Classic Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board Recipe

Classic Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board

This no-cook board pairs three contrasting cheeses with overlapping salami and loosely folded prosciutto. Olives, honeycomb, fruit, pistachios, and crackers give each bite something salty, sweet, or crisp. The quantities serve 6 to 8 as a light appetizer.

Arrange the cheeses and small dishes first to give the board structure. Add the thin meat and crackers close to serving so the meat stays pliable and the crackers stay dry.

Ingredients for the Charcuterie Board

• 4 ounces thinly sliced salami or soppressata (115g)
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (115g)
• 1 small Brie wheel, about 4 ounces (115g)
• 1 Gouda or mild cheddar wedge, about 4 ounces (115g)
• 1 blue cheese wedge, about 4 ounces (115g)
• 5 to 6 ounces plain round crackers (140 to 170g)
• 1 cup mixed green and dark olives, drained (about 150g)
• 2 to 3 ounces honeycomb with some honey (55 to 85g)
• 1 small bunch red grapes, about 1 pound (450g)
• 1 small package blackberries, about 6 ounces (170g)
• 1 small pomegranate
• 1 medium orange, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup dried apricots (about 100g)
• 1/2 cup pistachios, preferably shell-on for this arrangement (about 60g)

You will also need a food-safe round wooden board, ideally 16 to 18 inches across; two small serving dishes; a knife and cutting board; and serving utensils for the cheeses, olives, and honeycomb.

How to Assemble the Charcuterie Board

1. Prepare the fruit and dishes: Wash and thoroughly dry the grapes and blackberries. Slice the orange. Cut the pomegranate to expose the seeds, reserving one half for display and loosening some seeds from the other half for guests to pick up. Gently pat juice from the cut edge of the display half. Put the drained olives and honeycomb in separate dishes.
2. Place the anchors: Set the Brie, firm-cheese wedge, and blue-cheese wedge in three distinct areas. Cut a wedge from the Brie and pull it slightly away from the wheel, then top the Brie with a few blackberries. Place the olive bowl near the center and the honeycomb dish near the board’s edge, leaving room for two separate runs of meat.
3. Add fruit and nuts: Arrange the grapes, exposed pomegranate half and loose seeds, orange slices, dried apricots, remaining blackberries, and pistachios in recognizable sections. Keep cut fruit and any juice away from the spaces reserved for crackers.
4. Add meat and crackers shortly before serving: Overlap the salami rounds in a long row. Fold the prosciutto into loose loops in a separate cluster rather than stacking it flat. Fan the crackers along dry outer edges. If the board is crowded, put extra crackers on a separate plate.
5. Set out serving tools: Provide separate knives for the Brie and blue cheese, an olive spoon or picks, and a spoon or dipper for the honeycomb. Let the cheeses lose their refrigerator chill for about 20 to 30 minutes before eating, counting time spent out during assembly. Serve promptly.

Choosing and Serving the Meat and Cheese

Salami rounds make an overlapping row, while thin prosciutto forms airy folds. Presliced meat works well; if buying from a deli, ask for thin slices. Another thin cured ham can replace the prosciutto. Keep either meat covered and refrigerated until final assembly so its edges do not dry out.

The Brie wheel, firm wedge, and blue-veined wedge should remain distinct rather than being cut into a mixed pile. This board contains 8 ounces of meat and 12 ounces of cheese for a light appetizer. Increase the meat, cheese, and crackers if it will be the main food for the group.

Serving the Honeycomb, Fruit, and Nuts

Keep honeycomb in its own dish so honey cannot reach the crackers. Ordinary honey works if honeycomb is unavailable, though it will look different. The cut pomegranate half gives guests a view of the seeds; the loosened seeds are easier to serve. If the pistachios are shell-on or the olives have pits, set out a small discard bowl.

For another appetizer, serve roasted sweet potato rounds with honey and feta alongside the board. Soft sweet potato rolls can be offered separately if you also want bread.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Wash and dry the fruit and portion the olives and honeycomb ahead of time. Keep perishable ingredients covered and refrigerated until assembly, then add the meat and crackers near serving.

Do not leave the board at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F (about 30°C). Promptly refrigerate safe-to-save leftover meat, cheese, and fruit in separate covered containers, following package dates. Keep crackers dry and separate; discard any that have become damp. Do not save perishables that have exceeded the room-temperature limits. The assembled board is not suitable for freezing or reheating.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 6 to 8 light appetizer servings: 500 to 660 calories, 20 to 27g protein, 28 to 37g fat, and 51 to 68g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of edible food: 205 calories, 8g protein, 12g fat, and 21g carbohydrates. Amounts vary with brands, cheese selection, olive pits, pistachio shells, fruit yield, and how much of each item guests eat.