Thanks for sharing!

This is a fabulous charcuterie gift guide to create your own entertaining board as well as for gift-giving any time of the year!

This post was updated with current links on 12/6/2022.

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You'll find links to items throughout this post as well as a shoppable graphic at the end. 

Charcuterie Gift Guide

Creating charcuterie boards has been a favorite way to entertain for years….even before charcuterie became an in-vogue household name. 

It's such a simple way to entertain. It allows you to use a lot of ready-made items that you can then transfer to your own dishes, platters, and bowl.

Voila! It looks like you slaved all day on the presentation when you just threw it all together. 

The secret is all in the presentation!

A Charcuterie board typically has everything on one large board, but a spread can be just that! You can utilize a smaller charcuterie board and then have other items spilling over to the sides. 

I put together a list of items that can get you started on a charcuterie adventure of your own. They also make great gifts for the holidays. 

One way to simply get started is to buy a kit of cheese from Hickory Farms. Hickory Farms recently sent me a couple of their gift boxes to try and I'll be sharing a post on those soon. You can view the reel on Instagram that I posted Friday evening when we enjoyed our last charcuterie board with one of the Hickory Farms gift boxes.

Let's get started with the goodies that I've selected for creating your own charcuterie board or spread. 

You'll want to start with a great board!

I like to do our spreads on our coffee table but are equally great going down the center of a dining table or the kitchen counter. 

They can be as small as you'd like or as grandiose. 

We tend to go with the coffee table route because it allows for relaxation and conversation. 

I purchased a giant wooden tray a couple of years ago on sale at Pier One. I'd been eyeing it forever but didn't want to pay full price. It went on sale during Christmas, and fortunately, my local store had 1 in stock. Sadly, it is sold out. I only use it when doing a large board or a meal-type board like this Christmas Brunch Board that works all year long. 

It's ok to use trays and boards that aren't necessarily food safe. You'll just want to make sure if you are putting food on the tray directly that you'll want to place a piece of parchment paper underneath it or a cloth napkin. These parchment sheets in natural and white are perfect. 

1. This LARGE SQUARE TRAY would be beautiful for containing a charcuterie spread. Just make sure you add a small cutting board to it for cutting your cheeses.

2. This Large Rectangle Tray is lovely as well. When I move to a larger tray, I find that it's easier to put the tray in place for the gathering location. Then I place the food on it as opposed to prepping on the tray and carrying it to the location. Just depends on the size and weight of the tray. 

3. A Long Skinny Board like this one is perfect for going down the center of a dining table. 

4. This Round Tray with a raised lip is perfect for carrying. It keeps items from falling off the side. 

5. Think outside the box and go with this gorgeous marble board! 

Amazon has so many cheese boards to select from….the above are just a few that I liked! 

6. I have this tray and it is a nice size for a charcuterie plus it has a raised lip which keeps things in place. 

7. Here is another large round option. 

8. Last oversized round option! 

Goodies for your charcuterie board!

Charcuterie boards contain meats and cheeses. I always include these. If these 2 items aren't included, I typically refer to them as snack or meal boards. 

A great way to get started with a cheese board is with a purchased set of cheeses and meats.

Hickory Farms is perfect for that! They make a wonderful gift to send to friends and family that you would have otherwise gathered with this holiday season. My dad has always loved getting one of these. I selected 2 of these from them to try. Hickory Farms gifted me these two.

The above gift set is the one that I featured above in the Instagram reel video. I'll be sharing more on this styled charcuterie board this week. 

I can't begin to tell you how great this set is. It was 6 of us and we had a little leftover. It was our meal for that night. This would make an amazing gift for a family.

We haven't used this one yet, but can't wait. This set comes with a cheese board and an adorable knife. While the above set is more of a sampler set, this one comes with full-sized cheese and meats. Some of these items were also in the above set so I can tell you it is yummy!

Additional Food Items

• stuffed olives
• baby pickled corn
• nuts
• trail mix
• candies
• chopped veggies: carrots, cucumber, cherry tomato, broccoli
• dips such as spinach, artichoke, and pimento cheese
• assorted crackers
• Wheat Thins, pita chips, Triscuits, and more!
• fruit like grapes, strawberries, and apples
• get creative!

Cheese Knives and Spreaders

1. This wooden-handled set from Williams Sonoma is lovely. My set came from there probably 20 years ago, and it's the one we still use today.
2. This all-metal set is beautiful as well and is a nice contrast if using a wooden board or tray.
3. We have bought this set of several gifts.
4. Here is a budget-friendly wooden-handled option as well.
5. You'll also want to provide some cocktail picks like these and these.
6. Espresso spoons are great for dips and jars of mustard and jellies.
7. Little cocktail forks are also convenient.

Small Bowls, Platters, and Containers

If you are adding items to your board, you'll want to have some small bowls to contain them. I prefer using white or clear glass for these. This allows you to use pretty runners, tablecloths, and napkins of your choice to change the look with the seasons.

1. You can't go wrong with simple ramekins for your board. They are classic and so versatile. I use them when cooking to house ingredients, on the table with condiments, ice cream, and more!

2. Mixing and matching small bowls are perfect for nuts, mustards, and more for your board. Loving the shape of these square ones. 

3. This olive dish comes in several sizes and is so fun adding interest to your charcuterie display!

4. These dip bowls are another fun shape to add to your board. Don't be afraid to mix and match your bowls. I like to use white to make this transition work.

5. Platters in assorted sizes are needed especially when your board is not food safe or you want to expand your display beyond the board. 

6. These marble risers are beautiful and would work for cheese and desserts!

7. This set of platters has a lovely edging detail!

8. Don't forget to include some small appetizer plates. These fun wood ones also hold stemless or regular wine glasses.

9. I like a simple set of appetizer plates like these that are also perfect for dessert. 

Add fabrics to your charcuterie board display in the form of napkins, runners, and tablecloths.

1. These cloth napkins look beautiful and come in mix-and-match sets in several colors. They have a lovely French country farmhouse look to them. I've got my eye on the blue set. 

2. Turkish hand towels are really pretty with a board as well. I keep this separate from my regular hand towels and just use them for displays like this. The fringed edges make them special. 

3. Table runners are great for dining tables, on your counter, and on coffee tables to define a charcuterie board. This striped one with fringed edging is beautiful in different colors. 

4. You can never go wrong with a plaid runner for the holidays. 

5. Table cloths bunched up along the table and cascading down a coffee table is an easy way to create uniqueness with your charcuterie spread. 

Here are Charcuterie and meal board ideas on the blog that I have done. Keep in mind that they all work for any season. All you need to do is swap out fabrics and decor items.

Have an amazing day! I hope you are inspired to create your own charcuterie spreads. I'll be doing a video soon showing how I arrange a charcuterie board! 

 

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Thanks for sharing!