Simple Guidelines For A Charcuterie Board That Satisfies Every Craving!

Variety and Availability Rule at House on Blackridge.

Something we always like to keep in mind when creating an epic snack board, keep it realistic sister! A good board should be completed after a good satisfying rummage through all the cabinets in the kitchen.  Grab the sweets, grab the salty, grab the creamy and don’t forget the crunch!  This board is really meant to bring together interesting levels of flavor without adding to your level of stress.  Experiment with what you have instead of running to the store! Clean up leftover snacks by doing this every month!! Your friends and family will look forward to that monthly nosh session. Just think about the autumnal board you can have with the spicy flavors of fall! We are having a Pumpkin Carving Party and so a fall board will be brought out after for a fulfilling feast!

First thing is first, get your cheese on!

Any good board has at least 2 – 3 types of cheese, we recommend choosing cheese that will be suitable for your crowd, kids and teens may prefer some sharp cheddar and buffalo mozzarella, for a little more sophistication, think about adding something a little bit stronger such as blue or swiss or a creamy baked brie.

Now, of the boards we enjoyed the most, they always include a sweet and a savory topping, any kind of fruit jam or butter you might already have in the fridge and a mustard (spicy if u like)  or herbed oil will go a long way with bringing up the flavor of the cheeses and meats.

So, Let’s talk about those meats!

So, this is where we want to bring the contrast in flavors, so try to pick at least one kind that most people will enjoy, such as a smoked ham or dried beef.  Some type of salami might be just the thing or you could try a new type of sausage that you spied at the deli. 

And then on to our favorite… Accompaniments!

Let’s really work those cabinets! Olives, nuts, pickles or relishes, pesto!

Bring the heat, bring the salt, bring the yum! What about adding some hummus and then chopping up that left over cucumber or carrot that didn’t make it in the soup the other day. This is a great opportunity to use up stuff that goes to waste otherwise. Martha Stewart would be so proud of us!!

Breads and Crackers

At least 2 types of each works best, maybe a bagel chip or toasted baguette.  A salted cracker or one with some herbs, really whatever you have on hand should be good for this. Breadsticks work good for this too, since they can be dunked into flavored oils or dips. You really can’t go wrong with a snack board because there is so much variety, there is something for every taste.