Easy Appetizer Charcuterie Board

Need an easy appetizer? This meat and cheese charcuterie board is perfect for parties and holiday gatherings. No cooking required and ready in minutes.

This appetizer charcuterie board is a easy to put together when you need something to serve with drinks or take to a party. It works for game day, picnics or even beach snacks.

The best part is there's nothing to cook. Just pick up the ingredients, arrange everything on a board and you're ready to serve. You can put it together in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients you'll need

A few cheeses, a couple of meats and some tasty accompaniments make a good meat and cheese charcuterie board. Here's what to include.

• Brie: One small wheel of Brie, a soft, creamy cheese with an edible rind.
• Gouda: A semi-hard Dutch cheese with a mild, buttery flavor. Edam or Havarti are good substitutes.
• Blue Stilton: An English blue cheese with a creamy, crumbly texture and tangy flavor. Gorgonzola or Danish blue cheese are good substitutes.
• Prosciutto: Thinly sliced Italian dry-cured ham.
• Genoa salami: A mild, seasoned Italian-style salami.
• Cashews and pistachios: Use a handful of each.
• Grapes: Small bunches of green or red grapes.
• Dried figs: These add a little natural sweetness to the board.
• Fig jam: Serve in a small dish alongside the cheeses.
• Assorted crackers: Choose a mix of shapes and types.

Equipment you'll need

Wooden board: A cutting board or serving board works. Crackers can hang off the edges a little.

Ramekins: You'll need four, one each for the figs, cashews, pistachios and fig jam. 4-ounce ramekins hold the ½ cup of nuts and figs.

Cheese knife set: You'll want a knife for the Brie. Most sets come with a few small knives and a fork for serving.

This charcuterie accessory set has everything except the board, including a spoon for the jam.

Step-by-step instructions

Here's how to put together this easy charcuterie appetizer.

Start with the cheeses: Set the Brie wheel down first to anchor the board, since it's the largest piece. Cut the Gouda into small cubes and slice the Blue Stilton into thin wedges. Place each cheese in its own spot around the board.

Add the meats: Loosely roll the prosciutto slices and tuck them in next to the cheeses. For the salami roses, fold the slices over the rim of a narrow glass one at a time, overlapping each slice with the last. When the rose is as full as you like, flip the glass over onto the board and lift it off. Two roses fill out a board this size.

Add fruit and nut bowls: Put the dried figs, cashews, pistachios and fig jam in small bowls or ramekins and spread them out across the board. The bowls keep the nuts and jam in place and give you a few spots to build around.

Fill in the gaps: Tuck the crackers into a few different spots so there are always some within reach. Then use small bunches of green grapes to fill any open spaces.

Serving suggestions

Serve the charcuterie board as an appetizer with cocktails or wine before dinner. You can also put it out for a holiday gathering, game day or an afternoon get-together.

If you're planning a holiday spread, check out my Thanksgiving appetizers and Christmas appetizers roundups for more ideas.

Variations to try

• Change the cheeses: Try sharp cheddar, goat cheese or another favorite in place of one of the cheeses.
• Switch up the fruit: Fresh berries, apple slices or pears are good additions to a meat and cheese board.
• Use different nuts: Almonds, walnuts or pecans are easy substitutes for cashews and pistachios.
• Try another jam: Apricot preserves or pepper jelly work in place of fig jam. Or you can swap out the jam for honey.
• Add more for a crowd: Add a few of these variations, plus water crackers, crostini or sliced baguette for more options.

More easy appetizers

If you're putting together an appetizer spread, here are a few more easy recipes to add:

• Crab Pinwheels: Creamy crab and cheese filling rolled up in tortillas and sliced into bite-sized appetizers.
• Bacon Cheeseburger Pinwheels: All the flavors of a bacon cheeseburger rolled into easy-to-serve pinwheels.
• Ham and Cream Cheese Roll Ups: Ham and cream cheese rolled together for a quick appetizer.
• Baked Brie with Red Pepper Jelly: Warm Brie topped with red pepper jelly for an easy cheese appetizer.