How To Make Charcuterie Boards (and Bacon Onion Dip Recipe)!

How to Make a Deli Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Designing the Best Deli Board for Your Holiday Party! Load it with your favorite meats, cheeses, jams, crackers, nuts, you name it!

Easy Holiday Charcuterie Plates

Are you still struggling with what to order for your next holiday party? Try the charcuterie board! Not only do these snack boards look great, but they’re quick and easy to make and can be customized to your liking. They’re also one of the best ways to feed a crowd.

Read on for my tips and tricks on how to make the best charcuterie board ever! Just grab your favorite dinner plate or plate and pile it with all your favorite treats. This will be your first choice for every vacation!

What is a charcuterie board?

A charcuterie, pronounced shahr-cute-uh-ree, is a French word that refers to the display of prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausages, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, cured meats, and jams.

A charcuterie board is a well-designed snack board that includes cured meats along with a variety of cheeses, crackers, bread and other fun additions such as jam, candied nuts, Quick Peppermint Bark Flakesand more!

What should go on a charcuterie platter?

Really, do whatever you want! That’s the beauty of a deli. You can customize it with your favorite things. Cured meats, cheeses, jams, nuts, pickles or olives, fresh or dried fruit, biscuits… you can never go wrong!

See some suggestions below.

Ok, here’s how to make a charcuterie board:

Here’s my step-by-step guide for assembling the prettiest snack board ever!

1. Start with a platter: Grab your favorite plate, cutting board, or marble slab to fill with treats. Make sure to choose one that will fill you completely. Larger for more food and smaller for more personal sized snack boards.
2. Add cheese: Aim for about 3 ounces of cheese per person. I recommend a variety of cheeses (3 or more), depending on how many people you’re serving. Try cow cheese, goat cheese, sheep cheese, hard, aged, soft, you name it. You can even use vegan cheese!
3. Add meat: Cured meats, pate and sausages are great for charcuterie boards. Again, try to choose foods that are varied and convenient to eat on the go. Roll up any larger ones so they are easier to pick up.
4. Fill with biscuits and bread: I like to offer an assortment of cookies and croutons so there is something for everyone. You can choose gluten free or not gluten free depending on your dietary needs!
5. Add some nuts: Candied or regular nuts are great additions. Arrange them in cute little bowls around a board, or scatter them around to fill in any gaps.
6. End with a sweet treat: Add your favorite fresh fruit, dried fruit or jam. Put any jam or jelly into a small bowl with a spatula for easy serving.

Tips and Dos and Don’ts for the Best Charcuterie Board

• Fill the entire board. If you are serving a large crowd, use a large plate. If you are serving a smaller crowd, use a smaller plate. When the board is completely filled it looks much better. We don’t want big gaps or open spaces.
• Add varieties. Think sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, savory, pickled… a little of everything means there is something for everyone.
• Small amounts are key. Add smaller pegs around the entire board instead of placing large pegs in one place. It makes it look more interesting!
• Stack them up. If you’re stacking, try to stack them higher rather than flatter. The deeper, the more pleasing to the eye.
• label ingredients. Make sure to add cute little labels to differentiate between different cheeses, jams, or anything that might not be obvious. That way everyone knows what they’re getting.
• Use a small bowl. Smaller bowls make the design more uniform. Large bowls will take up the entire plate.
• Cutlery provided. Make sure to add a small spoon or spreader knife for spreadable cheese or jelly. We want everything to be easy to serve. Don’t forget to plate!

make in advance

Want to prep some boards ahead of time? Arrange meats, cheeses, nuts, crackers, and jams, then cover and store in the refrigerator for a few days.

When you’re ready to serve, leave the plate on the counter for about 30 minutes, add fresh fruit, and enjoy!

Watch the video:

More Recipes Serving a Crowd

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How to make a festive deli for the holidays!

A guide to designing the best charcuterie boards for your holiday party! Load it with your favorite meats, cheeses, jams, crackers, nuts, you name it!

• author: Lexi
• Preparation time: 25 minutes
• Cooking time: 0 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes
• yield: 10 1x

condiment:

• Bacon Jam (recipe below)
• Fig Jam
• grainy mustard
• honeycomb

cheese:

• Manchego, Pepper Jack, Cheddar (hard cheese)
• Brie, Humboldt Fog, Forager d’Affinois (soft cheese)

biscuit:

• bread sticks
• gluten free cookies
• other cookies

Meat:

• Applegate Sausage
• applegate ham
• Applegate Sausage Trio

other:

• olives
• rosemary sprig
• Mini Pickled Peppers
• Pickled Artichokes

Sweet:

• apple
• pomegranate seeds
• fresh cranberries
• Candied Pecans

Bacon Jam Recipe:

• 1 Wrap Applegate Sunday Morning Bacon
• 1 Shallot
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, picked
• 1.5 tsp black pepper

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, finely diced, until crisp.
2. Drain the bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Add butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Thinly slice the onion, put it in a pot and cook on low heat for 40 minutes. Return bacon to pan.
4. Deglaze pan with ¼ cup water: Deglaze pan by adding water and scraping browned off bottom of skillet for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar, thyme leaves, and pepper, and remove the pan from the heat.
6. Serve warm over Brie or on a plate on a plate.
7. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, reheat before serving. Yields about 1 cup of jam.

This post is sponsored by Applegate. Find where to buy the produce and other easy and delicious holiday recipes at www.applegate.com. All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you will too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!