Over the Labor Day weekend, we hosted a live workshop called, An Epic Charcuterie Board. A show-stopping charcuterie board not only creates a WOW factor for any event you’re hosting, but also provides your guests with so many meat, cheese and other accoutrements to choose from.
It was amazing to see the culinary creations of our members and students and watch their creativity shine.
Such a perfect time to learn how to DIY a meat and cheese board with the holidays approaching and of course, Sunday night football from this coming weekend until January next year.
If you know me…this is the most wonderful time of the year. Amen anyone?
We had a lot of leftover meat, cheese and fruit and nuts so today I’m sharing different ways to use up the surplus of our show-stopping charcuterie board.
BREAKFAST IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftover items from the charcuterie: prosciutto, camembert (you can use brie), fresh figs, fig jam
Add from your pantry fridge: croissant
Why you should try it: A soft cheese and salty prosciutto is a classic combination. The fig jam is sweet and complements the leveled-up croissant-wich nicely. The fresh figs are a nice addition especially while it is in season.
Camembert is also a cheese that’s easy to digest: Because of its short-chain fatty acids, the intestines can digest Camembert particularly easily and make the individual nutrients quickly available to the body.
Camembert always goes well with any warm bread, preserves, jams and even honey.
LUNCH IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftover items from the charcuterie: apples, camembert, marinated artichokes, red peppers, cipollini onions, cornichons.
Add from your pantry/fridge: sliced bread, butter
Why you should try it: Grilled cheese and apples is another classic combo. All the marinated items add tanginess to cut the fat off the cheese and butter from grilling.
They are the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
Cheddar cheese is also a good source of calcium—one of the most important nutrients for promoting bone health. If you maintain a diet rich in calcium are less likely to develop osteoporosis. The vitamin K in cheddar cheese also plays a valuable role in promoting healthy teeth and bones.
DESSERT IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftovers from the charcuterie: crackers, bread crisps, honey, cheese, nuts, jam/preserves
Add from your pantry/fridge: jam/preserves
Why you should try it: People don’t normally think of cheese as a dessert item. But it is a “thing”. If you’re on “board” with me (PUN right there), I think there is nothing better than some cheese with something sweet and nice glass of Gewurztraminer or Sherry to end a meal.
Plating a cheese platter taps into your creativity to build and present a smaller scale plate than a full-on meat and cheese board. You don’t need a big selection of cheese for dessert. Use one to three (at the most), then layer with other leftover items you have. No need to go overboard. The cheeseboard is a luxurious treat and a change from the usual sweets.
A few tips on creating a dessert cheese plate:
Tip 1
Use creamier cheeses, such as, cheddar, aged gouda, stilton, brie, or goat cheese.
Tip 2
Pick cheese from different sources or types of milk like cow, goat, or sheep.
Tip 3
Serve the cheese with a different cheese knife for each cheese so you’re not mixing flavors.
Tip 4
Take the cheese out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before serving. Cheese is best enjoyed at room temperature.
Tip 5
Serve with nuts and dried fruit. You need just a subtle hint of sweetness to complement the cheese. Chocolates or chocolate dipped anything is best for another day.
Tip 6
The rule of thirds! If you’re serving three cheeses when you have more guests or family members. I only used two (pecorino and manchego) as it was just for me and my wife. A cheese trio will give enough variety without the overthinking and overwhelm. Simply offer a hard, a soft and a blue.
DINNER + SCHOOL LUNCH IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftovers from the charcuterie: Pecorino, blue cheese, cheddar, sun dried tomatoes
Add from your pantry/fridge: Pasta, milk
Why you should try it: Who doesn’t love mac n cheese? This three-cheese mac is leveled up using high quality cheeses and gives a bold, full flavor. It also makes a great school lunch in a warmed up thermos. You’ll be sure that the kids will come home with an empty lunch container at the end of the day with this packed.
If you’ve been here long enough, you know we cook from scratch and don’t buy boxed mac and cheese for obvious reasons. If you don’t know, take a look at the sodium content at the back of the box and all the other ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Using fresh ingredients and quality cheese instantly upgrades your homemade mac n cheese.
SALAD IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftovers from the charcuterie: marinated artichokes, olives, cipollini onions, sun dried tomatoes, pecorino cheese, blue cheese
Add from your pantry/fridge: corkscrew pasta, fresh Italian parsley
Why you should try it: It’s satisfying and an easy meal to put together that’s perfect for a busy day or night. The colorful array of marinated vegetables make it very appealing and pleasing to the eye.
Pickled and marinated vegetables are also high in particular types of fiber that feed beneficial gut bacteria, acting as prebiotics – food for the probiotic gut bacteria. Studies have shown that adding fermented vegetables to your diet may help with digestion and manage symptoms of constipation and diarrhea.
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH IDEA USING CHARCUTERIE LEFTOVERS
Leftovers from the charcuterie: chorizo
Add from your pantry/fridge: potatoes, egg
Why you should try it: It’s a potato hash that will hold you up and keep you satiated until lunch time. With protein from the chorizo and eggs, this is a delicious breakfast that makes use of leftover meat you might forget you had in your fridge.
While chorizo is delicious, I would not categorize this as a healthy meal for all. It is a high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium food. The good news? It is low-carb and it fits into a ketogenic diet.
It’s also allowed on a Whole30 meal plan so long as the chorizo contains just meat, spices, and it if it doesn’t have any sugar, sulfites, carrageenan, soy, or dairy.
Chorizo is also high in protein. A 3.5-ounce serving of this sausage give you 24.1 grams of protein, and because chorizo is made from animal sources – beef and pork – it’s a great source of amino acids required for tissue repair and food breakdown. It’s the perfect breakfast if you like weight and resistance training.
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Let’s connect!
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If you tried any of these recipes or started crafting your own show-stopping charcuterie board to WOW your friends and family at your next dinner party feel free to tag me so I can see your culinary creation!
Looking for more recipes?
Here are some of our family favorites. They’re easy to make and you’ll find that they’re diverse enough to start with and will keep you from falling into a recipe rut.
Simplified spaghetti bolognese
Arugula Pasta with Mascarpone and Parmesan
Amazing