Try this fun spin on a charcuterie board for a dinner at home!
I love charcuterie, and quite honestly I can eat it for dinner, or lunch for that matter. I think it is the combination of salty cured meats with the smooth satiety-filling cheeses and sweet fruit that hits every note of food happiness within me.
So it’s no surprise to me that when talking with my friend Sonal, from the blog Dear Girls Love Mom, that we decided to do a charcuterie board as our first food idea for our series “Same Same But Different.”
Introducing Same Same But Different
Same Same But Different is a series we are doing on our blog and Instagram where both Sonal and I are taking one food idea and creating two different versions of that idea. We will be doing this monthly so stay tuned on both of our platforms to get two versions of one meal or dish.
Follow Sonal on Instagram (click here), and for her blog post on her version of a charcuterie board with sourdough boule baked brie, click here.
My Ideal Meal: Charcuterie For Dinner
Whenever I create a charcuterie board, usually a small helping to go with wine, I always think about how I could eat it as an actual meal, with some adaptations, that is.
Enter the idea of a charcuterie sandwich board!
To me a board is a fine array of the most favourite ingredients, tapas style, where one can pick and choose to make them fulfilled. There is no reason why we can’t turn it into dinner then right? Even for kids!
I decided to create a version of a charcuterie board that had elements that both the kids and we loved. Allowing each of us to “grab” and make our own meal.
It worked great! We filled our bellies, the kids enjoyed a fun way to “pick whatever we want” at the dinner table…and I got my fill of charcuterie.
So many wins on one giant board of goodness.
What I Included on my Family’s Charcuterie Sandwich Board
The trick to creating something that is typically made for grazing at a buffet or party, or a wine and cheese, is ensuring you modify it to include all elements of an actual meal. To me, that included: protein, starch options, vegetables…I mean after all, if it’s for dinner we can’t just have meat and cheese right?
To assemble my board I used a small portion of a multitude of ingredients. I chose these based on things I know we each enjoy, so everyone would graze and consume ample amounts.
Here is how you put the board together…
Starch options:
- Butter croissants – sliced for easy sandwich assembly
- Ciabatta baguette – sliced, dusted with olive oil, and toasted in the oven
- Thin sliced multigrain bread – I used 21 grain and seed bread and toasted it
- Melba toast
- Sweet potato crackers
- Mini grilled cheese – 1 sandwich cut into squares
Protein options:
- Double brie – warmed slightly to room temperature
- Mozzarella cheese – sliced into strips
- Medium cheddar – slicked into strips
- Pepperoni slices
- Prosciutto – thinly sliced
- Genoa salami – thinly sliced
- Turkey breast slices – deli meat, sliced fresh
- Chicken bites – diced and cooked chicken breast (seasoned with siracha, salt, pepper and garlic)
Fruit & Vegetable options:
- Arugula – in a jar and also scattered across the board
- Baby Carrots
- Gala Apples – sliced
- Green seedless grapes
- To note, I also added a side salad (not shown), a simple Greek Salad (diced red onion, green peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives – all tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly crumbled feta cheese)
Complimentary options:
- Dijon mustard
- Pesto mayo – simply combine 1 tablespoon of mayo with 1 teaspoon of pesto
- Kalamata olives – pitted
- Tzatziki – buy premade or combine the following: plain greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, minced garlic, minced dill, olive oil, and salt.
A Few Notes on the Charcuterie Sandwich Board
At first glance, it may seem like a long list of items, however, I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. In fact, no board I ever make is exactly the same, all the time. In terms of aesthetics, there are no rules…that’s the beauty of a grazing board, there is no “wrong” way to put it together.
Remember to check out Sonal’s board with her baked brie to see her family’s take on it and you will see how we made the same idea work two different ways!
Some of the items are often bought in combination, or if your family loves certain things, use those instead. For example, the genoa salami, prosciutto, and other cured meats can be bought packaged together.
For the bread and crackers, choose your family favourites. My son loves croissant sandwiches and my daughter loves grilled cheese. As for my husband and me, we love the lower starch options such as melba toast or grainy/seedy bread. We often have each type on our grocery list as is.
For fruits and vegetables, I wanted to include familiar ones that my kids enjoyed. However I know I needed to add a salad on the side for additional veggies, to offset the additional amount of starch at the table. I could have also made a green salad, but I had chosen to have arugula as a topping for an element of greenery.
Remember to Have Fun!
The best part of creating a charcuterie board for the family was seeing the joy in their face of trying something new, or picking things while seeing what someone else was creating. Making your own creations using similar/familiar ingredients is one of the best parts of food for me. It brings people together and creates conversations.
So always remember, have fun and the food will follow.
To check out more recipes click here.
And remember to stay tuned for “Same Same But Different” where Sonal and I will be announcing a new idea every month. One food idea…two takes. Follow our Instagram platforms for the next announcement.
Happy Grazing!
