The best contribution to a party or dinner table is a charcuterie board. They’re very easy to make, and when done right, are extremely pleasing to the eye. These make it look like you went all out when in reality, it’s not that much effort, and doesn’t take much fuss.
The three most important rules to follow when making a charcuterie board are: presentation, presentation, and presentation.There are very few rules when it comes to what does or does not belong on the board, anything fits. Whatever you have likely works.
Not much focus has to be put on the actual food content on the board, rather, on how it is presented.
Below are three presentation rules I make sure to follow when creating my charcuterie boards. These are written in a step by step order for building the most seamless looking board. See my finished cheese board inspo here! http://prepandrally.com/all-recipes/cheese-board/
Before we start: Get your hands on this Prep and Rally Board. It is designed for prep on one side, with a slot to hold your phone to follow along recipes. The second side is made to Rally, design, and present. Get yours now!!
Presentation rule number one: Variety.
You’ll need a variety of flavor, of color, of textures, and shapes (fold cheese, irregular shape fruits like grapes, different shape crackers).
Let’s start with flavor. The most popular charcuterie boards have meat or cheeses as the “mains”. Whichever you are using, make sure you have a few different types to choose from and enjoy. Spread those out among the board first, before you add anything else.
The next thing you should add to your charcuterie board is color. Color is very important on a charcuterie board. You want to create a vibrant scene, not a dull repetitive one. Use fruits and vegetables to give this rich vibrance. Bunches of grapes on the vine, thinly sliced red apple, cucumber or carrot sticks, pickles, and olives, make your board inviting and warm. Try not to have any of the same colors touching each other.
Dips or jams are another great addition that will add more flavor and color. 2-3 per board should suffice. Place them in small shallow bowls on opposite ends of your board. This will add more dimension to your creation as well. The following dips and sauces are perfectly fitting for a charcuterie board. They can be found in the prepandrally.com archives for annual members: cilantro lime sauce, dill pickle sauce, sriracha lime mayo, sunflower spinach pesto, tahini maple sauce, tzatziki sauce, avocado dip
Now add your crackers or bread to the charcuterie board. This is where the variety of shapes come in. These are great to eat with your mains or your dips. Pile crackers of different shapes in mounds where you have space on the board. Slices of baguette, pita, or breadsticks are great too.
Now that we have filled most of the space on the board- it’s time for Presentation rule number two.
Presentation rule number 2:
Fillers and finishing touches.
Every space and crevice should be filled with fillers and finishing touches. Nuts, seeds, berries, chocolate chips, and dried fruits fit this role. They’re not just fillers, they are also what gets easily snacked on.
Here are two delicious filler recipes that I love to add to my charcuterie board. They’re easy to make in bulk and save the extras as a snack for the rest of the week. Spiced Chickpeas Moroccan Spiced Nuts
Presentation rule number 3:
For an added touch, make it themed.
If you want to make a different kind of charcuterie board- go for it! Anything works.
Dessert charcuteries work well with a mixture of fresh baked cookies, chunky energy balls, hearty brownies, with chocolate covered pretzels and fruits for fillers. Utilize those archives if you are a subscriber.
Some of my favorites that can be found in the archives are: Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones, Zucchini Apple Muffins, Chocolate Nut Truffles, PB Crunch Bars, Chocolate Almond Butter Biscotti, PB Granola Bars, The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dinner charcuterie boards can have everything needed to make a specific dish. Falafel, burgers, sub sandwiches, or even a homemade pizza!
I think you may realize by now that I am obsessed. I promise when you try yours you will be too. Post your charcuterie or dinner boards on IG and tag @prepandrally!
