Fall in love with the Perfect Valentine’s Charcuterie Board
Crafting your Valentine’s charcuterie board can be easy to do and fun to put together even for someone less than gifted in the kitchen. Charcuterie boards are all the rage right now; there are so many options for piecing together something tasty and beautiful. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to build your board and show you some of my favs that I’ve found by scouring the internet.
Posted to Pinterest by Hidden Hills Homes
What is a charcuterie board?
According to Wikipedia, it’s is an appetizer typically served on a wooden board or stone slab, either eaten straight from the board itself or portioned onto flatware. It features a selection of preserved foods, especially cured meats or pates, as well as cheese and crackers or bread.
Types of charcuterie boards
There are lots of different board types to choose from depending on the type of gathering you host. They usually include things like meat, cheese, and crackers. I have seen people getting more creative though lately with things like a grilled cheese board, meat skewer boards and even mini personalized boards that each guest can hold individually and snack on.
Classic Charcuterie board
Assorted types of cured meats
Various cheeses (soft, hard and blue)
Nuts (walnuts, almonds pistachios)
Dried fruits (apricots, apples and figs)
Crackers, baguette slices, pita chips
Pic above posted to Pinterest by thebakermama.com
Cheese boards
A variety of artisanal cheeses
Blend of soft cheeses like feta, Brie and gorgonzola or spreadable like herb Boursin
Blend of hard cheese-like cheddar and gruyere
Cheese-stuffed peppers
cheese stuffed olives (I love the blue cheese kind)
Honey or fruit jelly
sweet nuts
variety of crackers
Dessert charcuterie board
Chocolate-covered strawberries
Assorted candies and truffles
cookies or shortbread
Nuts and dried fruits
Marshmallows
warm chocolate fondue (be sure to include the sticks for dipping)
Meat charcuterie board
Variety of cured meats
Things like prosciutto, genoa salami, chorizo, ham and cured sausages
Spicey mustard
ketchup or other dipping sauce
mini pickles or cornichons
Mediterranean Charcuterie board
Feta and olives
Hummus or tzatziki
Pita bread for dipping
Grape leaves
Sweet sliced peppers.
Breakfast Charcuterie Board
smalls waffles or pancakes
fresh fruit arranged aesthetically
bowl of syrup or peanut butter
mini muffins or donuts
green grapes
Seafood Charcuterie Board (never seen one, I now want to try this!)
Smoked salmon or trout
Shrimp cocktail
Marinated mussels
Creamy seafood dip
Water crackers or crusty bread
savory dips
Holiday-themed board:
Seasonal cured meats (such as turkey or ham)
Festive cheeses (cranberry-infused or spiced varieties)
Holiday-shaped crackers or homemade Christmas cookies cookies
Peppermint bark
Mulled wine or spiced cider
Kentucky Derby Board- I live in Kentucky so I must include
My friend hired a company to do this board for her Derby party and it’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen. (Pictured above) It took up the entire table. They laid it all on parchment paper and it was beautiful. For yours you need:
All the goodness of a regular board
Horse themed figurines
Red roses
Mint for garnish (a nod to the mint julep)
Candy Board
chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates
conversation hearts
bake some sweet cookies and add candy to the top
chocolate dipped pretzels
any leftover candy from Christmas that you want to get rid of, you could always cut it to disguise the holiday theme if it’s obvious
chocolate hearts and chocolate truffles
Feel free to mix and match these boards’ elements to create your customized charcuterie experience!
Designing your Valentine’s Charcuterie Board
.First, you need to choose the right board to place all the deliciousness on. The sky is the limit here. You can use a wood cutting board, stone slate, marble options, a large platter, or even a bourbon barrel like I do sometimes. I live in Kentucky so what do you expect? Home Goods has a ton of beautiful boards that won’t break the bank. It’s one of my favorite stores ever.
Use Unique “boards” as the base for all the Valentine’s charcuterie
It’s also trendy right now to use cardboard letters that you can find a Michaels or Hobby Lobby. You fill the letters with fun treats and spell out something simple like, “love” or “xoxo.” You want to remember to balance colors and textures for an appealing presentation. The picture above is especially adorable as you’ve got your fresh fruit, soft cheese, meats and cheeses inside what looks like a traditional Valentine’s heart shaped box of chocolates.
Personalize your Valentines charcuterie board
Don’t forget to personalize your board for your group. If it’s a Galentine’s get together you might want to incorporate more feminine ideas and treats. For your husband, maybe some heavier food like sausage, heavier cheese and real roses.
Cheese hearts are a no-brainer addition. You can either freestyle cut it or use a heart shaped cookie cutter. I think my favorite part though is the addition of the meat that looks like roses. You begin rolling the salami or ham and before you know it you’ve got your perfect Valentine’s charcuterie board.
Play around, don’t aim for perfection
We’re talking fruit, meat and cheese. There are no rules here for your Valentine’s charcuterie board. The above picture is the perfect example of that. The board looks like a bouquet that’s got its fill of food with perfectly plucked strawberries and actual baby’s breath blended to make it look even more floral. A flawless recipe for charcuterie success.
Make it easy to consume
If you host a lot of parties, you might have noticed guests tend to not eat a ton. I’ve found this to be the case many times over, and yet I still order or make too much food. I have a phobia about running out of food so I’d just rather have too much. When people are socializing and especially when they’re holding a drink, a lot of times they prefer to eat something small and manageable – as opposed to say a big meatball sandwich.
That’s why I love the picture above of the champagne flutes filled with cheese and cured meat. People can easily hold these while they’re talking or set them down on a nearby table to sip their drinks. Guests can also simply take them home with them. You can also fill small bowls with fruits like strawberries and other snacking items.
Conclusion
Remember nothing says, “Happy Valentine’s Day” like a Valentine board. It doesn’t have to take a lot of prep time or money. Literally throw some food like fruit, cheeses, chocolate, anything with a heart shape, and themed candy onto a platter and you’ve got yourself the perfect board. Don’t overthink it and have fun.
Other Valentine’s day fun
If you want other fun Valentine’s Day-themed ideas like Valentine’s nails click here. Also, don’t forget to put your Valentine’s Day decor in your home. For simple decorating ideas to elevate the romance in your home, click here.
Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
