How to Make a Charcuterie Board This Holiday

When it comes to how to make a charcuterie board, variety is truly the spice of life! The best charcuterie board offers guests a wide range of flavours and textures to keep things exciting and the palate engaged. Cheeses, meats, breads, crackers, fruits, and nuts are spread artfully across your serving platter or board for culinary mixing and matching. There’s no wrong way to arrange your charcuterie board, and it can be assembled depending on seasons, holidays, and more! Read on to discover how to make a charcuterie board using items found in Farm Boy stores. (Don’t forget to visit our digital flyer for hot deals and specials!)

How To Make a Charcuterie Board

Building a charcuterie board starts with, naturally, a board! Your Farm Boy store may sell wooden serving boards specifically for this purpose, but if you already have one on hand, that works just as well. The size of your board should be able to accommodate how many guests you have—or how big your appetites are! In addition to the charcuterie board itself, small dishes allow for easier plating and serving. Wet items like jellies or jams are best served in bowls, as are marinated bites like artichokes, olives, or pickles. Small spoons for scooping and spreading are also a helpful touch for your guests.

Charcuterie Board Building Step-By-Step

Step 1:

Start with small bowls filled with fruits, nuts, pickles, and jams. Place these wherever you like on your board.

Step 2:

Arrange meats and cheeses around these bowls. You can use cookie cutters for decorative shapes, or fold and fan them for visual interest.

Step 3:

Fill in gaps with fanned crackers, baguette slices, or breadsticks.

Step 4:

Garnish with fresh herbs, edible flowers, or candied fruit.

Charcuterie Board Ingredients

If you’re stuck on what to put on your gourmet charcuterie board, follow the 3-3-3-3 rule! This rule advises using 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 starches (like breads or crackers), and 3 accompaniments like fruits, nuts, or jams. This makes a well-balanced board and is a delicious starting point if you don’t know where to begin. Of course, the larger your guests list, the bigger the board, and the more items you can add. The beauty of a charcuterie board is that you can make it your own with all your favourite bites and flavours. Below are some of our favourite Farm Boy products to add to your charcuterie board.

Cured Meats

For meats, opt for ones that can be rolled up or fanned out and enjoyed with your fingers. If you’re feeling extra creative, try curling some cured meats into artistic rose shapes for added visual interest! Choose a variety of flavours, spice levels, and textures to keep your guests coming back for more. (You can also ask a Team Member at our Deli Department to slice up some of your favourites!)

Dry-cured over hardwood for a smoky flavour, this authentic European-style salami is made with a blend of pork, beef, and a touch of heat.

A charcuterie favourite, this Italian ham is dry-cured for a minimum of 10 months for a deep, salty, savoury flavour.

Handcrafted in small batches with Ontario pork, our gluten-free pepperoni sticks come in a range of flavours and are a delicious option for charcuterie.

Experience the authentic flavours of Spain with this smoky, spicy chorizo sausage. Slice it into small coins and arrange them on your platter or in a small bowl for easy snacking.

A traditional Catalonian delicacy, these bite-sized seasoned pork sausages are packed with flavour for a deliciously satisfying bite.

Made using a traditional recipe from southern Italy, our authentic dry-cured pork has a savoury depth of flavour from sea salt, herbs, spices, and white wine.

Cheeses

The co-star to any charcuterie board is, of course, the cheese. Like the meats, you want to provide guests with a variety of flavours and textures to best accompany all the elements of your board. Hard cheeses and soft cheeses are both invited to the party! For the best charcuterie board, we like to add a mix of cheeses that use different milks—think sheep’s milk and goat’s milk as well as cow.

A soft cheese like Brie is a must-have charcuterie board ingredient. Our Brie Bakes have the added convenience of being topped with delicious, preserved fruits and nuts.

Semi-soft and creamy, our Ontario-made fontina cheese has a natural, milky flavour that is a subtle companion for many charcuterie favourites.

A hard cheese like Cheddar is a traditional charcuterie board item. Our line of British cheeses is made with traditional recipes and milk from grass-fed cows.

Opt for a spreadable cheese for your board, like our chef-prepared cheese balls. Made fresh by us, velvety cream cheese is rolled with brown sugar, pecans, and a kick of cayenne.

Wonderfully tangy, choose any of our plain goat cheese options, or try something flavoured. (We love the Cranberry Cinnamon for fall and holiday charcuterie!)

Rich and salty, this firm cheese is a delicious charcuterie board addition. Simply slice it into wedges for your guests to easily pick up and enjoy.

Starches

For scooping, spreading, and savouring, you need some kind of vehicle for all those delicious meats and cheeses. Crackers and breads are ideal for any charcuterie board. Select varieties that have different flavours and sizes, both for the best charcuterie board presentation and taste. In addition to the fresh bread you’ll discover in our Bake Shop (our Sourdough Batard is a bestseller), below are some of our must-tries for any gourmet charcuterie board.

Deliciously crisp with a slight tang, we love these sourdough crackers for a charcuterie board. Made in Canada with simple ingredients, choose classic Sea Salt or herbaceous Rosemary & Thyme.

Made of thin-sliced baguettes, these crispy crackers are double baked for extra crunch. We recommend choosing a flavour that won’t overwhelm your charcuterie, like Eight Grain or Olive Oil & Sea Salt.

Full of robust flavour, our Artisan Crackers know what they’re doing with charcuterie. Locally made, they’re available in slightly sweet varieties like Cashew & Cranberry or Rosemary, Raisin, & Garlic.

Freshly baked, these crispy-crunchy flatbreads work perfectly for charcuterie boards. Fan them out for a beautiful presentation, and try any of our three flavours: Classic, Mediterranean, or Whole Wheat.

Double baked for extra crunch, our Pita Crackers are strong enough to handle both soft and hard cheeses. Also available in Original, we like the Multigrain variety for extra toothsome appeal.

A classic vehicle for any meat or cheese, our Water Crackers are the perfect canvas for a variety of flavours. Delicate and crunchy, they’re a must-have for the perfect charcuterie board.

Accompaniments

The accompaniments to any charcuterie board are varied. They can include fresh fruit like grapes, berries, pears, and figs. (At your local Farm Boy, you’ll find the freshest, longest-lasting produce available.) When it comes to fruit, choosing what’s in season is best for flavour and to help cleanse the palate.

Accompaniments can also be savoury items, like nuts, olives, and pickles. Wet items like olives and pickles can be placed in small serving bowls, while dry nuts can be scattered in artful piles. Finishing off a gourmet charcuterie are jams and jellies, which can be sweet, savoury, or spicy! Since your creativity and imagination is the only limit to making the best charcuterie board, below are some suggestions for Farm Boy items that will help you cover all the flavour bases.

Antipasti

Grown on a family farm in the Macedonian region of Greece, our imported olives are loaded with savoury flavour. Their briny taste cuts through rich cheeses and offers a nice textural contrast.

Almonds are always a popular choice of nut, but you can use cashews, walnuts, or pistachios, too. These almonds are double dry-roasted to deepen their flavour, but you can choose herbed or salted varieties if you prefer.

Deliciously crunchy, our zingy Ontario-made organic pickles are a great accompaniment for charcuterie. Made with minimal ingredients, their tanginess perfectly complements creamy cheeses and salty meats.

Spreads

A drizzle of honey on a melty wedge of Brie or Camembert is culinary perfection! For the best charcuterie board presentation, put some honey in a small bowl or jar and serve with a honey dipper or small spoon.

Add some sweet and spicy zing to your charcuterie board! This jelly pairs beautifully with both hard and soft cheeses. If you’d like even more spice, try our Red Pepper flavour.

Any jam would be delicious on a charcuterie board, as ours are all-natural and sweetened with cane sugar. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, let your guests discover the complex flavours of our Fig Jam with a bite of goat cheese.

Décor

Making a beautiful charcuterie board presentation doesn’t have to break the bank. A few finishing touches in the form of fresh herbs or edible flowers can really tie everything together. Visit our Farm Boy stores to stock up on aromatic herbs like rosemary or thyme. These decorative additions also help to fill in any gaps you may still have on your board.

How To Make a Fall-Inspired Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are delicious during any season, but there’s something extra lovely about a fall charcuterie board. Perhaps it’s the holidays that call for more time sharing and indulging with loved ones, or maybe it’s the comforting flavours. Whatever it is, here are our picks for a seasonal charcuterie board with items from Farm Boy!