Arrange a beautiful charcuterie table in under 40 minutes that feeds 30+ people! The perfect way to impress a crowd and make sure there’s a bite to eat for everyone!
When a small cheese board or individual charcuterie boxes just wont cut it, a charcuterie table is the way to go! Fill your grazing table with your fresh fruits, soft cheeses, crackers, and more of your favorite foods. Great for any type of special event! Or go BIG and make a grazing table for a crowd!
Charcuterie boards are one of the easiest way to feed and impress any number of people! I love making a small charcuterie board for laid back/smaller events but I also enjoy making my Thanksgiving charcuterie board for the whole family!
I also love making these charcuterie cones for parties because your guests can grab a cone and go socialize. Plus they are so fun to put together.
You can also decorate/arrange a charcuterie board for a lot of different occasions. Once you learn the basics of assembling a board, you can then adjust to fit all types of themes! I made Valentine’s charCUTErie board for Valentine’s Day and made a Mexican charcuterie board for Cinco de Mayo and they were both was such a hit!
Another great thing about charcuterie boards is that those with dietary restrictions can pick/graze at whatever fits in their lifestyle. You’re able to please a large number of people because there’s so many options.
How do you plan a charcuterie table?
When planning a grazing board, you first want to pick a location for your table/board. Somewhere where guests can easily access the entire table without a hassle!
There are a lot of different types of fruits, cheeses, fresh herbs, meats, etc. that you can choose from when planning your charcuterie table. You want to make sure you have a variety of textures, colors, and shapes so you can arrange the table in a fun way.
What do you put on a charcuterie table?
Charcuterie tables are extremely easy to make your own and they’re also extremely easy to accommodate to any diet. There are a few staple ingredients that every grazing table has so here are my favorites…
Seasonal fruits
Seasonal and fresh fruits are one of the easiest ways to add sweetness, color, and texture to your charcuterie platter. Placing small fruit in small bowls and filling in empty spaces with large fruit is great for organization.
Selection of cheeses
Having a wide variety of different cheeses is key when making a charcuterie spread. Artisan cheese, softer cheese, brie, sliced Swiss cheese, etc. are all great options and pair wonderfully with crackers.
Meats
Meats like genoa salami, prosciutto, mortadella, sliced pepperoni, soprasetta, and other meats of different sizes are a great way to spice up your table! Add your favorite types of meats or omit for a vegetarian option.
Dips and Spreads
Having different types of dips for your variety of toppings is so important and such an easy way to add variety to your board. Hummus, bruschetta, guacamole, fruit dip, veggie dip, etc. are all great options.
How do you arrange a charcuterie table?
Step 1: Clean off a large wooden table and place large baskets/trays for your toppings. (You can also use a plastic table cloth if you don’t have a visually pleasing table)
Step 2: Place large items like baguettes, rolls, and cheese wheels on table and in trays/baskets.
Step 3: Add dips and small fruits to small bowls. Place the small bowls around the table wherever you see fit.
Step 4: Add the cured meats, crackers, fruits and veggies (I love adding olives to this board!)
Step 5: Add all the yummy treats! Charcuterie board cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, cake, etc. are perfect here.
Step 6: Finish by adding in the green herbs to give it a live, effervescent look
Pro Tip: To cover the whole table, feel free to add more plates and other dishes that take up a lot of space!
Why is charcuterie so popular?
Charcuterie is so popular because it’s such an easy way to serve appetizers/snacks to a large number of people. A holiday event, wedding, baby shower, corporate events, etc. are examples of when charcuterie boards would come in handy.
Grazing boards can be made extremely simple to fit any occasion. For this bohemian themed wedding, the board meshed perfectly with the wedding cake and mason jar glasses.
Also, you can easily cater to any diet, like a vegan charcuterie board or gluten-free charcuterie board, which is another reason why they’re so popular. And, guests are able to pick and choose what they eat!
Dessert and Drinks
- Charcuterie and cheeseboard cookies from Enchanted Cookie Boutique (She always does the most amazing job. I mean look at those olive cookies and salami slices!)
- Naked cake with lots of greenery and little garden roses
- Grapefruit and rosemary water
- Lemon and lavender water
- Orange and sage water
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Charcuterie Table
Ingredients
- 20 oz Sliced salami
- 20 oz Proscuitto
- 20 oz Sliced pepperoni
- 10 oz Soprasetta
- 12 oz Boursin Cheese
- 12 oz Swiss sliced cheese
- 1 wheel Brie
- 20 Gluten-free Schar Hard breadsticks
- 30 Gluten-free Schar ciabatta rolls
- 20 Schar gluten-free baguettes
- 15 oz Tomato bruschetta
- 10 oz Olive tapenades
- 8 oz Cornichons
- 10 oz Cashews
- 8 oz Dried mangoes
- 8 oz Dried Figs
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 15 oz Fresh grapes
- 15 oz Fresh berries Or other fresh fruit
Instructions
- Step 1: Clean off a large wooden table and place large baskets/trays for your toppings. (You can also use a plastic table cloth if you don't have a visually pleasing table)
- Step 2: Place large items like baguettes, rolls, and cheese wheels on table and in trays/baskets.
- Step 3: Add dips and small fruits to small bowls. Place the small bowls around the table wherever you see fit.
- Step 4: Add the cured meats, crackers, fruits and veggies (I love adding olives to this board!)
- Step 5: Add all the yummy treats! Charcuterie board cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, cake, etc. are perfect here.
- Step 6: Finish by adding in the green herbs to give it a live, effervescent look
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally posted on September 5, 2018. It has since been updated with more information and a better recipe card.
June says
What a great idea!! I’ve never thought about doing a charcuterie table rather than just a board. Totally doing this again for my next game night