Making a charcuterie board – often called a cheese board or meat and cheese platter – can be daunting. But in reality, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines, you can’t go wrong! This tutorial will take you through how to set up an amazing charcuterie board for your next party, date night, or centerpiece.

Purchase the 100% bamboo board we use HERE. If you want a full review of the board itself, check it out here.

Our first tip is to figure out what drinks you’ll be pairing with the food on the board. Knowing what wine or other beverages will be paired will help you narrow down cheeses, meats, and other foods that go best. If you don’t know, or there’ll be a variety, then go with a range of pairing options.

A good charcuterie board is well balanced. It has a variety of soft, medium, and hard cheeses. It also has mild to more bold meats – typically pork. Sometimes spicy meats and cheeses go really well, especially with sweeter wines. Adding some fruit brings some sweetness, while olives bring a salty element. Once you have your ingredients picked out, decorate it to your heart’s content. It’s good to have a variety of depth on the board to make it more aesthetically appealing.

Pro tip 1: Leave wedges of cheeses to stack pieces on. This saves you more room on the board.

Pro tip 2: Slice each type of cheese to different shapes and/or sizes. This helps distinguish between similar color cheese.

Pro tip 3: Use small bowls, called ramekins, to hold sauces or other small ingredients.

Pro tip 4: Get a quality bamboo charcuterie board with utensils.