Summer Charcuterie Board Ideas

A summer charcuterie board is the perfect way to enjoy an evening with family or friends. Low fuss, gorgeous and tasty enough for even the pickiest eaters.

*This post is sponsored by Eartheasy.

Here at the Lavender Blue Cottage, we’re trying to soak up all of summer’s goodness before we head into a season of transition. (By the way, how is it possible that my first born daughter is old enough to fly the nest!? How?) Busy times and big changes always make me want to slow down, simplify and enjoy the little things. As such, a simple, easy dinner outside with the family sounded lovely to me.

I was inspired by a recent trip to Michigan where a dear friend, Sarah from Grace in My Space, provided a beautiful charcuterie board for myself and some fellow friends. It was perfect! Elegant, yet low fuss, allowing us lots of time to visit and catch up with each other. Such good times!

(If you want a peek into our fun getaway, make sure you check out my TIDBITS & Company YouTube Channel!)

I decided to follow her lead and create a summer charcuterie board for my family to enjoy outside on our new Eartheasy dining set. That dining set was a snap to put together and it provided a totally dreamy setting for our little gathering. Definitely two thumbs up from this momma!

We received the Classic Outdoor Dining Table, Classic Adirondack Arm Chair, and the Classic Adirondack Side Chairs, all in the color Mahogany. They are an absolute dream, and I am so happy to finally have an outdoor table that fits my whole family.

I’m excited to share delicious summer charcuterie board ideas, as well as my ahead-of-time prep tips to help make your event as easy and stress-free as possible.

If you’d like to see these ideas on video, click the YouTube button below.

What is a Charcuterie Board?

Charcuterie boards are the perfect solution for outdoor dining! They feature a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits/veggies, bread/crackers, spreads/dips and snacks/desserts. All the food is displayed in groups and everyone gets to mix, match and sample whatever tasty combinations sound good to them. It’s the grown up version of a kid in a candy store. (And kids love it too!)

The beauty of a charcuterie board is that rather than slaving away to prepare multiple dishes, you display simple food elements in a beautiful way and allow your guests to try what they’d like. This cuts way down on prep time, and it tends to please even the pickiest eaters. It also looks very gourmet, even when made up of everyday items.

What to Serve on a Summer Charcuterie Board

We’re talking about a summer charcuterie board today, but you can apply these ideas to any season or event.

Meat Ideas:

• salami
• prosciutto
• pepperoni
• slices of ham or turkey, rolled up

Cheese Ideas:

• mozzarella
• goat cheese (love the ones covered in berries)
• gouda
• brie
• cheddar
• cream cheese
• other soft cheese spreads like Mascarpone cheese

Bread/Cracker Ideas:

• sliced baguette
• pita chips
• any kind of cracker
• mini bagels
• sourdough bread or artisanal breads

Fruit/Vegetable Ideas:

• carrots
• sliced bell peppers
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumbers
• olives
• blueberries
• grapes
• strawberries
• diced melons
• peaches
• apples
• pears

Dips/Spread Ideas:

• pesto
• hummus
• lavender berry jam
• fresh basil pesto
• honey
• balsamic vinegars
• peanut butter
• tahini

Snacks/Dessert Ideas:

• cookies
• candied nuts, like almonds
• raw or salted nuts like pistachios
• dark chocolate chunks
• mints

Of course, these lists could go on and on, but you get the idea. Use whatever you like and feel free to experiment with different flavors and textures.

P.S. A charcuterie board is a great way to share your garden harvest or finds from the local farmers market!

How to Prepare a Summer Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board can be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like. Anything from a small snacking board to a whole meal. I like the idea of doing a charcuterie board for just part of a meal, like an appetizer or dessert board.

One of the great things about charcuterie boards is that they can largely be assembled from items that you don’t need to cook. If you want to include items like dips and spreads that need more prep time, try making those ahead of time to keep things simple. That’s what I did and it made for a nice, relaxing meal with very little prep.

Ever heard of the 3-3-3 rule? It’s the idea that you want a few varieties of each of your food types. 3 different types of cheeses, 3 types of meat, 3 different dips and so on. Of course, you can do whatever you want with your charcuterie board, but the rule of 3’s is a good way to illustrate the idea of variety.

Charcuterie Board Display Ideas

There are lots of ways that you can arrange a charcuterie board. Display your goodies on a large tray or platter or use several smaller boards. You can plan your food offerings around themes like holiday goodies, favorite colors, or types of food – like a bread and jam board.

For our outdoor dinner, we did several smaller boards that held like items (a fruit board, a dessert, board, etc.). The smaller cutting boards allowed us to stay seated and pass the food around the table. Small bowls for things like dips helped keep everything tidy. So easy and so cute!

More Hosting Ideas

Our summer charcuterie board made for such a relaxing dinner. And taking our meal outside made it extra special. A sweet little end of summer memory, for sure. One that I cannot wait to repeat.

Now, can anyone make time slow down a little bit???

If you liked this idea, try checking out some of these:

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