How to Make a Mediterranean Charcuterie Board

There's something very festive about a charcuterie board, and that's probably why I make it every Christmas or for New Year's Eve. Once you build your own and see how easy it is, you'll do it every time you host a party.

Charcuterie basically means cooked meat, so this Mediterranean charcuterie board is heavier on the cured meat. For another crowd pleasing platter with more cheese, you can check my how to make a cheese board in 5 easy steps article which has plenty of ideas and suggestions for big and small cheese boards. And, there's also this Greek meze platter (appetizers spread)  which is completely vegetarian, with no meat at all, but equally delicious!

📋 Ingredients

This is the cured meat I used for this Mediterranean charcuterie board:

Since this is a Mediterranean charcuterie plate, most of the Ingredients are well known Italian types of cured meat such as Prosciutto, Salami, Mortadella and Bresaola. A spicy Spanish chorizo sausage would also be nice. For people who prefer lighter flavors, turkey or chicken ham is ideal.

And this is the cheese!

As for the cheese, each time I try to add 1-2 hard and semi-firm cheeses, 1 soft or creamy and 1 funky.

Cheddar, Graviera (or Gruyere) and mozzarella are cheeses loved by almost everyone. Other safe choices would be brie, Gouda, an Italian Parmesan, a Greek feta cheese, a Spanish Manchego or a French goat cheese. For a bit of funkiness, I added a whole piece of Danish blue cheese, but Italian Gorgonzola will also do.

I also used grapes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, green olives (Kalamata olives are also great), walnuts, pomegranate pieces, apples, prunes, a small bowl with blueberry jam, crackers and pita chips.

Other things that can be used are:

• Other nuts (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia, Brazil nuts).
• Seasonal fresh fruit (melon, pear, strawberries, raspberries, peach).
• Seasonal fresh vegetables (carrot sticks, peppers, broccoli, celery)
• Dips in small bowls such as creamy homemade hummus, pickles, French mustard, honey and labneh (yogurt cheese) mixed with fresh herbs and some oregano or thyme.
• Dried fruit (dried apricots, raisins, dried figs).
• Other bread: Baguette slices, homemade pita bread, bread sticks with a small bowl of olive oil somewhere close to them. If you love baking, this carob and whole wheat bread with walnuts will enthuse your guests!

🔪 Instructions

Follow this easy step-by-step guide for how to build a charcuterie board:

Step 1: Choose a board/platter. For the classic presentation, opt for something made of wood. Otherwise, anything with a flat surface will do, from a porcelain platter to shallow serving dish.

Step 2: Add the meat. Arrange the different types throughout the wooden board in even distances.

Step 3: Add the cheese among the meat. Pair milder cheeses with more delicate meats, and stronger cheeses with bold, flavorful charcuterie. For example, a creamy Brie will complement a subtle prosciutto, while a robust blue cheese can stand up to a spicy chorizo.

Step 4: Add the fruit, the vegetables and the sauces. Again, try to position ingredients that pair well together, the one next to the other. For example, place some tomatoes next to the mozzarella, and a sweet jam next to the blue cheese.

Step 5: Fill the remaining gaps of the board with crackers, nuts and bread. If it seems that there is no space left, make some room with your hands.

And these are the 5 steps in one photo:

You can read more in the article Charcuterie Pairings by BlueCart blog.

💡Platter ideas for 2 or 4 persons

Here are two suggestions for small charcuterie boards.

When I'm making a charcuterie tray for 2, I will most often use 2 or 3 types of meat (about 3 pieces of each meat), one cheese and I will fill the gaps with whatever fruit and vegetable have at the moment.

For a charcuterie platter for 4 persons, you can double the previous amounts. Just make sure that each ingredient is in 4 servings or more, so that each person can have a taste of everything.

💭 FAQs

🍳 Food Pairing

Here are some more recipes you can include in your charcuterie platter:

🎥Recipe Video

📖 Recipe

How to make a Mediterranean charcuterie board

Makos

Elevate your entertaining game with the ultimate Mediterranean charcuterie board. It's great for Christmas parties, celebrations or even small gatherings! And with our easy step-by-step guide even beginners will look like platter pros. Plus, some ideas for small boards for two or four persons.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Meze

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 12 servings

Calories 605 kcal

Ingredients

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 oz (150 g) prosciutto crudo
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) prosciutto cotto or ham
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) salami (plain, peppered, parmesan coated)
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) mortadella
• ▢ 5 oz (150 g) bresaola
• ▢ 5 oz (150 g) cured sausage (mini saucisson sticks or a thinly sliced thicker sausage)
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) Gravera (or Gruyere)
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) cheddar
• ▢ 7 oz (200 g) blue cheese
• ▢ 5 oz (150 g) mini mozarella balls
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 1 cup cucumber (in sticks)
• ▢ 1 cup olives
• ▢ 1 cup fresh fruit (such as grapes, pomegranate, sliced apple)
• ▢ ½ cup dried fruit (such as prunes or dried apricots)
• ▢ ½ cup blueberry jam
• ▢ ¼ cup arugula
• ▢ 1 cup crackers pita chips and nuts

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Choose a board/platter. For the classic presentation, opt for something made of wood. Otherwise, anything with a flat surface will do, from a porcelain platter to shallow serving dish.
• Add the meat. Arrange the different types throughout the wooden board in even distances.
• Add the cheese among the meat. Pair milder cheeses with more delicate meats, and stronger cheeses with bold, flavorful charcuterie. For example, a creamy Brie will complement a subtle prosciutto, while a robust blue cheese can stand up to a spicy chorizo.
• Add the fruit, the vegetables and the sauces. Again, try to position ingredients that pair well together, the one next to the other. For example, place some tomatoes next to the mozzarella, and a sweet jam next to the blue cheese.
• Fill the remaining gaps with crackers, nuts and bread. If it seems that there is no space left, make some room with your hands.

Notes

• Choose a variety of charcuterie from mild tasting to more intense flavored or smoky types.
• Choose cheeses with different textures: hard, semi-firm and soft/creamy. Also choose mild flavored cheese, sharp cheese and one with a funky taste (optional).
• Make regional pairings. Usually ingredients from the same region pair well together.
• Use different colors, shapes, textures to make your Mediterranean charcuterie board more interesting and appetizing.
• Other dips and sauces: creamy homemade hummus, French mustard, honey, or labneh (yogurt cheese) mixed with fresh herbs and some oregano or thyme.
• Other bread: Baguette slices, pita bread, bread sticks or this homemade carob and whole wheat bread with walnuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 30gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 1651mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 780IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 464mgIron: 2mg

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