Whether you’re entertaining guests this holiday season or were chosen to bring an appetizer to a holiday gathering, a charcuterie board is a season staple. These decorative platters are overflowing with delicious accoutrements from cured meats to soft cheeses, seasonal fruits to dips and spreads. And with a little bit of guidance, you can create your own drool-worthy board to impress even the snootiest of in laws.
Lisa Khasvongsinh of Lisa Spreads MM has three go-to cheeses you’ll see on just about every board she creates—brie, gouda, and Manchego. She also recommends having a minimum of three to four meats so guests have options. While catering to what’s in season, she has three big rules before crafting the perfect party platter—know any allergies ahead of time, make a checklist to stay organized, and always have enough to go around.
Lisa’s Top 10 Items for the Perfect Holiday Board
- Have three to four meats such as prosciutto, salami, dry capocollo, and cured sausages/salami.
- Crackers with dried fruits or nuts baked in will help compliment cheeses and add festivity.
- Bake the brie on the platter of add a wine-soaked cheddar to the mix.
- When it comes to dips, opt for honey, seasonal spreads, and hummus.
- Dried fruits such as apricots, cranberries, figs, and orange slices add color and texture
- Fresh, in season fruits like grapes, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, persimmons, pomegranates, plums, kiwi, figs, and pears all make good additions.
- Veggies add a healthful element. Choose cucumbers, tomatoes, colorful baby carrots, and bell peppers. And don’t forget the squash and pumpkin!
- For something extra, include an assortment of olives, cornichons, and stuffed grape leaves
- With allergies in mind, add an assortment of nuts
- The right size board! Bigger parties may even benefit from a grazing table.
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