Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

Appetizer
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Charcuterie Board! Amazing cheese, fruit and meat platter. It's perfect as an appetizer, snack or treat. Hosting a party or an event, tantalize your guests in the best way! You can't go wrong with this amazing cheese board.

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Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

How to make the perfect Charcuterie Board

Everyday is amazing for a charcuterie board but on holidays when everyone is getting together makes it even more amazing to start the entertainments, parties or just eating good food.

If your family and friends are extremely passionate about food and enjoys eating and interaction, a Charcuterie Board is perfect for any gathering.

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

You can easily impress your guests by creating an epic Charcuterie Board.

Cheese is universally loved, we all enjoy cheese one way or the other. So when you invite people into your home and they are greeted with a board filled with an assortment of cheeses and fruits, they are going to be elated!

It is the perfect starter to a dinner party, baby shower, any celebration really. When hosting a small event , creating a cheese board is one of the most fulfilling foods to prepare.

How to create an amazing Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

1. CHEESE

  • GOUDA CHEESE. Originated in the Netherlands. It is a semi-hard cheese celebrated for its rich, unique flavor and smooth texture, is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese. Gouda pairs nicely with apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, and pears. 

  • ENGLISH FARMHOUSE or IRISH CHEDDAR. A semi-firm, fresh cheese with rich flavour. Pairs nicely with honey, apricots, dates, apples, grapes, and candied nuts. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

  • PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO.  An Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cow's milk and aged at least 12 months.The famous Italian cheese is known for its sharp, nutty flavor. It is beautifully sliced into wedges and served on the cheese board. It pairs well with figs, pears, dates, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, stone fruits, grapes, and honey.

  • BURRATA or FRESH MOZZARELLA. Burrata is soft, creamy and mild in flavour. Mozzarella is a more delicate taste and a more elastic texture, pairs well with olive oil, prosciutto, tomatoes, Italian cured meats, and olives.
  • WHITE SHARP CHEDDAR. Sharp Cheddar cheese is smooth and creamy with a perfectly balanced, sharp flavour It pairs beautifully with apples, nuts, dates, honey, grapes, French bread, nuts, pears, and walnuts. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

More Amazing Cheese:

  • PEPPER JACK CHEESE. As the name suggests, the cheese is flavoured with sweet peppers, rosemary, habañero chilies and garlic and spicy jalapeños for an extra kick. This is all about flavour. The peppers added to a creamy Monterey jack cheese adds a nice amount of spice.  This pairs well with crackers, apples, honey, and pears.

  • HERBED or BERRY GOAT CHEESE. Marinated fresh goat cheese is such an easy and delicious and easy way to take your cheese to the next level.  Roll your goat cheese in fresh or dried herbs, and let it sit in olive oil to marinate. Goat cheese is full of flavour. Goat cheese pairs well with French Bread, crackers, almonds, apricots, green apples, cherries, pears, figs, honey, grapes, dates, dried cranberries, olives, oranges, strawberries, walnuts. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

  • GRUYERE CHEESE. Is a traditional semi-soft smooth-melting type of Swiss cheese that's made from whole cow's milk and generally cured for six months or longer. It pairs well with dark chocolate, apples, cherries, hazelnuts, and walnuts.

  • BRIE or CAMEMBERT. Brie is milder, with a buttery, creamy flavour. It makes a beautiful statement as the centerpiece of a cheese board; it pairs well with apples, French bread, cherries, dates, figs, pistachios, and strawberries. While Camembert can be more intense in flavour, with deeper earthy notes. always

  • GORGONZOLA. Is a veined blue cheese, originally from Italy, made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a "bite" from its blue veining. Gorgonzola Blue Cheese pairs well with apples, honey, pears, almonds, figs, hazelnuts, and candied walnuts.
  • MANCHEGO CHEESE. A firm, buttery cheese from Spain. Manchego pairs well with figs, crusty bread, fig spread, almonds, green olives, and prosciutto. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

2. What Fruits to put on a Charcuterie Board:

  • Apples - Granny Smith, Fuji or Gala. Apples pair with cheese perfectly so use an assortment of apples.
  • Berries- Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries all go beautifully with the cheese. They add a refreshing and tasty flavour.
  • Grapes - Grapes give a nice natural sweetness and crunch to pair with the creaminess of the cheese. Use green or red seedless grapes, or both. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

  • Pears - Pears are similar to apples as they are wonderful accompaniments to the cheese. Pears have such a mild flavor to the cheese can be the star. 
  • Dried Apricots  - Known for their sweetness. Buy them fresh to ensure softness. 

  • Oranges - A burst of citrus is a nice accompaniment. 
  • Dates - Their nickname is nature’s candy because they are so sweet. 
  • Fresh or Dried Cherries
  • Figs

3. Other Amazing Options To Include on Your Charcuterie Board

  • Honey- An absolute must! Honey adds that perfect sweetness to balance out the sharpness of the cheese. Place it in a small honey jar or bowl. If you want to go all out, use honeycomb on your charcuterie board.
  • Crackers and Bread- Such as crostini, flatbread and crackers.
  • Dark Chocolate- Add a bit of dark chocolate, it will definitely make your charcuterie board epic! Chocolate pairs beautifully with the berries, apricots, and cheese. 

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

  • Olives- Green Olive stuffed with cheese paste is perfect for this cheese board.
  • Jam/ Spread- This adds a nice amount of sweetness and pairs beautifully with fruit, bread, and cheese. 
  • Cured Meat- Add meats such as salami, prosciutto, and other Italian meats. 
  • Nuts- Add nuts such as: Pistachios, Almond, walnut.

Charcuterie Board (Cheese, Fruit and Meat Platter)

Tips for serving fruit and cheese platter.

  • For optimal cheese flavour, bring to room temperature. The flavours are more pronounced when cheese is at room temperature.
  • Serve with honey dipper, small cheese knives and spoons. This makes it easy for your guests to take up food. 
  • Allow for 3 ounces of cheese per person. Serve an assortment of shapes, sizes, and types of cheese to give variety.

Items needed to make a Charcuterie Board

  1. Cheese Board or Platter like this one
  2. Small Gold Spoons
  3. Cheese Knives
  4. Honey Jars
  5. Cheese
  6. Meat
  7. Fruits
  8. Nuts

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