Charcuterie boards, much like balloons, have had an incredible glow-up in the last few years. What was once a boring slab of wood with some basic meats, cheeses, and crackers is now the focal point of party spreads and an opportunity to flex artistic culinary skills. Charcuterie boards have even inspired creative spinoffs like breakfast boards, hot chocolate boards, french fry boards, and more. (There are some crazy creative people out there.)
Our kitchen table is the perfect size to act as a giant charcuterie board, I can’t pass up the opportunity to try a fun new party trend, I was long overdue to have (two COVID safe) friends over, and thus Happy Holigraze was born.
The Must Haves:
- Variety – sweet, savory, salty, crunchy, and gooey goodies are all needed on the table
- Butcher paper to act as the base and to allow for easy labeling
- Mini bowls to class up the dips and dried goods
- Toothpicks to avoid too many grubby fingers on the food
- Nice wines to pair
- A classy playlist – may I suggest Coffee Table Jazz?
- Self-control to try and curb the pain of the inevitable stomachache
The Menu:
I do not eat meat or dairy products, so grocery shopping for this gathering was surprisingly stressful and I should’ve done a little more research before diving in at the store.
A balanced table should have a nice mix of cheeses: mild, smoky, sweet, soft, firm, crumbly, etc. and most of them should be cut in their proper form before going on the table since the base of this charcuterie board is not an actual cutting board.
Fruits and veggies should also be pre-washed, cut, and completely dried before going on the table. Again, since everything is only going on butcher paper, if it’s damp the paper will saturate and look less than favorable.
Portions:
I way overshot on portions because I wanted to fill the table.. but I’d say in non-pandemic times when more than 2 people could be invited to graze, this shopping list would work perfectly for 8-10 people (especially if all of those people actually enjoy dairy products)
- Cheeses – fontina, smoked gouda, apple smoked cheddar, chèvre, & caramella
- Meats – prosciutto, sopressata, & pepperoni
- Carbs – half a baguette, half a mini-loaf of harvest wheat, small box of breadsticks, & sleeve of Ritz
- Nuts – hodge podge of cashews, flavored peanuts, & pistachios
- Veggies – 1 cucumber, 1 bag of baby rainbow carrots, & 1 stalk of celery
- Fruit – bag of grapes, container of strawberries, & small pack of blackberries
- Assorted – 8 ounce container of olives, hummus, & dried apricots
A Sweet Finish:
After a few rounds of party games, everyone should have room available to scarf down some dessert! Peppermint cookies and festive treats like this gingerbread cake make for a nice end to an afternoon of grazing… especially when paired with some Prosecco or a mimosa.
You feta try this giant charcuterie board – it’s gouda be grate!
The Frequent Fête 