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Looking for the best charcuterie board ideas for beginners?

You’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re planning a simple summer gathering or a festive Christmas celebration, creating a charcuterie board doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through simple, easy ways to design a board for any occasion, whether it’s a casual party, a birthday bash, or an intimate get-together for 2 or 4 people.

From simple designs to eye-catching presentations, we’ve got tips to make your board stand out.

Plus, don’t forget to try a dessert charcuterie board to satisfy your sweet tooth! So, whether you’re a beginner or just looking for fresh inspiration, these ideas will help you build the perfect charcuterie board with minimal effort.

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40+ Small Charcuterie Board Ideas

Are you ready to choose your favorites?

Here are over 40 amazing and most importantly delicious small charcuterie board ideas for any budget and any taste!

How to Build a Small Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are extremely flexible, so increase or decrease proportions according to the number of guests. If this is your first time building a charcuterie board, there are some fundamentals you should know.

The first and most important element is choosing the size and shape for your tray.

Small charcuterie boards are easier to fill up and simpler to carry or move around the room. Another piece of cutlery you will need is smaller bowls and dishes to hold produce or any sauces you want on the platter.

The last step is to choose your assortment of cheeses, cold cuts, crackers, and produce for the charcuterie board. Include three to five cheeses; a hard one, a soft one, and a blue cheese. For meats, shop for a variety of thinly cured and cut meats that pair well with the cheese selection on the board.

Finally, add some crackers that can be eaten with the cheese and some fresh produce for a tasty contrast to the meat and cheese. 

The appeal of a charcuterie board lies in the arrangement. Run through the steps below to build a small charcuterie board of every guest’s dream!

• Step one: Place any bowls or dishes on the board to add structure to the arrangement. Bowls should be filled with olives, honey, mustard, or any nuts that are in your set menu. 
• Step two: Add cheese and meats to the board as your second step. Start with placing the cheeses in intervals, leaving enough space for slicing and cutting. Once you’re done with the cheeses, place the meats along the empty spaces, filling the board up. The cold cuts and cheeses are to be enjoyed together, so don’t worry about them getting slightly mixed up.   
• Step three: Place crackers on the board in small stacks and don’t worry about them toppling over! A messy cheeseboard is just as beautiful. 
• Step four: Add your fresh produce as the last step to build the perfect cheeseboard. Fill up any empty spaces and opt for some freeze dried fruits to add more flavors to the board. 

Four Simple Small Charcuterie Board Ideas

It’s a common misconception that charcuterie boards are only for big parties.

A group of five to seven people also relish a good cheese board.

Browse through four of our favorite charcuterie board ideas fit for parties of any size and suitable for every season. 

• High Tea Board: Perfect for an afternoon party, a high tea board is a fresh take on the traditional cheese board. Depending on the rest of your menu you can choose to focus on sweets or savories for the board. Fill your board up with mini tea cakes, English muffins, croissants, and blueberry cake slices. For the sauces add some apple crumble sauce and apricot jam as accompaniments. 
• Mediterranean board: Looking for more variety? A Mediterranean charcuterie board goes perfectly with a bottomless brunch and a warm summer’s day.  For cheeses, pick from halloumi, ricotta, or feta. Mediterranean cuisine serves up a lot of options for dips, try a creamy hummus, some spicy muhammara, or an baba ganoush dip to pair with crackers, pita bread, and some lavash. The bread can be made even more sumptuous with fresh fruits like figs, apricots, and some dates.  
• Italian cheese board: An easy to prepare charcuterie board is an Italian-inspired one. Make the famed Italian cheeses the hero of this board; burrata, mozzarella, or some gorgonzola and a whole range of blue cheeses is sure to delight every guest at your party. Choose crackers, bread, and produce that pair best with the cheeses and you’re good to go! Some olive oil drizzle is a must and don’t forget to pop open the bottle of wine.
• Festive cheese boards: Throwing a party around a festival? Choose a theme and let it inspire every element of your board. Go crazy with colors and festival foods to fill up your board. Some of our favorite charcuterie boards have been Christmas inspired, filled with Christmas cake, green olives, raspberry jam, festive crackers, all arranged to look like a Christmas tree. You can do the same with Easter, St Patrick’s Day, or even the Fourth of July. 

Best Tools for Small Charcuterie Boards

A good charcuterie board is artfully arranged, brimming with colors and smells, and full enough to make anyone hungry.

Without the right tools, boards will be cumbersome and time-consuming to make. Some tools you will need to achieve this are:

• Small wood tray as the base 
• Cheese Knife set 
• Set of small sauce bowls 
• Spatulas or tongs 
• Toothpicks to pick up and eat off the board 

A cheese board is best served at room temperature and hence needs to be prepared just before the party kicks off. Otherwise, you run the risk of making the ingredients soggy or drying them out.

You can prepare the board up to one hour in advance or else if you’re short on time, prepare the ingredients and refrigerate them the night before.

Also, remember there are no rules to make the perfect charcuterie board.

All you need to do is keep your guests preferences in mind and add things to the board that pair well to make every bite a delicious one! 

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