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How to Make an Epic Charcuterie Board

Two abundant charcuterie boards with cured meats, cheeses, fruit, spreads, and crackers.

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This charcuterie board for a crowd pairs savory cured meats, creamy cheeses, juicy fruit, and crisp crackers in a generous spread for about 24 appetizer servings.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Meats

  • 4 ounces Genoa salami, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces capicola, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces summer sausage, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces Iberico ham, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces soppressata, thinly sliced

Firm and Slicing Cheeses

Soft Cheeses

Fresh Fruit

  • 8 ounces strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 16 ounces grapes
  • 6 fresh figs, halved
  • 3 ounces blueberries
  • 3 ounces raspberries

Dried Fruit and Nuts

  • 4 ounces Medjool dates, pitted
  • 6 ounces dried apricots
  • 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained if packed in oil
  • 8 ounces Marcona almonds

Spreads

Bread and Crackers

Sweet Accompaniments and Garnish

Instructions

Prep

  1. Rinse the fresh fruit and dry thoroughly. Snip the grapes into small clusters that guests can lift easily.
  2. Cut the cheddar, Gruyère, smoked Gouda, Cotswold, Havarti, and pepper Jack into bite-size slices. Break the Parmesan and aged Gouda into small chunks, and cut the Asiago and Manchego into thin wedges.
  3. Keep the Brie whole. Place the blue cheese and garlic-and-herb cheese on small dishes, with a separate knife or spreader for each.
  4. Fold the salami, pepperoni, capicola, and soppressata into halves or quarters. Gather the prosciutto and Iberico ham into loose folds, separating the slices so they are easy to pick up.

Assemble

  1. Set out two large serving boards or several platters. Position the cheeses across them, leaving room between each variety for the remaining ingredients.
  2. Spoon the fig jam, pepper jelly, and honey into separate small bowls. Nestle the bowls beside the cheeses and add serving spoons.
  3. Arrange each meat in its own group near the cheeses. Overlap the summer sausage slices and tuck the folded meats into open areas.
  4. Distribute the grapes, strawberries, and figs across the boards. Add the berries, dates, and apricots in smaller clusters. Place oily sun-dried tomatoes in a small dish to keep them from staining nearby foods.
  5. Add the Marcona almonds, chocolate-covered almonds, and shortbread in separate sections or small bowls.
  6. Just before serving, fill the remaining spaces with crackers and sliced baguette. Serve any overflow in baskets alongside the boards.
  7. Tuck rosemary sprigs around the edges without covering the food. Provide cheese knives, small tongs, and appetizer plates.

Equipment

Notes

Substitutions: Replace any cured meat with an equal amount of another variety. For cheeses, maintain a mix of firm, mild, sharp, and creamy options. Substitute pecans or walnuts for the almonds, or omit nuts. Pear slices, apple slices, or seasonal berries can replace the figs.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings: Pair Brie with fig jam, blue cheese with honey and dates, and sharp cheddar with pepper jelly. Serve with sparkling water, sparkling cider, wine, or beer. These quantities suit a large appetizer spread; halve everything for a smaller gathering.

Make Ahead: Prepare the meats, cheeses, and fruit up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate in separate covered containers. Assemble shortly before serving, adding bread, crackers, cookies, and nuts last to preserve their texture.

Storage: Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in separate airtight containers. Use cut cheeses and opened meats within 3–4 days or sooner if their package instructions require it. Use cut fruit within 1–2 days. Keep dry accompaniments airtight at room temperature. Discard perishable foods left out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F.

Freezing: Do not freeze the assembled board. Freeze well-wrapped cured meats, firm cheeses, and baguette separately for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw meats and cheeses in the refrigerator; firm cheeses may become crumbly and work better in cooked dishes afterward. Avoid freezing soft cheeses or fresh fruit intended for serving on a board.