Goodbye Large Spreads, Hello Single Serving Charcuterie Boards
Charcuterie boards – the gorgeous spread of fruits, nuts, cured meats, and cheeses that keeps popping up on my Instagram and Youtube feed. They’re not your boring old cheese boards with nothing but cheese. They’re the new, trendy way of displaying cheeses along with a wide variety of culinary delights.
During winter break, my family jumped on the trend and made charcuterie boards every night from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It was quite the experience. We were always looking for inspiration online and changing the style of the spread. The items were also constantly being swapped out, so we could try new pairings and find out what we liked.
I honestly felt like I was becoming an expert at making charcuterie boards. Maybe a PhD in Charcuterie Board Making should be a thing.
Since there’s a pandemic going on, Costco was our main go to store. They have a wide selection of cheeses, cured meats, and everything else you need to customize your charcuterie board. They also sell in bulk, which is a plus – less shopping trips.
Despite being back in Austin and away from my family, I decided to continue this holiday tradition by bringing back my favorite items, scaling down the large spread, and creating my own single serving charcuterie board. This should definitely become a trend for people living alone with no one to share their boards with.
Single Serving Charcuterie Board
The Board
You don’t even need to have a charcuterie/cheese board. It can be a flat plate or even a wooden cutting board.
Ingredients
You can mix-and-match anything that you have in your fridge or pantry. I usually divide my choice of items into the following categories: Meat, Cheese, Cracker, Fruit, and Add-ons. Here are some examples:
- Meat: cured meats (e.g. prosciutto & salami), smoked salmon
- Cheese: brie, cheddar, gouda, goat cheese
- Cracker: water crackers, sea salt crackers, butter crackers
- Fruit: grapes, pomegranates, figs, berries (e.g. blackberries, raspberries)
- Add-ons: nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews), honeycomb, olives, pretzels
Plating
You can honestly plate it however you like, but I prefer to start with the crackers to create a divide between the cured meats and the rest of the items. Next I’ll add the cured meats on one side. Layering and folding are great ways to fit them on the board. Once you’re happy with how it looks, you can add the cheese on the other side and use the rest of your items to fill the spaces in-between.
Once you’re finished, you’re ready to eat! Enjoy! And check out our TikTok on how we made our board!