Making A Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time

For my bakery, The Flour Barn, I have made many different Charcuterie Boards. Some classic charcuterie boards for family picnics, some themed charcuterie boards for special holidays, and some giant grazing tables for hundreds of guests. I also teach a class on assembling charcuterie boards! Charcuterie is a complex combination of art, flavor and planning. A charcuterie platter is actually the perfect appetizer to make ahead, it just takes a little strategizing and I am here to help you out! So let’s make a charcuterie board ahead of time…

What is Charcuterie?

The French term Charcuterie is a term used to describe a type of cooking based on the preparation of cold cooked meats. A Charcuterie can also be a term used to describe a store that sells cold cuts. Unlike a typical butcher, the meats you would get from a charcuterie are ready to eat, making it more comparable to a deli.

But lately when referring to charcuterie, people are usually referring to Charcuterie boards. A Charcuterie board is an appetizer served on a type of board that includes great meats, various cheeses, spreads and crackers. In the same family of charcuterie boards are grazing boards, or grazing tables. These boards have the same spread-like appearance as a charcuterie board, but with less strict qualifiers. Grazing tables may include desserts, kid friendly treats, and other unique foods that do not fall into the meat, cheese, bread category. I personally view the two interchangeably when planning events for larger groups, and throughout this article may use the terms interchangeably.

THINGS TO AVOID WITH YOUR CHARCUTERIE BOARD

There are a few key things to avoid when creating a charcuterie spread.

An Intimidating board:
- New spreads or funky colors you have never seen on cheese can cause panic even to the swankiest among us. You want to make sure that even at first glance your guest can picture the first bite they are going to take. An example of this would be putting your crostini right next to the bruschetta, or the carrot stick next to your hummus. Don’t make your guests have to work too hard to understand how to enjoy your board.
Form over Function:
- So much of charcuterie is making your food look beautiful. But when it comes to food, beautiful should also mean delicious looking. Make sure you choose a cheese that matches the flavors on your board, because the most interesting looking one might also be a very stinky option.
- Make sure you think about how your guests are going to create their bite. Do not include an uncut brie round and then also not have something to spread it with. This is why I would suggest cutting your cheeses and meats into bite sized pieces for your guests.
Lack of Flavor diversity:
- Whether your charcuterie board is for an appetizer, a light afternoon snack or a meal, you always want plenty of diversity in your options. In other words, instead of having all salty snacks on your board, also have hints of sweet throughout the board.
- In turn, if you are making a dessert board, you always want some salty to peak through the sweet. A great way to achieve this would be chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate peanuts, or pretzels dipped in a sweet spread.

Key elements to a Charcuterie Board

Thrillers: This is basically the main course of the board. Popular choices of the perfect charcuterie board may be a bowl of bruschetta, a salami rose, hummus or a cast iron full of baked brie.
Fillers:These items will accompany your thrillers. So if bruschetta is your thriller, then your filler will be crostini to eat the bruschetta on and maybe some burrata cheese to throw on the crostini as well. These are great ways to add a variety of flavorsinto your board.
- Common combos:
  - Hummus: Naan bread bites, pita chips, carrot sticks.
  - Baked brie: Butter crackers, Triscuits crackers, Baguette slices (crostini)
  - Bruschetta: Marinated Mozzarella, Burrata cheese, Crostini, Toasted Sourdough, Fresh basil
  - Salami Rose: Smoked Gouda, Muenster cheese, Cheddar, Butter crackers, Triscuits crackers.
Spillers: These are items that don’t directly pair with any items but add to the overall board. This can include fresh fruits, chocolates, candied nuts and dried fruits.

Preparing your Board Ahead

Meats

On classic charcuterie board we often see meats like salami, prosciutto, ham and sometimes hardier meats like summer sausage. When preparing meat products for your board you want to think about two things: retaining the freshness of the meat and preparing the meat to be easy to eat.

–If you are preparing only a couple hours before your event: You can simply cut, design and place your meat on to your board directly. You will then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge with other items such as cheeses and fruit.

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: You can still cut and design your meat and simply store in an airtight container.

What do I mean by cut and design? An example would be a salami rose. This provides great visual interest to a good charcuterie board and is easy to make ahead and store in a container. In addition, you can cut your summer sausage or hard salami into slices, as you do not want to leave you guests with this task. Other combinations of meat may include separating thin slices of salami or prosciutto so that it is easy to assemble on your board, this can take longer than you expect.

Cheeses

To some, the best charcuterie board is simply a cheese board filled with a variety of cheeses. And boy are there plenty of cheeses out there; soft cheeses, hard cheeses, blue cheese, goat cheese, cheese wedges, spreadable cheese and the list goes on! But do not feel intimidated because it is still a simple process when making ahead.

–If you are preparing only a couple hour before your event: You can simply cut, design and place your cheese on to your board directly. You can then cover it with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge with other items such as meats and fruit. I will suggest you lay some plastic wrap around your cheese separately and then again covering the whole board with an additional piece of plastic wrap. This will prevent any other flavors from being absorbed into your cheese.

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: The big fear is that all your flavors will start to taste like each other. You do not want a mozzarella that taste like salami, and you don’t want ham that tastes like blue cheese. Soft cheeses are more at risk for absorbing other strong flavors. To avoid this, store in a separate container from other fragrant items. You can still cut and design your meat and simply store in another airtight container.

Another factor to note about cheese is that it actually tastes best at room temperature. So, if the board is all prepped and in the fridge, I suggest getting it out 30 minutes before guests arrive. If you are waiting to put the board together, give your cheese platter 30 minutes to reach room temperature.

Fruits

Fruits are perfect for adding different colors as well as a variety of flavors to your board. Whether it’s clusters of grapes, a bunch of cherry tomatoes or large, beautiful strawberries, fruit is sure to make your guests’ mouths water.

Fresh Fruit

–If you are preparing only a couple hours before your event: You can go ahead and wash your fruit and dry it very well. Then cut it how you would like it to be consumed; separate the grapes and cut the strawberries (although I prefer the look of a whole strawberry). Then you can assemble this directly onto your board along with the meats and cheese and cover with plastic wrap.

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: You can still wash your fruit and cut it how you are planning to eat it. Then I would suggest placing a paper towel in your airtight container and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fully assemble your board. Again, the fear is that all your flavors will start to taste like each other.

Dried fruit

– Dried fruit can be placed on the board at any time. They do not absorb other flavors easily at all and are perfect for when you are prepping a charcuterie board ahead of time.

Carbs

Your meat and cheese selection are significantly enhanced by good crackers or baguettes to pair them with. Although these are the least perishable items you have to be concerned about, they do lose their freshness the fastest. Crackers, pretzels and crostini should always be packaged until the last minute. This should not hold you back too much though. Simply place your packaged crackers where you intend to have them, and then right before your event starts, unpackage your crackers and let the fun begin. If you are having slices of sourdough bread or baguettes with your board, have your slices of bread in a bag until right before it’s time to assemble. Or better yet, leave the bread to be cut until right before you assemble. With everything else properly prepped, you are left with an easy setup.

Other Items to Consider for Easy Prep

–Fresh Bruschetta: This a great recipe that gets better sitting in the fridge. Perfect for when you want to prepare your board ahead. Once prepared, place in the bowl you’ll serve it in and keep in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. When it’s time to set up your board, simply get it out, place the bowl on your board and wow your guests!

-Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs are great spillers on a board; they provide beautiful color as well as aromatics. Simply get them out last minute and tuck them into any empty spots on your board.

-Butter Boards: This new trend is perfect for prepping ahead. You simply prepare the butter on your board and then store it in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Then you decorate with all the items you have to accompany the butter; mini scones, croissants, sourdough….

–Baked Brie: This is a showstopper that you pop in the oven about fifteen minutes before guests arrive and place on the board gooey and warm.

Best Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time

Wood Boards

Wood boards are beautiful for charcuterie because they add a perfect texture. However, they can absorb flavor more than other boards. Make sure you are using a hard wood such as oak, walnut, acacia, maple, mahogany. Soft woods like cedar, pine or spruce may start to absorb the smell of your combination of meats or harder cheeses. In addition, they could impart a smell to your food. HERE is a very classic charcuterie board option.

Marble boards

Marble boards are less likely to absorb or put out any smells. However, they can react to acidic elements such as tomatoes and lemons. So if you have acidic items on your board for an extended period of time, it my negatively affect your board. One solution is to wait until the last minute to place any acidic items on it or place them in a separate container and place it on top of the board or beside it. HERE is a beautiful option for a marble charcuterie board.

Slate Boards

Slate boards are an underappreciated option. They don’t absorb or give off smells, they don’t corrode, and they are very pretty. They also hold temperature well, so if you have to place your board in the fridge for a bit, when you get it out it will remain cold for a while. HERE is a great option!