2: One Gouda cheese wedge, 1 bundle of red grapes
- Bundle 3: One Manchego cheese wedge, 1 bundle of green grapes
- Bundle 4: Salted nuts, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots
- Bundle 5: Rolled deli turkey, 1 special sweet jam
- Bundle 6: 1 package of pita chips, rolled deli ham
- Bundle 7: 1 package of crusty bread (cut into smaller pieces), 1 special savory dip
- Bundle 8: 1 special cream cheese spread/dip, 1 bottle of wine
- Bundle 9: 1 savory dip, 1 bottle of wine
- Bundle 10: 1 package of blackberries (or raspberries), 1 bottle of wine
- Bundle 11: 1 jar of special olives, 1 bottle of wine
- Bundle 12: 2 types of special cookies
More Tips on Planning a Potluck Charcuterie Board
Typically, 2-3 hard cheeses (Gouda, aged cheddar, Manchego) plus one cream cheese spread are included. Additionally, it is great to include 2-3 savory dips plus one sweet jam or dip. As you are thinking out crackers for charcuturie boards, don’t forget to add a gluten-free cracker option. I like the Good Thins Crackers in sea salt and jalapeno and lime flavors.
You will need to play around with your bundle options, depending on how many people you expect and what your theme or non-theme is!
Pop in cute seasonal or holiday decorations to fill empty space on your charcuterie board (pumpkins for fall, small trees at Christmas, etc.)
Speaking of themes, are you ready to check out some of the best charcuterie board items on the web? Check out the submissions from some of my fellow bloggers! There are some amazing ideas – from simple charcuterie boards to colorful summer charcuterie boards to vegetarian charcuterie boards to Christmas tree charcuterie board ideas, etc. I don’t think you will find a cuter collection of charcuterie board themes or grazing platter ideas anywhere! These ideas are great to customize and use year round! You can customize them to be birthday charcuterie boards or anything else you need.
Simple Charcuterie Board Themes and Ideas
If you are looking for simple charcuterie board themes or more sophisticated ideas, check out this round up of contributions from creative bloggers around the web. You can find ideas for charcuterie boards for kids, Christmas tree charcuterie boards, summer charcuterie boards, Valentine's Day charcuterie boards, fall charcuterie board ideas, etc.
We're also featuring more streamlined charcuterie themes: vegan charcuterie boards and vegetarian charcuterie boards.
Winter Charcuterie Boards and Christmas Charcuterie Boards
These winter charcuterie boards include some creative ideas for Christmas charcuterie boards - Christmas tree charcuterie boards, Christmas wreath charcuterie boards, and other winter boards. You can even make some of these for New Year's Eve charcuterie boards!
How exciting would this Christmas fruit platter - loaded with fruit AND chocolate - be for your winter party?
How cute is this wreath Christmas charcuterie board from Little Sunny Kitchen?
This simple candy cane charcuterie board by Christmas Crafts and Recipes seems simple enough for most people to do without intimidation.
This kids Christmas charcuterie board from Tasty Oven is filled with healthy veggies and fruit as well as some red and green sweet treats.
Completely Christmas has a tutorial on this Christmas tree charcuterie board. It's almost too pretty to eat!
Swirls of Flavor goes a more simple route with layout of her holiday cheese board, but she includes more gourmet items like roasted grapes and seasoned nuts.
The holidays are made for spending time with family and friends, and that included delicious food! Make a festive holiday snack board like this one from Healthy Family Project this season and have everyone asking for more.
This New Year's Eve dessert board will pair perfectly with your New Year's Eve cocktails!
Valentine's Day Charcuterie Boards
These Valentine's Day charcuterie boards will have you looking forward to February! Fill your boards with the sweetest and cutest pink and red treats out there!
This flavorful Valentine's Day charcuterie board from Wow It's Veggie can be tweaked to suit your dietary needs. Make it a vegetarian charcuterie board or a vegan one!
This Valentine’s Day candy board is perfect for celebrating Galentine’s Day with girlfriends.
Amanda Wilen's has it right with this sweet treat board for Galentine's Day! Invite your gal pals over for some fun with friends this Valentine's Day!
If you are looking for brunch charcuterie boards this Valentine's Day, try Growing Up Bilingual's Valentine's twist on a breakfast charcuterie board.
For Valentine's charcuterie boards for kids, try this Valentine's dessert charcuterie board from Made in a Pinch.
Ottawa Mommy Club has a super festive and heart-filled Valentine's Day snack board.
Spring Charcuterie Boards
Who doesn't love a good outdoor brunch once spring arrives? Serve these amazing brunch charcuterie boards at your spring gatherings!
Enjoy this Colorful Spring Cheese Board complete with colorful fruits, yummy cheeses, salty meats, carbs, chocolate and a delicious glass (or two) of wine.
Making a brunch board is a fun way to do breakfast or brunch at your next gathering! Easy to customize so there’s something for everyone!, This waffle charcuterie board idea from That Lemonade Life serves perfectly as a Mother's Day charcuterie board. But it also works for brunch charcuterie boards for any occasion!
Summer Charcuterie Boards
Fresh fruit, veggies and loads of color - that's what summer charcuterie boards are all about!
Building a beautiful, picture-perfect charcuterie board can seem intimidating, but it’s much easier than you might think and requires almost no preparation! This summer charcuterie board is the perfect thing to serve guests or bring with you to a party!
Aubrey's Kitchen presents a Trader Joe's charcuterie board loaded with great summer vegetables and fruits. As she points out, a charcuterie platter like this can be customized for any dietary preference (gluten-free charcuterie, low carb charcuterie, etc) and for any season!
Tasty Oven does it up right for her Fourth of July charcuterie board!
This patriotic dessert board from Confessions of Parenting absolutely gives the Fourth of July vibes!
You can make the perfect simple charcuterie table for summer with these ideas from Sparkles to Sprinkles.
Can you think of a more appropriate summer charcuterie board than the Midwexican's Doritos salad charcuterie board?
How fun is this camping charcuterie board for camping parties from Let's Camp S'more? It also makes a great picnic charcuterie board.
Summer, spring, fall, and winter - a loaded s'more charcuterie board works any time! This is a festive way to display the ingredients in this popular fireside treat. Create a beautiful S’mores Board for your next outdoor party or family get together!
Fall Charcuterie Board Ideas
These fall charcuterie board ideas include cheese and wine charcuterie boards, football charcuterie board ideas.
This Fall Charcuterie Board is the only appetizer you need at any family gathering or holiday in autumn months. Filled with a mix of healthy ingredients, decadent treats and seasonal products from Trader Joe’s, it is perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving or a casual fall dinner party.
Another great tutorial for a fall charcuterie board comes from This Healthy Table. Full of fruits, crunchy staples, and berries, this snack board will be a delight this fall.
A Dash of Megnut bring another autumn charcuterie board to remind all it is the most wonderful time of the year!
Windy City Dinner Fairy brings us another great snack board idea with her football charcuterie board - perfect for tailgates!
Halloween Charcuterie Boards
These Halloween charcuterie boards bring together all the goodness of Halloween - a little sweetness, a little spookiness, and a few boos!
How cute is it that This Vivacious Life calls her Halloween charcuterie board a CharBOOterie board?! This snack tray features a variety of sweets and savories that are sure to spook and delight!
This Healthy Table brings a rather sophisticated take on a Halloween charcuterie board.
This Halloween dessert board from The Suburban Soapbox is full of color and sweets associated with Halloween.
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards
These Thanksgiving charcuterie boards are a great way to allow for light snacking ahead of the big meal.
This Thanksgiving cheese board from Homebody Eats would be a festive kickoff to your big turkey dinner.
The Thanksgiving charcuterie board from This Vivacious Life is bursting with fall flavors!
Maybe you need a kid charcuterie board for Thanksgiving? How about this turkey charcuterie with simple store-bought ingredients?
Charcuterie Table Ideas by Culture or Region
These simple charcuterie boards allow you to highlight a specific region of cultural food - Greek food, Mexican food, Italian food, and more! Set up a special cultural charcuterie table by using one of the ideas below!
This Spanish cheese board by My Kitchen Love will make you feel like you are in a tapas bar!
This Mediterranean snack board idea from My Pure Plants is overflowing with flavors!
Aleka knows a good Greek appetizer platter (Meze) when she sees one given that she is Greek. Follow her suggestions for a stunning Greek charcuterie spread.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen offers an authentic take on a Mexican charcuterie board. She shares plenty of great tips for ensuring the freshest of ingredients.
Brunch Charcuterie Boards and Breakfast Charcuterie
Brunch charcuterie boards are so fun to put together and can be used in most any celebration or gathering!
Try some pancake charcuterie boards by Natural Deets. Wow your guests with mini pancakes, fruit and bacon served in a pretty arrangement.
Veggie Desserts offers another take on a pancake charcuterie board brunch or breakfast.
Waffle Breakfast Board (Fun idea for breakfast or brunch) | Maple + Mango
Maybe waffles are more your thing? Try this waffle charcuterie board from Maple and Mango!
Maybe what you need to take your brunch to the next level is a Bloody Mary charcuterie board like this one from Amanda's Cookin'.
How to put together the perfect Mediterranean brunch platter
The Mediterranean Chick brings you both a brunch charcuterie board and a Mediterranean grazing board all in one.
Small Charcuterie Board Ideas
Sometimes, you just need a small charcuterie board. This might be a simple charcuterie board for two (think date night charcuterie). Or maybe you just want a small grazing platter for your small family for a movie night. We've even got some mini charcuterie board ideas.
Carmy shows that going with a small charcuterie board doesn't mean sacrificing presentation or quality! Make a simple charcuterie board for two, three, four or however many you wish.
The Suburban Soapbox offers a clever way to offer a grazing platter vibe with personal charcuterie trays.
For another take on a small charcuterie boards on a personal level, check out this Made in a a Pinch idea for jarcuterie - charcuterie in a jar!
Dessert Charcuterie
Oh, the good ole' dessert charcuterie! Who can turn bite sizes of sweet goodness?
Recreate Kevin Mccallister's Sundae - Easy Charcuterie Board
What a clever and fun dessert board idea from Movie Nights at Home! Recreate the Home Alone sundae with your own dessert charcuterie setup!
The great thing about a dessert charcuterie board like this one from Boston Girl Bakes is that it can be customized for any holiday. It could also be used as a birthday charcuterie board.
Top 10 Tips For The Perfect Sweet Platter · Chef Not Required...
Follow the tips from Chef Not Required for the perfect sweet platter - the ultimate guide to making a no-fail, showstopper dessert platter for any occasion!
Vegetarian Charcuterie Boards
If you are in search of vegetarian charcuterie boards, look no further! These vegetarian charcuterie board ideas surely will be just what you need!
Follow the suggestions from Dinner at the Zoo for the freshest vegetarian charcuterie boards! This homemade veggie tray is an assortment of colorful vegetables paired with a variety of flavorful dips.
This vegetarian charcuterie board from Erica's Recipes offers three different variations of hummus and fresh veggies for dipping.
Vegan Charcuterie Boards
These vegan charcuterie boards offer flexibility in serving your guests with special dietary ideas in mind.
The Vegan Larder offers tips for how to make an epic vegan charcuterie board that everyone will love to snack on.
You won't go wrong with your vegan charcuterie boards if you check out these 50 suggestions by Vegan Blueberry.
The vegan appetizer platter from Nutriciously is almost too pretty to eat!
No Sweat Vegan brings loads of color into her vegan charcuterie board ideas.
How to Make the Best Vegan Charcuterie Board - Sugar Spice
Sugar Spice 'N Everything Nice offers a more simple charcuterie board idea - Vegan style.
I hope you find something here that can help you plan your next grazing platter!
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