Let’s Make Shortcut Charcuterie Mini Boards

I’m not going to pretend to know all the rules of charcuterie, because I don’t know them. Ha! But I will share a few simple tips I used to make these adorable shortcut charcuterie MINI BOARDS. Aren’t they the cutest?

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Jeff and I have been talking about making mini charcuterie boards, but when I walked into Fiddle and Fig Market and saw these, they were so affordable I just went ahead and purchased them. Here’s a similar mini board. For perspective, the white pumpkins pictured are mini gourds.

Aiming for an assortment of flavors (think salty + briny + spicy + sweet) makes it delicious and variety and small bites are what make it so much fun.

Here are some ideas:

Cheeses: gouda, aged cheddar, white cheddar, Havarti, swiss, goat, port wine, gruyere, brie, blue, pepper jack, so many options!

Meats: Serrano, salami, pepperoni, Sopressata, prosciutto

Breads/crackers: artisan bread sliced, lavash crackers, water crackers, sesame, petit toast, pita chips, breadsticks

Olives or briny bites: green olives, kalamata olives, antipasto with peppers and feta, pickles, feta stuffed olives, marinated peppers, sun-dried tomatoes

Spreads: hummus, pepper jelly, jams, fig spread, pesto

Fresh or dried fruit: green or purple grapes, blueberries, dried apricots, apples

Nuts: cashews, almonds, sesame sticks, pistachios

Shortcut charcuterie tips:

• It doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect! Use small groupings and place them wherever you like on the board.
• Vary your shapes– cut some cheese in triangles, others in squares or rectangles.
• Small dishes around the boards work well for olives, spreads, or nuts.
• Place crackers and breadsticks in a basket.
• Add a sprig of fresh rosemary to garnish.
• Have a small dish of dark chocolate or something decadent on the side.

Here are some ideas to keep it inexpensive and grab everything you need at Trader Joe’s for these mini boards.

Trader Joe’s shopping list:

• 1-2 packs of meat
• 2-3 types of cheese
• Small grapes
• One small bag of nuts
• Feta pepper drop and olive antipasto (put in a separate small jar)
• Breadsticks and pita chip crackers

I know I said you don’t have to be fancy, but these salami roses add flair and they are super quick and easy to make. You can make one in about 20 seconds. Use a mini jar or glass and fold salami rounds over the edge of the jar. The jar I used was so small, it only took 4 pieces of salami to go around the jar, one piece layered over another. Once layered, flip the jar over and remove the salami from the jar. Fold in half again and push a toothpick through the base and you have a rose! If you want to see a short video, hop on over to my Instagram @backporchbliss.

Serve with cocktails (or mocktails!), prosecco, or wine and enjoy a nice evening in.

Want more “mini” bites? Try my Apple Crisp Mini Skillets or Mini Cherry Cheesecakes or Mini Iron Skillet Strawberry Shortcakes.

Cheers, friends!