By now, you’ve probably seen that charcuterie boards are taking the food world by storm. Just take a look at all your favorite social sites and you’ll be sure to find plenty of people showing off their beautiful creations jam-packed with cheeses, fruits, cured meats, veggies, nuts, and more!
Perhaps the biggest selling point of this current trend is that charcuterie boards are completely customizable. Everyone is able to include whatever pairings of sweet and salty finger foods they love most, creating the perfect opportunity to indulge in some seriously delicious bites. However, putting together an elaborate assortment of different flavors might seem a little confusing to some. But fear not! We’ve created the best guide for making a perfect charcuterie board, including tips, ideas, and special recipes featuring our own special ingredient- honey sticks.
Ready to elevate your board-making skills? Keep reading to find out how!
Charcuterie Board Basics
Essentially, every charcuterie board has the same 6 basic components:
- Cheese: Make sure you use a great variety of cheeses to pair well with both the sweet and savory accompaniments on the board. Some popular options include Gruyere, Brie, Goat Cheese, Asiago, Parmesan, Burrata, Gouda, and Feta.
- Meat: Charcuterie boards typically call for cured meat, such as prosciutto, salami, chorizo, pancetta, soppressata, and pepperoni.
- Carbs: Carbs can be any assortment of flavored crackers, sliced baguette rounds, pretzels, toasted pita, or whatever other crunchy chip you love.
- Salt: Any savory item falls under this category! From nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, etc), veggies (cherry tomatoes, sliced raw carrots, etc), brined olives, dill pickles, and everything in between.
- Sweets: You can choose to include pieces of chocolate bark as well as fresh and/or dried fruits (mango, grapes, berries, figs, cherries, dates, apples, pears, etc).
- Dips and spreads: For the best flavor experience, make sure you include at least one savory and one sweet dip/spread to compliment the other elements of the board. For the savory aspect, hummus, tzatziki, or spinach dip are all popular options, while jelly, jam, or even just a simple honey drizzle from honey sticks for tea are perfect for the sweet component.
Ready to get started on making your charcuterie board? Just pick a couple of your favorite options from each category and you’re ready to begin assembling!
Charcuterie Board Recipes
For the most part, charcuterie boards are composed of store-bought ingredients. However, if you’re truly looking to take your board to the next level, you can opt to make your own dips and spreads for a homemade touch. Need some inspiration? Here are our favorite delicious yet simple recipes you can incorporate into your charcuterie board:
Honey Pesto
- 1 cup of fresh basil, washed and stemmed
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces of walnuts
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove of garlic from honey sticks
- The juice of ½ a lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine until the pesto reaches a smooth consistency. Transfer the pesto into a small bowl and serve on your charcuterie board.
Honey Fig Spread
- ½ pound of fresh figs, chopped and stemmed
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Bring all of the ingredients into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, remove the saucepan from the stove and allow the spread to cool down for another 15 minutes, then transfer to a blender. Blend until the spread reaches your desired consistency and serve.
Honey Whipped Ricotta Dip
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Whip the ricotta in a mixing bowl until it reaches a smooth and fluffy consistency, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together the mint, olive oil, honey, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Next transfer the ricotta into your favorite serving bowl and top with the honey mixture. Your dip is now ready to serve!
Extra Tips And Tricks
Looking for a couple more pointers for creating the perfect charcuterie board? We’ve got you covered.
And just like that, you know everything you need to know about charcuterie! Just remember to include items that taste delicious to you and you’ll be well on your way to having the perfect board.
This blog is brought to you by Bee Man Honeystix, the best spot to get your flavored honey sticks for tea, including tasty flavors like sour lemon, green apple, and cinnamon.