Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board you will Love
There are so many things you can do for Valentine’s Day food. While there are lots of options, this Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board should be at the top of your list. It is totally customizable and perfect for anyone you love.
Table of Contents
Free Email Series
Tips & tricks to achieve the most delicious cookies of your life!
What is a Charcuterie Board?
A traditional charcuterie board is a combination of your favorite meats and cheeses, surrounded by foods that pair well with them.
Oftentimes those items include nuts, fruit, vegetables, cookies, crackers and dips. The best part is that this is where you can get creative.
There are not any rules, so the sky’s the limit and you can customize it to be whatever you want it to be.
What do I put on a Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board
The truth is that you can put anything on a Valentine’s Day themed board. To make a big impact go with items that are heart-shaped foods, red or pink colors and fresh items.
Guide for choosing food
Meats
A variety of meats is always the way to go. Slices of salami, prosciutto, soppressata and pepperoni are all great options. You can also go with your favorite meats from the deli section, like turkey or ham slices.
You can also elevate the look of the meats by folding them in different patterns or even making them into gorgeous and simple salami roses.
Cheeses
Go with a variety of cheeses. I love to start with a wheel of brie but goat cheese and mozzarella balls are also a great soft cheese. I also suggest adding a hard cheese so that there are a variety of choices.
There are so many delicious cheeses and they can be found at almost any supermarket.
Starches
A typical charcuterie board always has a variety of everyone’s favorite crackers. You could also use baguette slices, pita chips or thin pretzels.
Fruits & Vegetables
Start with your favorite fresh fruit. Seasonal red produce like slices of apples, raspberries, red grapes, fresh strawberries and pomegranate seeds are a great way to put a holiday twist on the board. Of course you could always use a variety of dried fruit which is easy to find all year long {and shelf stable}.
Using seasonal veggies from a farmers market or the local grocery store is great because everything you find will be ripe and ready to use. I love using colorful vegetables like cherry tomatoes and go with the color scheme.
Dips
A good dip is a great idea to add. I always think of fruit dip when I am making a Valentine snack board but other dips, like hummus would also be a great addition. You can also never go wrong with savory dips like ranch or onion dip.
Accompaniments
Every good board has a few sweet treats, especially for Valentine’s Day. Make your life easier and go with store bought treats that everyone will love. Small heart-shaped macarons and candies that are in the shape of a heart {like conversation hearts or chocolate hearts} are especially wonderful this time of year.
Try to keep all of the desserts bite sized so that they don’t take up a ton of room on the board. These Cookie Cups with chocolate-covered strawberries and Mini Chocolate Chip cookies would be delicious additions if you wanted to make your own.
Cut finger sandwiches using a heart shape cookie cutter. You can also use a cookie cutter to shape your go-to cheeses. Adding a Monterey Jack heart to the board brings a fun touch in an easy way.
Final Touches
Using edible flowers and fresh herbs {like rosemary} are a fun way to add a nice pop of color to a Valentine’s Day Board. Add them at the end to give the appetizer board the perfect finishing touch.
Expert Tips
- Get creative with what you use as the base. A wooden board is traditional but there are so many items you can use. Lay brown paper on the counter, use a marble slab or wood crate for other options. It would also be fun to arrange the items into a heart shape. You can also find a heart-shaped board.
- Know how many people you are serving and the size of the board you want to use before you go shopping. Both of these numbers will determine how much food you need to purchase and make shopping so much simpler.
- Always start with the larger and main ingredients first. Adding the meat products, cheeses and crackers first allows you to arrange all of the supporting ingredients around them.
- Look around the grocery store for heart-shaped treats. There are things you might not think of. Both a palmier cookie and pretzels are heart shaped. You will also find that the inside of a strawberry is heart shaped and that you can easily transform a cherry tomato into a heart.
- Use small bowls to contain smaller items you don’t want rolling around the board. Using bowls for things like olives, pickles and fruit can keep everything in place and help with pulling it all together. You could also hollow out a red pepper to use as the bowl for a super festive touch.
- Go back and add in smaller foods like nuts and heart candies to fill in any empty spaces. To get a lush and gorgeous Valentine’s charcuterie board it should be bountiful and every inch should be covered.
- Always add serving utensils to make grabbing items easier. Small spoons, cheese knives and tongs are all great additions.
Charcuterie FAQS
A charcuterie board can be made a couple of hours ahead of time. However, I would not keep it longer than that to ensure it is fresh.
Be sure to cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
This rule helps you get a well rounded board. With it you need at least 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 starches and 3 accompaniments for a complete board.
Serve this a simple Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board for family dinner or a dinner party. It would also be super fun on a date night with a glass of wine.
Do you love making Charcuterie Boards? Try these fun ideas…
Did you try this recipe?Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Enter your email below and I’ll send it directly to your inbox!
Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board you will Love
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cured meats {or deli meats}
- 8 ounces cheese {a variety of soft and hard}
- 8 ounces crackers {or other starches}
- 6 ounces fruit {seasonal is best}
- 6 ounces vegetables {seasonal is best}
- 1 cup olives {black or green}
- 1 cup valentine candy
- 2 cup cookies
- herbs & edible flowers {for garnish}
Instructions
- Add the large items {meats & cheeses} to the board. Then place the crackers {or starches} around the board.
- Next, arrange seasonal fruits and vegetables around the meat and cheese. Add bowls of dip, olives and pickles {or whatever you prefer}.
- Fill in any empty areas with valentine candy and cookies. Finally, go back and fill in any areas and add fresh herbs and edible flowers. Serve or cover for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Get creative with what you use for the base. A wooden board is traditional but there are so many items you can use. Lay brown paper on the counter, use a baking sheet, wood crate or heart shaped board for other options.
- Have a combination of fresh and shelf stable items. Foods like crackers and nuts can be bought ahead of time and will last long after.
- Use small bowls to contain items you don’t want rolling around the board. Using bowls for smaller items like olives, pickles and fruit can keep everything in place and help with pulling it all together.
- Go back and add in smaller foods like nuts and valentine candies to fill in any empty spaces. To get a lush and gorgeous Valentine-themed charcuterie board it should be bountiful and every inch should be covered.
- Always add serving utensils to make grabbing items easier. Small spoons, cheese knives and tongs are all great additions.
