18 Valentine’s Charcuterie Boards Better Than Fancy Dinner Reservations (2024)

FAQs

How many people does an 18 inch charcuterie board feed? ›

Sure to bring the music to the party, this 18" round charcuterie board starts with 5 cheeses and 2 types of meats. It also includes other accompaniments such as cornichons, garlic stuffed olives, grapes, berries, nuts, honey, bacon jam and more. Feeds 15-22 as an appetizer.

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

If you are looking for something bigger or to feed a larger crowd, a board around 20 x 12 inches should do the trick. For an idea of how to build a charcuterie board for different sizes, a 12 x 8 inches board will usually hold around two kinds of cheese, one cured meat, and three accompaniments — plus crackers.

A standard cutting board (usually around 12x18 inches) is great for a smaller party (4 to 6 people). You can also create a little island chain of surfaces.

But with a few small changes and additions here and there, you can turn charcuterie into a dinner that is balanced, well-rounded, and healthy. We'll show you how to make a registered dietitian-approved board that hits all the main food groups—but still feels distinctly like charcuterie.

Plan for about 1-2 ounces of cheese per person. As with your meat selections, have your cheese sliced thin (at a 1-2 thickness) to make layering easier. If you'd like to incorporate cheese cubes, or have guests cut their own pieces, have those sliced at an 8-10 thickness.

Here's some of the best cheese for charcuterie boards: Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago. Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar. Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.

Round is the most popular shape for medium sized parties, and handle boards is the most popular for smaller parties of 2 or 4. Round contrasts nicely with the shapes of a lot of cheeses and crackers. It is also easy for your guests to enjoy without feeling like they're on the "back side" of the board.

To make things easier, she generally recommends following the simple rule of three – three types of cheese, three types of meat, three types of crackers, and so forth. "A good rule of thumb is to work in threes," she said. "As long as you have three of anything on a board then I think it has enough variety."

Does Costco sell charcuterie boards? ›

That said, you're sure to have some leftovers from a Costco charcuterie board, so make sure to choose foods you won't mind snacking on in the coming days. Here's what I picked to serve a party of 12 and why.

There are a few that I would stay away from eggplants, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, zucchini and mushrooms. Many of these vegetables taste best when cooked, and Charcuterie boards generally don't include steamed or cooked veggies.

Add savory and sweet accompaniments.

For example, mustard, briny foods and nuts near salami and sopresseta, and sharp cheeses like parmesan. Pair sweet accompaniments like fresh fruit, jams, and candied nuts, near the brie cheese or goat cheese. Cheddar cheese pairs well with savory and sweet.

Any classic charcuterie board recipe is typically filled with a plethora of delicious but highly processed meats and cheeses that can run on the unhealthy side. For instance, cured meats and sausage-style meats include additives for preservation, which increase the risk of disease.

No worries! Here is the estimated amount of an ideal charcuterie per person serving: 2-3 oz meat, 4-5 sliced cheeses, and fewer additional accompaniments while presenting as an appetizer. 5-6 oz meat, 6-7 sliced cheeses, and plenty of additional accompaniments while serving as an entire meal.

A typical board would be meat, cheese, extra (fruit, veggies, crackers). Therefore if you have 50 people you would want 50 ounces of meat, 50 ounces of cheese and 50 ounces of extras. One pound of cheese, one pound of meat, and one pound of a combination of fruit, veggies and crackers= 16 people.

You never want to have too little charcuterie for your guests. A rule of thumb when it comes to quantity is, 3 to 4 ounces of meat per person and 2 to 3 ounces of cheese per person. Those values are standard if you intend to have the board as a stand alone appetizer.

Medium Tray: 15-25 people (16″ tray)