35 Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Recipe Ideas

• I like to choose soft, pre-sliced meats (like prosciutto or jamón Ibérico) and a couple harder meats that require cutting (like a log of salami or soppressata).

• Start by placing your harder cheeses, like a block of sharp cheddar or Manchego, alongside meats.

• Next, add at least one spreadable cheese (like chèvre) or a dip (like tzatziki or hummus) with a small knife or spoon.

• Weave in some complementary snacks. Think crackers, jam, bread, pickles, fruit, honeycomb and whatever else you fancy.
• Organize it well. There’s no best order or layout when it comes to making a charcuterie board. All you need to keep in mind is that the meat, cheese and accoutrements should be accessible from all or most angles of the board. I like to layer meat, cheese and crackers or bread across the entirety of the spread, then nestle small bowls of jam, olives, pickles and more between them or at the corners of the board.
• Dress it up. Beyond serving it on a pretty wooden butcher block or a marble cutting board, consider working in other decorative elements. Tiny label tags are cute and helpful, while little bowls and plates to hold preserves or fruit add color and dimension to the spread. Fresh herbs are always a solid finishing touch as well.

Manchego, cheddar, Brie, havarti, Swiss, comté—there's no limit to what cheeses you can use. Just try to include a variety of textures on your board, meaning some cheese for slicing, some for spreading and perhaps even some warmed or baked. (Brie is prime for that.)

The Best Types of Meat to Use for a Charcuterie Board

Salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, capicola, chorizo, mortadella, jamón Ibérico and sopressata are all fair game. If you make a themed board, there are of course other options (for instance, bacon on a breakfast spread or steak on a fondue board).

The Best Types of Bread and Crackers to Use for a Charcuterie Board

Go with what you like, but try to have some variety. For instance, I use soft bread, seeded crackers and crispy breadsticks for a visually intriguing board and to give my guests a range of textures to choose from.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Who doesn’t love zhuzhing up a store-bought item? Here, an easy honey drizzle (plus plenty of seasonal garnishes) will impress without much effort on your part. "If you can’t find fresh figs, try dried or use another seasonal fruit," suggests PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen. "I chose sour cherry preserves, but apricot or fig would be just as lovely."

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, no cook

The tough part about serving anything in a bowl? All the toppings (read: the best part) fall to the bottom. Using a fancy cutting or charcuterie board solves that problem.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30-minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook, vegetarian

If there are vegetarians at the party, build an epic cheese board sans-meat. Here, five types of cheese meet an array of fresh fruits (kiwi! peaches! figs! berries!) that give the app a naturally stunning appearance.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Every charcuterie board should have something unexpected on it, like herb-kissed roasted grapes. They turn sweet and jammy after a trip in the oven.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein

If you're having trouble nailing down your cheese board's elements, choosing a specific theme can help. This pick boasts Spanish favorites, like heirloom pan con tomate, patatas bravas with saffron aioli, manzanilla olives, marcona almonds and Serrano ham.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, special occasion-worthy

Treat your guests like VIPs. All of the board's components are inspired by past presidents' favorite foods, including figs, fresh butter, cherries and honey.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, special occasion-worthy

Nosh your way around the globe with a melange of cheeses, nuts, dips and accoutrements, including smoked salmon and artichoke hearts. Wanna start with the roasted beet hummus?

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegan

Plant-based eaters on the guest list? The first board is for meat and cheese lovers, but the second puts hummus, tapenade, nuts and crudités front and center for your vegan friends.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

Bruschetta, roasted red peppers, eggplant caponata—this charcuterie board is worthy of being a last meal. Go ahead and munch away on the patio with a glass of vino in hand.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook

This starter has a little something for everyone. The star of the show is the pearl mozzarella marinated in olive oil, herbs and spices, but the marinated artichoke hearts are a close second.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

That crostini bar, though. This autumnal beauty has holiday cocktail hour written all over it. Make a second batch of maple cream (or maple butter) for spreading on bagels, pancakes and everything in between.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Trade usual suspects like capicola and salami for crisp bacon and smoked salmon. Then, dress them up with waffles, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, pancakes or even homemade doughnut holes.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, crowd-pleaser

You’ll love the addition of sweet caramelized pecans, since they cut through the saltiness of the cheese, meats and olives beautifully.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

No one could judge you for having just this for dinner. If you want to go the extra mile by using homemade sourdough bread instead of store-bought, feel free.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Between the persimmons, pomegranate arils and kumquats, this spread is destined for your Christmas tablescape. Finish the board with a flourish of fresh thyme, pomegranate arils and pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Manchego cheese, smoked chorizo and jamón Ibérico? This calls for a fiesta. Here's a fine suggestion: Serve it as an appetizer for cheater's skillet paella alongside a pitcher of sangria.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

If you're only serving a few people, there's no need to craft a massive charcuterie board. Try these individual prosciutto-burrata flatbreads instead (your wallet will thank you). "The ingredients here are merely suggestions," asserts Gillen. "If you prefer another meat, like soppressata or speck, cheese (mozzarella would be nice) or garnish (a balsamic drizzle?), by all means, switch it up."

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy

Trust that it's easier than it looks. For instance, the bacon-onion jam is made almost entirely from pantry staples. (If you don't eat meat, try a vegetarian onion jam on for size instead.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

You only *think* cheeseballs are outdated. This modern take on the retro party staple infuses cream cheese with Parmesan, butternut squash, brown butter and herbs.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

This spread is hearty enough to play the role of main course. Your guests will fall in love with the homemade basil-artichoke tapenade (which can easily be made ahead, BTW).

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

This pick features cheeses that are lower in fat—perfect for the warmer months—along with seeded crackers, fruit and olives. (Wait until you try the prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

The only thing better than a board of sliced cheese? A pot of dippable melted cheese, of course. Choose between white wine-Swiss and beer-cheddar fondues (or heck, make both).

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, kid-friendly

Forget the guests—you can totally tackle the whole tray solo. The hardest part will be choosing which flavor of burrata to have first: balsamic, pesto or truffle.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, pescatarian, <30 minutes

Creamy labneh and briny feta hold down the fort on the cheese front, while tender slivers of smoked salmon take over for cured meats. Serve with fresh toast or warm pita.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

Want to take this Greek-inspired app over the top? Start by making your own hummus. (Try a spicy avocado variety in the summer and sweet potato in the fall, although you can never go wrong with the O.G.)

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, high protein

It's equal parts unconventional, unexpected and delicious. Think venison sausage, mini cheeseballs, Ritz crackers and red pepper jelly over cream cheese for dipping.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

The key to a killer brunch board is making minis of the mains, like silver dollar pancakes, French toast sticks and bite-sized quiches. Instead of cured meat, sub bacon and sausage. As for cheese, try pairing either mascarpone, ricotta or a mini wheel of Brie with fresh fruit.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, crowd-pleaser

Between the baby carrots, watermelon radishes, assorted berries and fresh mint, this cheese board couldn't get more spring-inspired if it tried. A varied quartet of cheeses—Brie, gorgonzola, Colby Jack and aged gouda—ensures that there's something for everyone on the platter.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, no cook

Who knew vegan cheese and deli meat could look so convincing? Pair a few of each with your choice of nuts, pickles, crackers and produce, plus spreads all your guests can get behind (like hummus, jam or vegan cream cheese). Finish the platter with sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary and your work is done.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Jarcuterie, aka single-serve charcuterie served in glasses or mason jars, took over social media in 2020. This sweet take on the trend stars yogurt-covered pretzels, fun-size candy bars, lollipops and lots of gummies. "When assembling a jar, place studier ingredients on the bottom to hold any skewered items securely," suggests Gilen. "Soft ingredients can go on top, and thin, soft items (like sour candy belts) can be affixed to bamboo skewers for height."

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

First, cranberry-cinnamon goat cheese and cream cheese are whipped until smooth. Then, the mixture is sweetened, spiked with graham cracker crumbs, rolled into truffles and dunked in melted chocolate.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, no cook

Bring on the cookies, candied nuts, caramels, marshmallows and fresh fruit. Cheese still makes its way onto the board in the form of cheesecake dip.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

Not much is cozier than hunkering down with a generous spread of meats, cheeses and accoutrements. This bruschetta board is winterized with pomegranate seeds, sliced pears and herbs, but get creative with the exact cheeses and charcuterie meats you serve.