I love putting together a quick cheese or charcuterie board for a casual night with friends & even a weeknight happy hour. There are so many fancy ways to go about this & I know that it can feel overwhelming. Who wants to feel stressed about cheese & crackers? Not me! Whenever I share a board that I have made on Instagram stories I always get requests for a tutorial, and I just don't know if I am qualified for that! There are so many accounts out on the web that make the most beautiful boards and have literally made a business out of it. So, while I enjoy making pretty boards, I am no professional. I decided that I feel confident sharing tips that I use every time that I make a board and hopefully, you can find these tips helpful when you make yours!
#1 Start with the cheese
Figure out how you want to arrange your blocks and wheels of cheese on your board, and then cut them into slices that are easy to remove. It is really pretty to have just a block of cheese with a knife in it, but I have found guests have a hard time cutting it on the board and tend not to eat it. My rule of thumb is, to cut it unless it is a soft or spreadable cheese. The block can be put back together, but it makes it much easier to serve.
#2 Arrange the meats in different ways
Usually, charcuterie meat is cut in one shape, a circle. So that makes for a whole lot of circles on the board. My advice is to arrange the meat in a few different ways. This does mean getting your handles a little dirty. It's okay! You can wash them before and after! On this board, I did a rose, a fan & little quarter fold. Using different shapes fills the space differently and makes the board look more thought out.
#3 Fill empty spaces with nuts & greens
This last tip I think is the most helpful! Fill the board to the brim! Don't let any of the board poke through all of the beautiful work. I like to use a handful of nuts, chocolates, or olives to fill those empty spaces. Adding a little pop of green with an herb is the final touch. I have also used flowers straight out of my yard for this step.
Happy Cheese Boarding!
XXX
