An elegant spread of cured meats, artisan cheeses, crackers, and gourmet accompaniments.
This stunning charcuterie board combines bold cured meats like salami and pepperoni with creamy brie, aged cheddar, and a black-rind cheese for incredible variety. Sweet jams, briny cornichons, green olives, and honeyed brie add layers of contrasting flavors that keep every bite exciting. Perfect for entertaining, this board is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Ingredients
- Meats
- 4 oz salami, thinly sliced (folded or fanned)
- 4 oz pepperoni, thinly sliced (arranged in a row)
- 3 oz prosciutto (loosely folded)
- Cheeses
- 6 oz brie cheese (wedge, cut for display)
- 6 oz aged cheddar cheese (cubed)
- 6 oz manchego or white hard cheese (sliced into wedges)
- 4 oz black ash-rinded soft cheese (such as Morbier or Humboldt Fog)
- Accompaniments
- 3 tbsp honey or fig jam (drizzled over brie)
- 0.25 cup fig jam (in small bowl)
- 0.25 cup apricot jam (in small bowl on the side)
- 3 tbsp tapenade or whole grain mustard (in small jar)
- 0.5 cup cornichons (in small bowl)
- 0.5 cup green olives (in small bowl)
- Fresh Produce
- 1 cup green grapes (small bunch)
- 0.5 cup red grapes (for garnish around board)
- 1 apple (thinly sliced, red and green)
- 1 pear (thinly sliced)
- Nuts
- 0.5 cup pistachios, shelled (scattered)
- 0.33 cup raw almonds (scattered)
- 0.25 cup candied walnuts or pecans
- Crackers & Bread
- 20 round butter crackers (such as Ritz or similar)
- 8 large square crackers (such as water crackers)
- 8 seeded crispbreads (such as Raincoast Crisps)
- 8 fruit and nut crisps (sliced thin)
- Extras
- 2 oz dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
Directions
Use a large round marble and wood charcuterie board. Place small bowls and ramekins first — position them in different areas of the board for jam, olives, cornichons, and tapenade.
5 minPlace the brie wedge, cubed cheddar, sliced manchego, and black-rind soft cheese in different quadrants of the board. Leave space between them for other items.
5 minFan out salami in a rose or ribbon pattern. Arrange pepperoni slices in an overlapping row. Loosely fold prosciutto slices and tuck them near the brie.
5 minTuck stacks of round crackers, water crackers, seeded crispbreads, and fruit-nut crisps into the gaps around the board, fanning them out for visual appeal.
5 minPlace green and red grape clusters in open areas. Fan thinly sliced apple and pear pieces near crackers and cheese for easy pairing.
5 minFill remaining gaps with pistachios, almonds, and candied nuts. Add pieces of dark chocolate near the edges. Drizzle honey or fig jam over the brie on its small plate.
5 minFill the small bowls with jam, cornichons, olives, and tapenade. Scatter a few stray nuts and grapes around the board's edges for a full, abundant look. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered for up to 2 hours.
Pro Tip
Build from largest to smallest — place bowls and cheeses first, then meats and crackers, and finally fill every gap with nuts, fruit, and small extras for a lush, overflowing look.
Serve With
Sparkling wine, Champagne, rosé, or a light Pinot Noir. Sparkling water with citrus also pairs beautifully.
Equipment
Large round charcuterie board (marble or wood), small ceramic bowls or ramekins, cheese knives, serving tongs
Notes & Variations
Swap any cheese for your favorites — gouda, gruyère, or blue cheese all work well. For a gluten-free board, use only gluten-free crackers and crispbreads. To make it vegetarian, omit all meats and add more cheeses, stuffed peppers, or marinated artichokes.