Charcuterie Boards originated years ago in France and have gained popularity over the past few years. The word charcuterie originally described 15th century butcher shops in France that sold products made from pork.
Today's charcuterie boards may contain pork products and other salt-cured meats, but may also contain a variety of cheese, nuts, crackers, breads, fruits, vegetables, dips, and other goodies.
Unlike those little yellow boxes with sliced meat, cheese, and crackers that many of us ate as kids, charcuterie boards are custom made for your family and they can be as simple or complex as you want them to be.
Here's a step-by-step guide to creating your own charcuterie board at home.
1. Start with the board or serving tray. Many people use wood cutting boards, but you can also use a pretty glass serving dish or a plastic platter.
2. Choose a selection of your family's favorite munchable foods:
- a variety of cheeses
- several meats: salami, ham, pepperoni, turkey, or other lunch meat
- a variety of vegetables: celery, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, snap peas
- your favorite fruits: strawberries, grapes, apple slices, pineapple slices, raspberries, blueberries
- one or more dips, including ranch dressing, salsa, jelly, honey, mustard, or your family's favorites
- a variety of crackers, bite-sized bread, breadsticks
- olives, pickles, nuts
- several bite-sized candies
- chips, pretzels, or other salty foods
3. Slice or cube the cheeses. A variety of shapes makes your charcuterie board more interesting.
4. Cut the meats into bite-sized pieces or roll into cute shapes (hold in place with toothpicks if necessary)
5. Slice the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
6. Small fruits can be served whole, but larger fruits should be sliced.
7. Place dips into ramekins or other small serving dishes.
8. Arrange it all on your platter and serve.
Charcuterie boards are easy and fun for the entire family to create together. Use foods you have on hand or make a trip to your local farmer's market or grocery store for supplies.
Let each child choose a few favorites. Older kids can help with slicing while younger kids help arrange the foods on the tray.
A charcuterie board is the perfect meal for busy weeknights or a fun treat to enjoy on movie night, while watching the big game, or for parties or holidays.
You can also serve with traditional party foods, including these Family Friendly Football Game Day Snacks. Best of all, charcuterie boards are a meal your kids will eat!
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