Is there anything better than a charcuterie board of party snacks?
Actually, yes. One of the more creative food trends to come out of 2020 is upgraded charcuterie boards. Let’s take a look at some of the popular variations you can try for the holidays, and a few tips on how to make a traditional board even better.
This is a new take on gingerbread houses for the holiday season, and it’s perfect for guests who prefer savory over sweet. These edible snack shacks have been built from a long list of ingredients: cheese cube walls, cured meat roofs, pretzel logs, olive decor, a wheel of brie base, parmesan snow, mozzarella snowmen, and more.
Photo Credit: Everyday Tables on Instagram
If you think about chocolate when you think about the holidays, this board will satisfy your sweet tooth. The idea here is to serve a board of delicious toppings — cocoa bombs, whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed candy canes, chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, caramel squares, and chocolate chips — to enhance and customize your drink.
Does your celebration include breakfast or brunch? A pancake board can kick your meal up a notch. Start with individual pancakes, and then add a selection of fruit, syrups, jams, peanut butter, Nutella, butter pats, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and a side of bacon or sausage.
This type of board can be used to build nachos or tacos. You’ll need a base of tortilla chips or small tortillas. Add toppings like grilled chicken or beef, peppers, onions, tomatoes, shredded or melted cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Everyone can make their tacos or nachos exactly how they like them, whether they’re an omnivore, vegetarian, or on the keto diet.
If you are a charcuterie purist, The Kitchn has some tips on the anatomy of the perfect French cheeseboard. You’ll need four types of cheese: mild, medium, bold, and bleu. Then, pick food pairings that also work as garnishes, like baguette slices, fresh fruit (they recommend grapes along with apple, and pear slices), nuts, meats, and small bowls filled with honey and fig jam to drizzle on top of your cheese.
No matter which type of charcuterie board you choose, the number of selections involved guarantees that you’ll offer something for everyone. And you won’t need to make a huge list of your guests’ preferences. They can pick what they want and walk away satisfied.