Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board - Homebody Eats (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a great charcuterie board? ›

In general, a good charcuterie board will have 2-3 types of meat, 2-3 cheeses, 1-2 fruits, 1-2 crackers, nuts, bread, pickles, mustard and a dip or spread. The deliciousness of your board depends on the quality of your ingredients. Buy USDA Organic when possible and look for meats that are free from nitrates.

About 2-3 ounces per person will be enough if the charcuterie isn't an entire meal. So you will need about 100-150 ounces in total. On the other hand, if the charcuterie will be an entire meal, then you will need about 5 ounces per person, which brings it to 250 ounces in total.

If you're serving 8 – 10 people, you will need 1 – 1 1/2 lbs of meat, and you'll want to pick at least one from each category (more on that below) . Cheeses: It's usually sliced a little thicker, so 3 ounces of cheese per person or 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 pounds for 8-10 people (roughly 3 medium-size hunks) should do the trick.

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

Here's some of the best cheese for charcuterie boards: Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago. Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar. Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.

As with everything else, we're shooting for variety in flavor and texture so aim to include at least three types of cheese. To please palates of all kinds, you can start with a milder choice like our mozzarella or provolone.

No worries! Here is the estimated amount of an ideal charcuterie per person serving: 2-3 oz meat, 4-5 sliced cheeses, and fewer additional accompaniments while presenting as an appetizer. 5-6 oz meat, 6-7 sliced cheeses, and plenty of additional accompaniments while serving as an entire meal.

What is the rule of thumb for a charcuterie board? ›

To make things easier, she generally recommends following the simple rule of three – three types of cheese, three types of meat, three types of crackers, and so forth. "A good rule of thumb is to work in threes," she said. "As long as you have three of anything on a board then I think it has enough variety."

Goodies for Charcuterie Boards

Pick out meats like Genoa Salami, Prosciutto, Bresaola, and Spanish Chorizo. Cheese like Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Chevre and Pecorino can be found in various flavor profiles. Don't forget to include some fun pick-ons like dried fruits, olives, crostini, crackers, nuts, and jams.

The most important elements of a charcuterie board are meats, cheeses, savory accompaniments, sweet accompaniments, and crackers. Cheeses: choose a variety of hard and soft cheese, and cheese made from different animals (cow, sheep, goat).

There are no limits to your charcuterie board items and decorations. Add in some fresh herbs – I love using rosemary, fresh thyme, basil along with many other herbs. I absolutely love accessorizing with flowers, or even edible flowers which can really help elevate the look of your feast!