How To: Charcuterie for 15 People
This list will make heavy, dinner-type portions for 15 people.If you need it as a light appetizer or snack, just halve the ingredient list! It will be perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 soft cheese round, brie, camembert
- 6 ounces goat cheese log, plain, herbed or fruit covered
- 20 ounces affordable cheese, pre-cut cheddar, Colby jack, pepper jack or gouda
- 10 ounces specialty cheese, Bleu cheese wedges, aged cheddar, truffle cheese, wine-soaked cheese, Manchego, fontina, Port Salut
- 15 ounces affordable meat, salami or summer sausage
- 10 ounces crackers or bread, pretzels, breadsticks, crostini
- 8 ounces specialty meats, prosciutto, speck, coppa, brasciola, sliced chorizo, iberico ham, capicola
- 2 varieties of jam, honey or mustard, pepper jelly, fig jam, spicy mustard
- 8 ounces nuts, spiced, candied or chocolate covered
- 8 ounces olives or pickled goods, peppadew peppers and stuffed olives are favorites
- 10 ounces prepared dips, spinach and artichoke, hummus, French onion dip (place next to crackers and cut veggies)
- 8 ounces fruit, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, apricots, pear, apple, cherries, dried cranberries
- 8 ounces vegetables, sweet peppers, sliced carrots, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers
- 8 ounces dessert, small cookies, bite sized dessert, truffles, pirouette cookies, chocolates
- fresh herbs for garnish, I like rosemary best
Equipment
- 100 toothpicks place in shot glasses by olives and cubed cheeses
- 30 small plates enough for each guest to have two rounds of charcuterie
- 30 napkins cocktail sized
- 2 serving tongs
- 1 small spoon for each dip, jam or mustard
- 1 cheese knife for each unsliced block of cheese
- 30 forks enough for each guest to have two rounds of charcuterie
Instructions
- Decide the location for your charcuterie board. You can place it directly on a sanitized counter lined with parchment paper, or on a large serving tray.
- Add height: Place 2-3 small bowls on the surface for dips and nuts. If you have any pedestal servers/cake pedestals, add them now!
- Dips and jams: Place these in small bowls or in their original containers, with a small spoon.
- Add cheese: Cheese is truly the star of charcuterie tables, although charcuterie technically means meat! Cheese is ALWAYS the first thing to be eaten! Place a variety of sliced and whole chunks of cheese on the table. If you place a whole chunk of cheese (like a wheel of brie, or blue cheese wedge), make sure you have a cheese knife placed by it, and slice the first slice. People are typically timid about being the first ones to cut into a whole piece of cheese, so make sure you do it for them. Arrange sliced cheeses in both tall piles and lines for visual interest.
- Add fruit and veggies: I typically add fruit and veggies next because I want to make sure that there is COLOR interspersed throughout the grazing table. If you hold these items until last, you'll have to squeeze them into the empty spaces. Add these colorful items next to the cheese.
- Add meat: Now, it's time to add the meat! I like making tall piles of salami circles. You can also lay meat slices next to your lines of cheese slices, or in a circle around a chunk of cheese. Make a few salami roses for visual interest, if you have time!
- Add everything else: Now, add nuts, desserts and crackers. Use these ingredients to fill in all of the gaps. If you don't have space for all of it, no worries! You can replenish these items throughout the night.
- Garnish with herbs: I like to tuck the fresh green herbs in areas where there is too much of one color. For example, between a pile of salami and nuts, or between two light colored cheeses. It's a great way to add interest to areas that are a little bit ugly! You can also use berries for garnish.
Video
Serving: 1, Calories: 554kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 845mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g
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