Entertaining Made Easy: Charcuterie and Themed Meal Boards
Our family will take happy hour meals over formal sit-down dinners any day. In fact, the most popular night of our family beach week vacation is our ‘drink and appetizer’ theme night where each family prepares an appetizer and brings a signature cocktail to share. We love the relaxed, unhurried feeling that unstructured and early ‘grazing’ meals bring.
When Charcuterie and themed meal boards started gaining popularity, we were all in. We love how they set the tone for fuss-free casual gatherings any time of year -- not just during vacations. This type of dining inspires us to bring our creativity to mealtimes.
The best part about preparing meal boards is that there really are no rules… you simply choose your theme, select your favorite foods and then arrange the collection of items on a beautiful board. Many times, we start with what we have in our pantry and supplement the selection with fresh cheeses, meat, fruits and vegetables and yummy breads.
The Board makes “The Board”
The first step in preparing a Charcuterie or meal board is selecting a statement board. This is the backdrop for a beautiful appetizer, meal or dessert. There are lots of styles to choose from… oversized natural wood boards (our favorites!), large woven trays lined with beautiful textiles, natural stone and marble combinations and beautiful metal trays. Our favorite boards are the beautiful hand-crafted Olive Wood boards from Scents and Feel (various sizes and styles are in our shop). We also have several new Caro Caro wood platters from Guatemala arriving shortly (click here if you’d like us to let you know when they arrive). You can also mix in small prep bowls or decorative dishes for jams, olives and nuts add some color.
The items you select for your board will depend on the time and place you will be serving your guests. There is no such thing as a ‘standard’ board. Anything goes! Here are some of our favorite theme suggestions:
The items you select for your board will depend on the time and place you will be serving your guests. There is no such thing as a ‘standard’ board. Anything goes! Here are some of our favorite theme suggestions:
Pick Your Theme
Happy Hour and Meal-time Boards
- Traditional Charcuterie Board: Combination of hard and soft cheeses, cured meats, crackers, dried fruit and nuts with honey or mustard sauces.
- Antipasto: Italian theme with marinated peppers, onions and sundried tomatoes, vegetables, olives, cured meats, fresh Italian breads and crunchy breadsticks.
- Mediterranean: Hummus, salami, feta cheese, olives, fresh and marinated vegetables, yogurt dip and fresh pita bread triangles.
Brunch and Lunch Boards
- Bagel Board: Sliced bagels, lox, capers, sliced hothouse tomatoes, selection of cream cheeses (flavored or plain) and jams
- Avocado Toast: Sliced breads (toasted), fresh arugula, mashed avocado, hard boiled eggs, fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese
- Yogurt: Selection of Greek and regular yogurts, dried fruit (apricots and mango), granola, fresh berries, honey and mixed sunflower seeds or nuts.
- Sandwich board: Sliced deli meats (roast beef, ham, turkey), sliced cheeses (cheddar, jack, havarti), lettuce, tomatoes, selection of mustards and condiments, fresh sliced bread and rolls.
Desserts and Sweets
- Fruit and Cheese: Fresh summer fruits with whipped cream or yogurt sauce, fresh mint, hard cheese skewers
- Fondue: Pound cake squares, sliced bananas, berries, melted fondue dip (dark chocolate, gruyere cheese or caramel) for dipping
- Chocolate Charcuterie – Red or Green grapes, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, soft cheeses (brie and aged blue cheese), wafer or shortbread cookies, dark chocolate and caramels.
Cookbooks and Guides
There are lots of cookbooks and guides that give you step by step instructions for creating the ‘perfect’ board. Look for books with beautiful photos and easy to follow instructions -- we love the books that have drawings that show exactly where each recipe item should be placed. The two books we turn to for inspiration are:
Quick Gifts
Our olivewood boards also make great gifts for weddings, engagements, birthdays and housewarmings. Simply gather your favorite board and cookbook, add in a cheese knife set or prep bowls, add a gift card from your favorite cheese shop and wrap the set in a beautiful guest towel. Your guest is sure to love it!