• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Craving California

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Five Ingredient Meals
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Healthy
    • Dinner
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Sides
  • About
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Dinner
  • Healthy
  • Fall and Winter
  • 30 Minutes or Less
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Category Home » Recipes » How to Build a Charcuterie & Cheese Platter

    How to Build a Charcuterie & Cheese Platter

    Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Modified: Apr 19, 2020 by Leigh Hyatt Anderson · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Ever see a beautiful charcuterie and cheese platter on Instagram and think “how do they do it?” Well, I’m here to tell you it’s actually pretty simple. Creating an incredible charcuterie platter, grazing board, cheese plate, whatever you want to call it, is much easier than you think! Check out my tips and tricks below!


    Charcuterie & Cheese Plate Components→

    Cheese: Variety is key when selecting cheese. I try to choose a variety of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk cheeses. I select one soft (like brie or camembert) one hard (cheddar, manchego) one aged (gouda, aged cheddar) and something funky like blue cheese or cranberry studded Wensleydale.

    Meat: The best thing to do when purchasing meats for your plate/platter/board is to hit up the deli counter at the grocery store. From there you can sample and try different meats. You can also order just as much as you need. Ask the person behind the counter for just 4-6 slices of a few different salamis, prosciuttos, etc.

    Accompaniments: A great opportunity to clean out your pantry or fridge. I always seem to have a few almonds or walnuts in the pantry and some olives and pickles in the fridge. Dried and fresh fruits are great too especially with a soft cheese like brie or goat.

    Spreads: Grainy mustard, dijon, fig jam, chutney, and honey are all great choices.

    Bread/Crackers: Choose at least two different vehicles for your meats and cheeses. A simple sea salt cracker and then maybe something with a little more flavor. I’ve been loving these Cacao Nibs and Dried Cherry Crackers. You can make your own crostini too or slice up a good quality loaf of bread.


    Tips & Tricks for Charcuterie and Cheese Platters→

    How much meat/cheese will you need? I recommend about 3oz each of meat and cheese per person as an appetizer. That’s about 4 slices of salami or prosciutto and 3-4 slices of cheese. If you’re serving charcuterie and cheese as an entree bump that numbers up to 6oz each of meat and cheese per person.

    How to Assemble the board/plate/platter: First pick your serving vessel. You can use a large plate or platter, a tray as I have used in the photo above or a wooden board. I really like to lay down a piece of parchment before I start placing the meats and cheeses. It makes clean up very quick and easy plus I think it looks nice. Check out my video below to see exactly how I assemble my platter.

    Temperature: Cheese is best served at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge an hour before you’re ready to assemble and serve. Meats should be served cold.

    Can the platter be made ahead of time? Yes, it can! You can make a charcuterie and cheese platter a few hours ahead of time just wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge and take it out 30-40 minutes before you’re ready to serve it. Leave the crackers until the last minute. They will get stale and possibly soggy in the fridge.

    Garnishes: I like to brighten up the platter with a little something green. You can use fresh rosemary, flowers or some green trimmings from your garden. This is totally optional.


    Check out this video to see exactly how I assemble a charcuterie + cheese platter→


    Infographic with a check list of charcuterie and cheese platter ingredients

    The best places to shop for Charcuterie and Cheese→

    Local Cheese Shops: Always try and support local shops when possible. Los Angeles has a few great ones like The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills and DTLA Cheese.

    Trader Joes: They by far, have the best deals on cheese. They carry a variety of great brands. I like to grab garnishes here too you can’t beat their prices on nuts and dried fruit.

    Whole Foods: Whole foods is good too. They have a deli counter with a variety of salamis and prosciuttos to choose from. They also carry all my favorite crackers.

    Costco: Surprise! Costco has a great cheese section. The only problem? The portions are huge. If you creating a spread for a large crowd then consider checking out the selection at your local Costco.


    A charcuterie and cheese platter on a rectangular tray

    How to Build a Charcuterie & Cheese Platter

    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 1217kcal
    Author: Leigh Hyatt Anderson

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz finocchiona salami (or prosciutto) thinly sliced
    • 8 oz hard salami thinly sliced
    • 8 oz manchego cheese
    • 8 oz brie cheese
    • 8 oz blue cheese
    • 1 c olives
    • 1 c cornichons
    • 1/2 c dried dates or dried apricots
    • 1 c pistachios any nut is fine
    • 3 tbsp honey
    • 2 boxes crackers or flatbreads
    • something green to garnish; rosemary, fresh flowers or green plant trimmings optional

    Instructions

    • Lay a piece of parchment on a serving plate, platter or board.
    • Arrange the cheese first on opposite ends of the platter. Slice the manchego into thin, easy to grab slices, cut the brie into 8 wedges, leave the blue cheese whole or crumble it slightly. Drizzle the honey over the blue cheese.
    • Next, place the meats in between the cheeses. Fold each slice of finocchiona in half then bundle a few folded slices together and place them onto the platter to resemble a flower.
    • Next fill in the gaps with the olives, cornichons, and dates. Last, add the crackers, flatbread and any garnishes you like. Serve immediately!

    Notes

    Temperature: Cheese is best served at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge an hour before you’re ready to assemble and serve. Meats should be served cold.

    Can the platter be made ahead of time? Yes, it can! You can make a charcuterie and cheese platter a few hours ahead of time just wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge and take it out 30-40 minutes before you’re ready to serve it. Leave the crackers until the last minute. They will get stale and possibly soggy in the fridge.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1217kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 104g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 3859mg | Potassium: 980mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1249IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 851mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did you make this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag me: @Craving_California and use the hashtag: #CravingCalifornia!

    Did you make this recipe?
    Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @craving_california and use #cravingcalifornia on Instagram so I can see it!

    Check out more great recipes below→

    Garlicky Labneh + Tahini Dip

    This creamy, garlicky labneh + tahini dip is the star of all of my crudité platters. It’s great for dipping veggies or spreading across grilled bread! This creamy, garlicky labneh dip is a staple on all of my crudité platters. Everyone loves it but no one knows what it is. It’s always a conversation starter!…

    Read More

    Fried Artichokes with Lemony Garlic Aioli

    These crispy, golden-brown fried artichokes are the perfect appetizer for and end of summer meal! The best part is they’re made with frozen artichokes so there’s no dealing with all the fuss of fresh artichokes, which let’s face it are very fussy and tedious to handle. I serve these fried artichokes with lemony garlic “aioli”…

    Read More

    Quick + Easy Homemade Crostini

    Homemade crostini are the perfect addition to your next charcuterie and cheese platter, or serve them alongside garlicky labneh dip! Four simple ingredients are all you need to make these delicious homemade crostini. These crispy little toasts make the perfect base for dips, spreads, cheeses, vegetables, or bruschetta. How to make homemade crostini→ Step One:…

    Read More

    Previous Post: « Farro Salad with Fennel, Feta and, Crushed Olives
    Next Post: Creamy Avocado Salsa »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann

      February 13, 2020 at 7:58 am

      This is so helpful – thanks!

      Reply
    2. Evan & Lauren

      February 10, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      Looks great!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published.

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Craving California!

    I'm so glad you're here! I'm Leigh and this website is where I'm sharing simple, easy to make recipes for eating well everyday! Read More ➞

    Recent Posts

    • Grilled Skirt Steak
    • Brioche Breakfast Toast with Bacon, Egg, and Chipotle Aioli
    • Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Salad
    • Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
    citrus and fennel roasted chicken thighs

    Wholesome Dinners

    • Sheet Pan Roasted Sausage with Broccolini, Feta, and Crunchy Chili Oil
    • The Best Baked Meatballs
    • BLT Pizza with Basil Pesto Ranch
    • Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
    tandoori style salmon

    Featured In

    a beige and green graphic of a phone screen showing the craving california instagram feed

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Follow

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

    About

    • Learn more about Craving California
    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • E-mail

    Copyright © 2020 Craving California

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy

    Privacy Policy