So I finally finished my dining room, woohoo! Well, there’s always a little something more to do when it comes to decorating, right? Well, I wanted to celebrate it so when my besties suggested Sunday dinner, it seemed like the perfect time to finish up and celebrate. I moved into this house this Summer and it has been a journeyyyy working to decorate a full house vs. a room or small apartment! It’s not my Forever Home, but it sure is pretty!
So getting my dining room together gave me major peace and I wanted to enjoy it for the first time! With my girlfriends prepping a Pot Roast dinner and sides, my contribution was location and appetizers/drinks. Boom! Done deal.
I wanted to make a Charcuterie Board. The essential bougie, traveling, single Auntie dish that I need to perfect because it will be my dish for life now.
All the cheap bougie vibes were speaking to me, and it felt right but I needed the budget to feel right. Creating a Charcuterie Board can be priceyyy! As someone who ditched full-time dairy over a year ago, my wallet doesn’t miss my love of fancy cheeses. And they can add up when paired with all of the other additions needed to create a board so how to keep it bougie on a dime?
Aldi for me!
Side Note: My mom introduced me to Aldi a few years back and I won’t lie, I wasn’t immediately a fan as I love multiple varieties of options. Aldi has a corner on the market where they create most of their products in-house, and don’t offer many other varieties. BUT – the items are quality items and usually cheaper than other stores despite lacking brand variety. So I’ve become a baby-fan, not a total fanatic just yet, but I’m getting there! (Trader Joe’s is still BAE though)
Knowing that I was on a budget, I went to the store with a $20 budget to be fancy for the evening. I definitely could have done it for cheaper but I wanted to give variety of at least 3 cheeses and a variety of meat and I’m happy to say that I only found myself a few cents over!
What’s Charcuterie, Erica?
[Shahr-koo-tuh–ree] – The process of prepping meats which are usually cured or smoked, often paired with various cheeses, with sweet and savory additions on the side. The term comes from Charcutier, which is a person who prepares charcuterie and in English means, “pork butcher”, although meat other than pork is used!
What did I put on my Charcuterie Board?
- Kalamata Olives – $2.19
- Garlic & Chive Crackers – $1.99
- Black Truffle Brie – $2.99
- Appleton Farms Antipasto Deli Platter – $3.99
- Apple – $0.50
- Grapes – $2.50
- Sundried Tomato Artisan Cheese – $2.99
- Gouda Slices – $2.79
- Berries & Nuts Trail Mix – $0.67
- Garlic Olives from Savannah
My board was a $4.50 thrifted find!
Price = $20.61
What to put on your Charcuterie Board?
It’s up to you, but here are some ideas!
Cheeses – Try out some different cheeses that you don’t see every day! Whether you decide to switch up the cheese type (Cow’s Milk or Goat?), or if you decide to pick up one that has a lil’ something extra, (sundried tomatoes or truffle? Yum!) It’s good to get a variety between hard, soft and spreadable cheeses, along with some that may be sweet and others that are savory or rich.
Meat – There are some great varieties of smoked and cured meat available to deck your board out with! Are you a Pepperoni or Proscuitto type of prepper? Maybe Salami or Sausage? It’s up to you! Again, a variety is great as each meat provides the accompanying cheese with a different taste to experience.
Crackers, Bread, etc. – This is totally up to you, but don’t deprive your guests by leaving out the carbs and crackers! I love both and honestly, if you want to use both – why not?! Essential for spreading cheeses, mustards and tasty spreads, don’t forget this essential!
Fruit – A little sweetness on the plate is the perfect balance to all the savory or spicy additions. How about some red grapes, dried apricots or even blueberries? The options are endless and my favorite part? They go perfectlyyy with a great Brie!
Savory Goods – I’m so greedy, I love sweet and savory no matter the situation and Charcuterie boards are included. Throwing in some pickles, pickled veggies or the essential, olives, bring SO much to a board! I’ve always been a big fan of olives, I can eat them straight out of the jar! So whether you prefer Green or Kalamata, these salty additions are perfect to add-in. Get fancy and get one that’s stuffed with blue cheese or garlic! Yum!
Nuts – Nuts are a great little salty addition that can easily be sprinkled onto your board to add a little extra love. Opt for a small bag or two of trail mix and save some big bucks!
Extras – Add a little natural honey, preserves or jam and you won’t believe the difference in taste!
Preparing your Board
Now, it may seem like once you’ve determined what is going on your board, it’s an easy trek from there? Kinda BUT a little planning is needed. You want to go into your board with a layout plan so everything fits and leaves you with a board you have been dreaming of. Now, my board plan wasn’t anything special as you can see, LOL. I simply snapped a photo and used my iPhone markup feature to give me a better idea of what I was doing. I didn’t stick 100% to plan, but I was close! And this plan helped me out tremendously and left me with a board I loved!
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