Simple Charcuterie Board

By The Modern Nonna

on Nov 05, 2024

5 from 5 votes
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If you know me, you know I love a good charcuterie board. Just give me some cheese 🧀, meat, olives 🫒 and bread 🥖, and I’m perfectly happy—no full meal needed! Growing up, meat and cheese boards were a big part of how we socialized. It’s common to bring them out when guests come over—sip a little, snack a little, and laugh a lot.

Table of Contents

Now that I’m adulting, I’m always looking for creative and innovative ways to serve apps when I entertain at home. That’s where my latest Amazon find comes in: beautiful wine glasses with charcuterie toppers 😍. This setup is not only clever but absolutely stunning! Trust me, everyone will be whipping out their phones to snap that Insta-worthy pic 📸. Most importantly, for my fellow germaphobes out there, there is nothing better than having an individual serving instead of sharing a platter with questionably-washed hands. This setup is incredibly easy to create, so try it out for your next gathering or holiday party 🙌!

A wooden platter with assorted meats, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, pistachios, crackers, olives, and herbs, displayed above a clear glass filled with an amber liquid, against a blurred background.

Why You’ll Love Simple Charcuterie Board

These individualized charcuterie boards are perfect for hosting big gatherings, date nights, girls’ nights, or any other special occasion 🍷. The setup takes no time at all, and it’s completely customizable as well.

You can follow my recipe as described, or you can freestyle instead and create your own mini charcuterie based on what you typically like to snack on. Add dried cranberries for a Christmas 🎄 feel or cut heart-shaped cheese for Valentine’s Day ❤️—the options are endless!  Whatever theme you choose, these simple charcuterie boards are elegant, convenient, and guaranteed to be a highlight at your next event.

How to Prepare

🌀 To make the salami skewer (pick), take one piece of thinly sliced salami, fold it in half, and then take one end and roll it towards the other end. The salami should look like a little lily (or cone). Repeat this step with the other two slices.

🫒 Now, add one olive through the cocktail pick. Next, add the rolled salami pieces and add one final olive at the end.

🧀 Next, take the charcuterie topper, place the salami skewer at the back, the cubed cheese to the right and the crackers to the left.

A hand holds a toothpick removing a green olive from a glass filled with rolled cured meats, which appears to be a creative charcuterie display. A wooden lid tops the glass. The background shows a blurred, warmly lit room.
A hand places cheese cubes and a green olive on a wooden disc atop a wine glass filled with an amber beverage. The background is softly blurred with twinkling lights.
A hand holding three small round crackers over a glass of orange liquid. In the background, there's a wooden board topped with sliced meats like salami and some olives, slightly blurred. Holiday lights are softly glowing in the distance.

🍇 Now, add the grapes in the middle of the topper, and a handful of pistachios at the front.

🌿 Garnish with thyme sprigs or rosemary.

🍷 Repeat this process with the second wine glass. Enjoy with any wine of choice.

A glass of amber liquid with a wooden tray on top, holding grapes, cheese cubes, and crackers. A hand is adjusting the items on the tray. Blurred lights and decor are in the background.
A hand places a wooden lid with assorted snacks, including grapes and crackers, on top of a glass filled with an amber liquid. The background is blurred with warm, soft lights.
A glass of amber liquid with a wooden lid holding grapes, cheese cubes, crackers, pistachios, and a sprig of herbs. A hand is reaching to grab a cube of cheese with a toothpick.

Nonna’s Tip 👩‍🍳

To make the salami skewer: fold a thinly sliced piece of salami in half, then take one end and roll it towards the other end, and then skewer.

Two glasses of orange-colored drinks topped with small wooden boards featuring appetizers. Each board has salami, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, crackers, pistachios, and fresh herbs. Background shows soft-focus holiday decorations.

Variations and Substitutions for Simple Charcuterie Board

  1. Feel free to use any nuts or seeds of your choice to garnish the boards. Use almonds, 🌰 chestnuts, pecans, or dried fruit such as apricots or cranberries.
  2. You could also add a piece or two of dark 🍫 chocolate to each board as well.
  3. Use whatever cheeses you love here: a small wedge of brie, some parmesan shards, or mini bocconcini would be wonderful as well.
  4. Have fun with the cold cuts variations, too. Try prosciutto, prosciutto cotto, 🌶️ spicy salami, or mortadella as well.

Similar Recipes

Best Served With

  • Your favorite mini crackers, either gluten-free or regular.
  • Your favorite 🍷 wine, white or red, to complement your cheese and meat selections. Reds like Pinot Noir or a Merlot pair well with salami and 🧀 hard cheeses, while whites like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc go nicely with mild cheeses and lighter meats. A nice non-alcoholic wine variety will also work perfectly.
  • Serve this alongside a number of other beautiful holiday appetizers, such as my Baked Hazelnut Brie, Cheese Stuffed Dates, and Grape Christmas Tree Cheese Ball.
Two wooden platters with cured meats, crackers, green olives, cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, pistachios, and garnished with rosemary, viewed from above on a light surface.

Common Questions

can I use other types of cold cuts instead of salami?

Yes, you can use any cold cuts you prefer, like prosciutto, mortadella, or even pepperoni. Choose thinly sliced meats for easy folding and skewer assembly.

What type of cheese works best for this simple charcuterie board?

Any cheese you enjoy works well. Add cubed cheddar or gouda, a small wedge or two of brie, or some parmesan shards as well.

what can I use instead of pistachios?

Almonds, cashews, pecans, or chestnuts can work in place of pistachios, or you could try adding seeds, or dried fruit for added texture as well.

Can these simple charcuterie boards be prepared in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the components a few hours in advance, for example, you can have the salami skewered and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. I would assemble everything as close to serving time as possible to keep everything fresh and crisp.

Two glasses of orange-colored drinks topped with small wooden boards featuring appetizers. Each board has salami, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, crackers, pistachios, and fresh herbs. Background shows soft-focus holiday decorations.

Simple Charcuterie Board

These individualized simple charcuterie boards are perfect for hosting big gatherings, date nights, girls' nights, or any other special occasion. The setup takes no time at all, and it’s completely customizable.
5 from 5 votes
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Course: Tutorials and Hacks
Cuisine: American, European
Makes: 2
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Equipment

cocktail pick
charcuterie topper
wine glasses

Ingredients 

  • 6 slices salami
  • 4 olives, pitted
  • 8 cubes cheese, any of choice
  • 8 crackers, mini
  • 6 grapes
  • 16 pistachios
  • 1 sprig thyme , or rosemary, for garnish
  • 8 oz wine

Instructions 

  • Note: feel free to use any nuts, seeds, cheeses, or cold cuts of choice. You can get as creative as you wish and make different variations. Everything I use for this recipe will be linked in the recipe card above and throughout the body of this post.
  • To make the salami skewer (pick), take one piece of thinly sliced salami, fold it in half, take one end and roll it towards the other end. The salami should look like a little lily (or cone). Repeat this step with the other two slices.
  • Now, add one olive through the cocktail pick. Next, add the rolled salami pieces and add one final olive at the end.
  • Take the charcuterie topper, place the salami skewer at the back, the cubed cheese to the right, the crackers to the left, grapes in the middle, and pistachios at the front.
  • Garnish with thyme sprigs or rosemary.
  • Repeat this process with the second glass. Enjoy with any wine of choice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 867mg, Potassium: 236mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 138IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Tutorials and Hacks
Cuisine: American, European
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Share your pictures or videos of you making my recipes by mentioning #themodernnonna on all socials ❤️

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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

More about me

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

5 from 5 votes

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8 Comments

  4. 5 stars
    There is no better board than this one on the internet. I want to eat and drink this all day long! Thanks, TMN! 😍

    Reply

    2. 5 stars
      This is just so fun for my next holiday party. I will have them all prepped and ready and then my guests can replenish themselves. Love this idea!

      Reply