How To Build a Charcuterie Board Without Breaking the Bank

Home + Dine

Mar 13

A Charcuterie Board can seem bougie or expensive, but we’re here to tell you it doesn’t have to.

We call them our dinner party insurance policy. Seriously, it helps us gain a bit of time if people show up early or we’re not quite ready. Plus, when we’re feeling a bit lazy or don’t know what to make for dinner, yep you guessed it, a charcuterie board is usually the answer.

Getting good at this simple skill makes entertaining a breeze, so today we’re gonna spill the beans on how we whip up our charcuterie boards.

You can make a board as fancy as you’d like, but most of the time our boards are honestly pretty simple. 2-3 meats, 3-4 cheeses, a pile of crackers, and a few handfuls of things we pull from the pantry and fridge. I’m here to tell you that it’s easier than you think to create a delicious one on a budget, and just as good for a Monday night Bachelor viewing as a 30-person shindig.

Chances are, you already have most of what you need for a delicious and elegant cheese plate waiting in the kitchen.

Before you make a trip to the grocery store, look to see what you have in your fridge and pantry. This is the perfect opportunity to use any rogue cheese blocks, olives, pickles, nuts, jams or spreads. You’ll assemble a delicious board – and clean out your fridge at the same time.

The secret lies in finding a few select ingredients to elevate your board and then balance them out with more affordable elements.

Here’s our secret sauce… Make one cheese be your splurge.

Plop it on the middle of the board, and let it be the star. Maybe it’s a large hunk of beautiful parmesan with some pieces crumbled out for easy access, or a beautiful wheel of brie piled with fruits. With one specialty cheese, they won’t notice if the others are a little less standout.

Cut a more affordable cheddar or gouda into long thin slices that can be stacked up or fanned out. Seriously, no one has to know if you want to pull out a Cracker Barrel log you got at Costco. They’re going to be distracted by that pretty brie. Buy an entire wheel, they’re cheaper than you’d think. Drizzle it with honey and sprinkle some nuts on top, slather it with an interesting jam, or pull off a magic trick and wrap it in puff pastry and stick it in the oven.

We like always keeping a whole wheel of brie and a few hard cheeses tucked in our fridge because they keep longer than softer cheeses, and that way we’re always ready for some last-minute hosting. Add them to your grocery list so you’ll have something on hand to create a board with at a moment’s notice. Plus, you can always grate them into pastas, soups, or sauces, so you don’t need to fear wasting anything.

Now, let’s talk meat.

Our favorite thing to have on hand is hard salami — you know the slice-yourself-kind that looks like a log and is shelf-stable. With this on deck, you’re ready for any surprises. If we’re planning a party we love the 3-pack of charcuterie meats from Trader Joe’s. It’s super affordable and gives a great variety without wastage. If there isn’t a Trader Joe’s in your area, just ask at the deli counter for about 3 oz. your favorite meats, thinly sliced.

Go crazy with garnishes.

If you want to make your board look fuller (and maybe a little healthier), a good trick is to pick up fresh fruit or veggies that are in season and sprinkle them around. Strawberries, pears, grapes, sugar snap peas or radishes will do the trick. Often we’ll have one board out with meat and cheeses and another with a few good veggies paired with a simple hummus or green goddess dip. We also always like having a jar of cornichons or olives on hand. Nothing fills out a board faster than a little dish of olives or marinated veg. If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, keep their vacuum-packed duo olives on hand. They’re under two bucks, shelf-stable, and just the right size for one party with no leftover half jar to worry about.

It’s all about eye candy.

This isn’t exactly novel, but we really do believe that presentation is key. Take an extra minute to make it look inviting and it will genuinely not matter what you put out, you’ll get oohs and ahhs. This is one of the many reasons we love having wooden cutting boards on hand. Virtually any food looks good on them, and it has just the right amount of ease to not look particularly fussy when you pull one out and drape it in prosciutto. Who doesn’t love multi-purpose in the kitchen!

If you’re feeding a crowd, you may want to look at our Pinterest board for recipes and ideas for easy party go-tos, and then pull out any antique platters or small boards you have on hand to serve them on. While we’re at it, you should totally start a box of party napkins. The best time to buy them is on clearance after a major holiday or at TJ maxx-type stores. No matter what your style and where you want to start, thinking a bit ahead about what you have in your home and small supplies you can begin collecting makes that last-minute dash so much easier, and makes you look a bit like a rockstar at a moment's notice.