1. Research Inspo on Pinterest
Pinterest is the social media hub for stunning charcuterie boards that you can easily recreate. I'd suggest grabbing about two or three inspo pics to formulate your own unique board that will impress all of the gals on winery day! You can also venture out to TikTok or Instagram Reels for more of a step by step video guide on curating a picture-perfect board.
2. Decide the Flavor Scheme of Your Board Before Heading to the Grocery Store
As charcuterie boards have become all the rage in the past few years, people have started to venture out from the classic meat and cheese theme. The last thing you want to do is buy a variety of different snacks that do not pair well together, so you should decide on the flavor palette of your board before heading out to grab the goods. If you want to stick with the classic board, I'd suggest some meats and cheeses such as salami and aged cheddar to pair with snacks such as pretzels and olives. If you're feeling fancy and want to add some different cheeses, brie and blueberry goat cheese are great choices.
3. Utilize Bright Colored Foods
Fruits and veggies are going to be your main source of color on a charcuterie board, and do a great job complimenting neutral colored foods such as crackers, meats, olives and nuts. Green apple slices, grapes, figs and strawberries all pair well with cheeses, which is super important. In terms of veggies, stick with baby carrots, cucumber slices, raw pepper slices and celery. Pro tip: add some bright colored dips such as beet hummus or spinach artichoke dip to further brighten up your board.
4. Don't Forget About Decor!
Decorating your board ties all of the food together, and it is so simple to implement just a few of these tips to elevate its Instagrammable quality. Many boards are pictured with meats such as salami or pepperoni wrapped into the shape of a rose, which you can look up a step-by-step tutorial on Youtube to get you started. You can also add non-edible additions depending on the seasonal theme of the board. Try adding some mini white pumpkins for fall, and as we enter the holiday season you can implement pine sprigs to make your board more festive.
5. Add Mini Bowls!
Almost every board you see when researching on blogs or social media have miniature bowls filled with a variety of dips and snacks. Whether it be olives, mini dill pickles, mixed nuts, honey or hummus, adding around two bowls throughout your board also create vessels for more fluid decoration with your meats, cheeses and fruits.