3 tips for the perfect charcuterie platter
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Charcuterie season has officially arrived! And while your platters are about to put in plenty of OT for the holidays, don’t forget to call them back in the game for the Super Bowl. Bite-sized foods at your fingertips are perfect for snacking and the presentation looks more sophisticated than it really is (shhh, we won’t tell!).
Here are 3 tips for the perfect charcuterie platter:
1. Pick a good base
There are plenty of fancy boards or platter options out there! We love a marble-wood mix. The wood makes it perfect for slicing cheese, meats, or other ingredients on; the marble keeps cold items cooled throughout the party.
If you don’t have this on hand, any wooden cutting board or white platter will do - even a few white plates work in a pinch!
Our faves:
Have a lot of people to feed? Snag this large double-handle wood serve board
WATCH NOW: theCityMoms chat how-to build a cheese board
2. Add the ingredients
The best part about a charcuterie platter? It’s simple to make using ingredients already in your fridge or pantry. Just peek at your shelves for inspiration! Our favorites to include are:
Meats: Deli salami, pepperoni, beef jerky
Cheese: Literally any cheese will work. Whether it’s a hard cheese like an asiago, a medium-firm cheese like cheddar, or soft like Brie, you can’t go wrong. PRO TIP: Pre-slice all cheese before placing it on the platter so it’s easy for guests to grab and go.
Vegetables: Olives, pepper slices, radishes, carrots, celery, pickles
Fruits: Grapes, sliced strawberries, dried apricots, dates, apple slices
Spreads: Include mini bowls of honey, spicy mustard, and more for dipping
Don’t forget to have plenty of spreaders and knives on hand, this set from Target is our fave!
3. Arrange like a pro
Once everything is on the platter, it’s time to start arranging and accessorizing. (PRO TIP: Any ‘wet’ ingredients like peppers, olives, or fruit should go in mini bowls to avoid getting your dry ingredients wet.)
Have fun with this step! Layer crackers in a line like pictured above or stack them on top of each other in a pattern. Cluster your cheese cubes together and add some fun fancy toothpicks. Or try your hand at a decorative salami rose - it’s so easy to make:
BONUS: Charcuterie can get salty so have drinks on standby for your crew. We love arranging them on a cute tray and adding straws - this makes them easy to snag.
For the kids: Try Virgil’s Zero Sugar Handcrafted Sodas with all-natural sweeteners
For the adults: A canned cocktail like these pictured from Monaco Cocktail are easy to snag from Drizly and contain 2 shots in every can
