Simple Charcuterie Board (Easy, 15 Minutes, No Cooking)

Three cheeses, two meats, fresh and dried fruit, one jam, two crackers and a handful of nuts. That is the whole shopping list, and nothing on it needs a stove. If you have never made a charcuterie board, this is the version to start with: small enough for one board, quick enough to put together while guests take their coats off.

The idea is to pick each item for a job rather than piling on variety. One creamy cheese, one firm, one strong; one soft meat, one dry; something sweet, something salty and crunchy. Follow the order below and the board looks full and balanced in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Cheeses

• 1 small brie wheel, about 8 oz (225 g) – the soft, creamy cheese and the visual center of the board.
• 6 oz (170 g) gouda, cut into cubes – mild and firm, the one everyone eats first.
• 4 oz (115 g) blue stilton or another blue cheese – the strong flavor; a little goes a long way.

Cured meats

• 6 oz (170 g) sliced Genoa salami – dry and peppery, holds its shape when folded.
• 4 oz (115 g) prosciutto – soft, salty and thin, to drape loosely.

Fruit, nuts and jam

• 2 cups green grapes, cut into small clusters – fresh and juicy next to the salt.
• 8 dried figs, halved – chewy and sweet, very good with the blue cheese.
• 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup pistachios – crunch, and the easiest way to fill gaps.
• 1/4 cup fig jam – the sweet partner for the brie and the stilton.

Crackers

• 6 oz (170 g) crackers, two kinds – for example a plain scalloped cracker and a cheese cracker, one neutral and one flavored.

This works out to about 3 oz of cheese and just under 2 oz of meat per guest for 6 people, close to the appetizer amounts recommended by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension (about 3 oz of meat and 2 oz of cheese per person). For 4 guests, the same board is generous; for 8 or more, add a second board rather than crowding one.

How to Make It

1. Let the cheese warm up – 30 minutes

Take the three cheeses out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you build the board. Keep the meats cold until the end. The brie should give slightly when pressed in the center.

2. Place the jam and the brie first

Put the ramekin of fig jam near one corner and the brie wheel diagonally opposite. Score a small wedge out of the brie so guests know it is ready to cut. The two largest items should sit apart, not side by side.

3. Add the other two cheeses

Set the gouda cubes in a loose pile in a third area of the board and break the stilton into a few rough chunks near the jam. The three cheeses should form a rough triangle across the board.

4. Fold and place the meats

Fold each salami slice in half and then in half again, and line them up in a winding row between the cheeses. Tear the prosciutto into loose ribbons and drape it in one or two soft piles. The salami line should curve across the board like a path, linking the cheeses.

5. Add the fruit

Tuck the grape clusters into the biggest empty spaces and set the halved figs next to the stilton. Every cheese should have something sweet within reach.

6. Fill the gaps with nuts

Pour the cashews and pistachios into the small gaps around the cheeses and meats, leaving the edges of the board free. The center of the board should look full, with only the outer edges still bare.

7. Add the crackers and serve

Fan the crackers in short rows along the empty edges of the board, keeping the two kinds apart. Add a small knife to the brie, a spoon to the jam and serve. The crackers should frame the board without covering the cheese, and almost no wood should show.

Picking the Cheeses

The three-cheese rule is the part that matters most. Choose one from three different families and the board will have range even with only a few items. The table shows how each type behaves and how to set it out.

If someone at the table does not eat blue cheese, swap it for an aged cheddar or Gruyère; the board still has a strong, salty option.

Keeping It Cheap and Simple

A simple board is also an affordable one. Buy cheese in wedges and cut it yourself rather than buying pre-cubed packs, check the pantry for nuts, dried fruit and jam before shopping, and choose whatever fruit is in season: apple slices or pear in autumn, berries in summer.

Any leftover brie is the base of our turkey cranberry brie grilled cheese, and a whole extra wheel can become a warm cranberry baked brie for the next gathering.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead can I make it?

You can cut the gouda, fold the salami and wash the grapes a few hours ahead; keep them covered in the refrigerator. Assemble the board just before serving, so the crackers stay crisp and perishable items spend as little time out as possible. Meats, cheeses and cut fruit should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Can I use something other than fig jam?

Yes. Honey, apricot jam or a spoonful of cranberry orange sauce all work with brie and blue cheese.

What if I need a bigger board?

Double everything and use two boards, or see our larger charcuterie board with a mortadella rose, which adds a warm grilled sausage and serves 8. Slices of toasted no-knead bread are an easy way to stretch either one.

Simple Charcuterie Board

A simple charcuterie board for 4 to 6 with brie, gouda and blue cheese, salami and prosciutto, grapes, dried figs, nuts, fig jam and crackers. Ready in 15 minutes, no cooking.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cheese Resting 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Calories: 800

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cheeses

• 1 small brie wheel about 8 oz / 225 g
• 6 oz gouda 170 g, cut into cubes
• 4 oz blue stilton or other blue cheese 115 g

Cured meats

• 6 oz sliced Genoa salami 170 g
• 4 oz prosciutto 115 g

Fruit, nuts and jam

• 2 cups green grapes in small clusters
• 8 dried figs halved
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup fig jam in a small ramekin

Crackers

• 6 oz crackers 170 g, two kinds

Method

 

1. Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before building the board. Keep the meats cold.
2. Place the ramekin of fig jam near one corner and the brie diagonally opposite. Score a small wedge out of the brie.
3. Add the gouda cubes in a third area and break the stilton into rough chunks near the jam.
4. Fold the salami slices into quarters and line them up in a winding row between the cheeses. Drape the prosciutto in loose ribbons.
5. Tuck the grape clusters into the largest gaps and set the halved figs next to the stilton.
6. Fill the small gaps around the cheeses and meats with cashews and pistachios, leaving the edges free.
7. Fan the crackers along the edges, add a knife for the brie and a spoon for the jam, and serve. Do not leave perishable items out for more than 2 hours.

Notes

Make ahead: cube the gouda, fold the salami and wash the grapes a few hours ahead; keep covered in the refrigerator and assemble just before serving.

Storing: meats, cheeses and cut fruit should not stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Wrap untouched leftover cheese and meat and refrigerate; eat within a few days. Keep crackers and nuts in airtight containers.

Substitutions: camembert or goat cheese for the brie; aged cheddar or Gruyère for the blue cheese; honey or apricot jam for the fig jam.

Without a board: use a large platter or a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values for the whole board divided by 6, not a laboratory analysis.