How to make a simple DIY charcuterie board for easy entertaining at it’s best.
Whether you have an intimate gathering of two or a wedding with 200 people, a charcuterie board is a fun way to serve up snacks or a meal.
OK, first of all, how do you pronounce “Charcuterie”? Shahr-koo-tuh-ree
What is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie is the art of preparing cured or smoked meats. You’ve probably had one over the years except back in the day it was called a cheese and crackers tray with some pepperoni on it. Nowadays, it’s morphed into a “snack” or “grazing” board or tray full of yummy layers with endless options. In fact, the sky is the limit when it comes to the variations you can create. You can see some of my favorite charcuterie boards ideas here.
What to use for the “board” part of the charcuterie board.
Cutting boards are a favorite when it comes to the base for one of these “cheese boards”. You can also use silver trays, large ceramic trays or plates or something fancier like at marble tray. Whatever you use, make sure that whatever you buy is “food safe” and that you make sure you use a surface that is large enough (or small enough) for the number of guests you are having so that the board looks full.
Target has a great selection of cutting board styles. you can use for your base or you can make your own…
How to make a wooden charcuterie board.
To make my wooden board, I picked up two of these wooden rounds at Home Depot. There are a bunch of things you can make with them which I’ll share in a later post. I chose two different sizes, One is 1.5 x 18″ x 18″ and the other is 1.5 x 24″ x 24″, to make it a little more interesting and give me more options when it comes to using them.
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Steps…
Sand both the boards down with a light grit sandpaper like 330 to remove any loose pieces. Wipe down well to remove all of the debris.
I wanted to make the wood darker but stain was out because as I mentioned above, it needs to be food safe. I chose to use coffee to stain the wood.
It’s super easy and you don’t even need that much coffee. Make a small batch of strong coffee, let it cool, dip a clean cotton rag in it and wipe it on. Let it soak in a bit and then wipe off.
3. Let the board dry thoroughly.
4. Once it’s dry, apply a coat of mineral oil to seal and protect the wood. You’ll also do this with a clean cotton rag. By the way, mineral oil is great to have on hand to keep all of your cutting boards conditioned and in good shape.
I also wanted to raise the boards off of the table a bit so I added “feet”. I wanted the smaller board to be higher so I used these craft finials I found at Lowes. You can find something similar on here on Amazon.
We simply drilled holes in the board and screwed them in. I also stained them with the coffee. Super easy and cute!
For the large board, I used these cute little wooden drawer pulls. I’ve used them before on small cutting boards. They are super cheap and are the perfect height.
This was a bit more work because we needed two way screws. We added the screw to the pull, drilled a hole in the board and screwed them in.
These boards are so versatile. You can also use them by themselves and for a centerpiece base on your table. I think I may add handles to them. too, at some point.
What to put on a charcuterie board.
Whether you make it a meal or an appetizer, there are literally ton’s of charcuterie board recipes, or combinations of things, you can do. Remember, there are no rules, so have fun with it! It’s kind of like decorating, you pick a themeand then add lots of color, layers and textures. A charcuterie board doesn’t have to be expensive. I picked up a lot of my ingredients at Walmart and our local grocery store and used store brands. Just make sure you have tried the products before and you know you like them. It’s not a good idea to try something for the first time when you’re serving it to guests.
Tips for setting up the best charcuterie board.
Choose a theme or color story. I did this one for fall and tried to stick to creams, burnt orange/gold and dark reds.
Have a variety of colors and textures and shapes.
Wash all of your fruit and cut it up the day before along with all of your cheeses, pepperoni etc., roll any sliced meat and store in baggies or containers.
You can also lay the board out ahead of time by placing the baggies of cut up veggies etc. around the board where you want them. Take a picture so you remember how you set it up. Then when it’s time to set up the day of the event, you can do it quickly. Place all of your utensils and ramekins on the board ahead of time as well.
Use ramekins or small dishes in similar colors for things other than sauces like olives, small berries, nuts.
Use tongs and toothpicks for easy grabbing
It should look full but don’t pack everything so tight your guests have a hard time picking up what they want.
Talk about easy entertaining!
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Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be stuffy or difficult. Charcuterie boards are a great way to add something different to your appetizer or meal plan and there are so many ideas out there so get creative and have fun with it. The possibilities are endless!
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