Quick Charcuterie Board For 6-8 People

Are you having guests over and wondering what to serve as an appetizer? This quick charcuterie board for 6-8 people is the perfect way to please everyone with a variety of crackers, cheese, deli meat, olives, fresh and dried fruit, and spreads. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare a beautiful platter. I include a shopping list in this post, so it’s easy to pick up the ingredients on your next trip to the store.

*This post contains affiliate links.

What Is A Charcuterie Board?

In case you’re not familiar with the topic of this post, a charcuterie board is a preparation of meat products such as salami, smoked ham, sausage, terrines, pâtés, and confit. The French word for a person who practices charcuterie is charcutier, translated as pork butcher. However, a charcuterie board may contain a variety of preserved meats.

The board I prepared for this post is a hybrid charcuterie-cheese board since we prefer cheese over cured meat. That’s the beauty of this type of board. You can customize it to your family and your guest’s individual preferences.

Presentation

For the presentation of this board, you will need a large stone or wooden board. I used a rectangular slate board with handles, but you could use a round or square board made of another type of stone (marble, granite, or quartz) or a wooden cutting board. As long as the board is food-safe and the appropriate size, you’re all set. You may also want some small glass or ceramic containers and mini spoons to hold jams, spreads, and items with a high moisture content like olives and preserved artichokes. Cheese knives and forks for serving charcuterie meat are also a nice touch.

What To Buy For The Quick Charcuterie Board For 6-8 People

• Variety pack of crackers (with 4-5 different kinds of crackers)
• 2-3 different types of cheese or cheese spreads
• Olives
• A fresh pear or two and/or a small bunch of red grapes
• Deli meat (salami and/or prosciutto)
• Dried fruit (apricots, figs, or cranberries)
• One or two spreads (mango chutney, grainy mustard, and/or red pepper jelly)
• Fresh herbs for display (tarragon, oregano, or thyme)

Placement Of Charcuterie Ingredients

I like to start by placing little stacks of crackers in a few places on the board. Then I fill in with the cheese, meats, and other ingredients. I add the fresh herb sprigs at the end. All of our ingredients and the slate board were sourced from The Real Canadian Superstore.

Where To Place The Charcuterie Board When Entertaining

The board is best placed near where everyone will be gathered. It could be casually located on a dining room sideboard, coffee table, or kitchen island. If you’re serving the board as the first course of your meal rather than a snack or appetizer, then go ahead and place it in the centre of the dining table. Wherever you place the board, ensure you have a stack of small plates and napkins nearby so guests can choose a selection of items for themselves.

Extras For Snack or Appetizer Time

If the charcuterie board will be a snack or appetizer, then you may want to serve it with a plate of something fresh-baked, like crostini, focaccia slices, muffins, cookies, or scones, and a speciality beverage or cocktail. I made some currant scones and cranberry punch with ice to go with this particular board.

I recommend my lemon cranberry scone recipe or my crusty french bread recipe as an accompaniment to this platter.

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed reading about how to prepare this quick charcuterie board for 6-8 people. It really is such a quick and easy way to entertain. Take this handy list with you to the grocery store the next time you are expecting guests. This platter also makes a great addition to a potluck gathering as there will likely be something to please everyone.