Looking for a way to indulge in the finest meats and cheeses without breaking the bank? Look no further, crafting an inexpensive charcuterie board is within reach!! With a bit of creativity and resourcefulness, you can savour excellence on a budget and impress your guests with a spread that is both delicious and affordable. So why wait? Start planning your next charcuterie board today and experience the perfect balance of creativity and affordability!
LET’S CHARCUTERIZE IT ! AFFORDABLE APPETIZERS
When it comes to entertaining, trying to decide what appetizers to serve is always a challenge. Additionally, you aim to dazzle your guests with dishes that appear meticulously crafted but are simple to assemble. Well never fear Charcuterie is here!
Charcuterie boards are my go-to!! They are very versatile and easy to assemble. You only need a wooden board or a tray with a large surface area. You buy a Charcuterie board or use a tray, a marble board or a cutting board. They come in all sizes and shapes. Additionally, I recommend getting one that is not too heavy, so it’s easy to carry, clean and store. You can find affordable boards at Home Sense, Walmarts or the Dollar Store……if all else fails you can use a wooden cutting board.
How to make Charcuterie Boards cost-effective?
A charcuterie board can be as expensive or affordable depending on the ingredients you are serving. Frequently in restaurants, you’ll encounter charcuterie boards featuring an assortment of cheeses or cured meats paired with various accompaniments, commonly including jellies or fruits. I often find the ingredients fairly simplistic and overpriced. This is the most marked-up dish and nothing is cooked.
At home, when you are creating your Charcuterie board you can control the portion and type of ingredients that are being served. This will help control costs.
What are five essentials for a great Charcuterie board?
Some tips to save you money on ingredients:
Cheese:
Cheese, often pricey in larger quantities, can be expensive. Instead of serving copious amounts or whole blocks, opt for one or two favourite cheeses sliced into smaller portions. This not only saves costs but also creates the illusion of a lavish spread.
Spreadable cheeses are a great alternative. You can smear a good-sized portion of goat cheese on the board and top it off with some pesto, chutney, tapenade or simply some herbs and olive oil. This will enhance the flavour and make it more exciting. Some good spreadable cheese options are whipped feta, plain goat cheese or cream cheese.
Finding the right cracker is important!
Crackers:
You don’t have to buy an expensive cracker. I typically buy a cracker that will complement the ingredients. I also like to serve flatbread crackers that are thin and crunchy. If you prefer you can opt for slices of toasted crostini. You can buy a cheap baguette slice it and toast it in the oven, or take a pita and crisp it up in the oven.
Nuts:
Buying nuts can be expensive. You only need a small portion. Recommend buying a small pack of walnuts, cashews or pecans. Elevate your charcuterie experience by toasting the nuts yourself and infusing them with your choice of spices or herbs. This is a lot cheaper than buying spiced nuts. You can experiment with any flavours your heart desires, chilli spice, Italian seasoning, honey roasted or Tex Mex.
Olives/Caperberries:
Olives are a great addition. You can marinate them or buy stuffed Olives. The sourness adds a nice contrast to heavy cheese or rich meats. Caperberries are a great alternative to olives, as they provide the same sour briny flavour. Caperberries have a long stem and a big berry shape at the end.
Elevate Your Charcuterie Game: Hacks for adding Flavours for Irresistible Platters
If you want to get a little extra fancy, there are many cute little tools to help you make your charcuterie board elegant! For example, you can use glass skewers to place salami and cheese on the skewer as a little kebab. You can use plastic mini cups to serve single portions of dip or chips. I recommend using little bowls on your charcuterie board and filling them with dips, chutney, nuts or olives. You can find these tools in dollar stores, party or home goods stores.
Instead of cured meats, you can use sliced sausages, chicken wings or cooked lamp chops and serve them with some antipasto. You can also opt for a salad board or serve a bunch of appetizers with different dips.
Some things to consider when picking ingredients, you want to have a few different flavour combos. Your guests will mix and match their ingredients.
Crunchy – this can be a cracker, breadstick, dill pickle, veggies, nuts
Sweet- chutneys, dark chocolate, honey, fruit
Salty- nuts, cheese, pickles, crackers, bacon
Creamy- Brie, goat cheese, dips, sauces
Refreshing – fruits, veggies, cucumber, pickled onions, pickles
What are some great Non-Conventional Charcuterie Boards that will impress your guests?
Dessert Charcuterie board?
For me dessert is always the last item I think off when entertaining and often an after thought.
A great way to wow your guests is having a dessert board. Often I find guests enjoying a sampling of sweet flavours rather than a big piece of cake or ice cream. Some ideas:
- buy a box of chocolates ( like Ferrero Rocher….)
- chocolate covered pretzels
- brownies( store bought and cut into bite size)
- chocolate dipped cookies
- strawberries
- bar of your favour chocolate chopped into piece
- Chocolate covered almonds
- chocolate bark
- pound cake chopped into piece
Any array of the following is a great start to dessert board. Moreover, you can use any ingredients you want. I feel this is a healthier way to serve dessert where you don’t have to eat a lot but small pieces of everything help you with cost-saving and control calories. If you prefer you can do a fruit charcuterie board and have an assortment of your favourite fruites.
Why are Charcuterie boards so useful?
Encourage Communal Eating:
They encourage communal eating which allows them to mix and match different flavour combos to their liking. A Charcuterie board is an easy way to entertain, it creates a communal shared experience for your guests. Whether it’s a casual evening at home or a big party, the simple act of sharing food from a charcuterie board creates memorable moments and strengthens relationships. It provides lots of options where everybody can share in this experience, making this fun.
Charcuterie Boards do not need to break the bank!
Affordable:
Charcuterie Boards can be very affordable and easy to assemble. It does not require a lot of effort, time or money to put together a charcuterie board. There are no rules and you can throw anything on there. I suggest using your favourite ingredients and complementing them with different flavours.
In a sense, you can use any flat board or try with a large surface area. Any wooden board or cutting board would work and can be found in any home store if you’re looking for something fairly cheap and not too complicated.
Saves time:
Charcuterie boards offer a time-saving solution for hosts. With minimal preparation and no need for extensive cooking, they effortlessly elevate any gathering with their visually appealing presentation and diverse selection of flavours. All you need to do is buy a bunch of ingredients and assemble them, to make it look fancy and appetizing.
There are no rules, Charcuterie Boards are very versatile:
There are no rules! You can use anything you like, or cater it to what your guests would like to eat. You can easily host any party with these platters. I have found conventional charcuterie boards boring. As I have made more of these boards I have gotten more bold with my flavours and experimented with many different interesting combinations. Embrace your creativity and dazzle your guests at the next dinner party with a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board.
