meat

Delicious & Easy Charcuterie Board

We’ve seen charcuterie boards that look so good, our mouths starts to water! We could live off them if our hips, thighs and stomach could tolerate all the goodness 24/7. We finally made a charcuterie board piled with meats, cheeses, nuts, crackers, snacks and fruit for a backyard get together. We want to share what we loved on it, and what we would add next time. It’s the perfect appetizer when you host guests for dinner. You don’t even have to know how to cook – you just have to find what tastes good, and place it nicely on a pretty wood serving tray.

We might make it a weekly dinner thing, just one night a week…paired with a glass of wine, of course. Who’s in?!

Cheese

One of our favorite cheeses these days is Boursin. Oh my goodness, it is so insanely good. Costco sells a three-pack of Boursin cheese, and you can find at the local grocery store, too.
Also delicious is Manchego cheese. We love to get the big block from Costco. It’s good plain, with crackers, and even with fig spread on top.
Goat cheese with fig spread on top. Yummy!

Meat

A salami is good to include on the board. I loved the Murray’s Calabrese salami we used.
Pepperoni, like an authentic Italian pepperoni stick you cut into slices.
Candied bacon would be dreamy on this board, too.

Fruit

Blueberries
Raspberries
Grapes
Strawberries
Apples, sliced

Extras

Hummus. We love Sabra classic hummus.
Carrots, that can be eaten plain or with the hummus, or Boursin
Pickles, small bite sized ones
Corn nuts
Nuts, such as candied nuts, Marcona almonds with rosemary (a personal favorite), cashews, etc.

Crackers/Pretzels

Gluten free pretzels. These are great plain, or dipped in hummus, or with the Boursin cheese. We like Pretzel Crisps or Snyder’s of Hanover gluten free pretzels.
Crackers. If you have not tried these Simple Mills Almond Flour crackers and you are gluten free, you need to run to the store right now to buy them. If you are not gluten free, you still need to run to the store to buy a box of these. They are THAT good. We buy them in bulk at Costco on a regular basis. Love them!
Dot’s pretzels. OMG, so yummy!

Tell us, what are we missing? What do you love on your charcuterie board?

Looks how pretty these wood serving boards are*:
Target Acacia Serving Platter
Enzo White Serving Board (love this one)
Wooden Serving Plank, West Elm
Acacia Cheese Board, Pottery Barn
Mateo Paddle Serving Board, Crate and Barrel

*This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog.

How to Make the Best Antipasto Platter

antipasto plate_jsorelle

We’re Italian and proud of it. We love our heritage and the Italian culture…and of course, the food! Our mouths water with the site of a good Antipasto Platter.

But, how do they do it? How do people create that savory “before the meal” plate that can bring people together and satisfy their cravings? What’s the secret to a beautiful and delicious Antipasto Plate?

We know an expert who can tell us…because we know a place that does everything right when it comes to Italian food and ambiance.

Parisi.

Christine and Simone successfully recreated a little piece of Italy in Denver, Colorado. If you haven’t been, you need to go. And, if you don’t live in CO, you need to add a visit to CO to your bucket list, and add Parisi to your must-eat list.

Here’s owner Christine’s tips for a delectable Antipasto Platter.

– Make sure there’s a balance of olives, cheese, cold cuts & toasted bread with topping.
– Include a mix of soft and hard cheese.
– Tempt the palette with new flavors because people always like to try new things, but also intermingle with a few familiar flavors.
– Keep the toppings simple for the Bruschetta using seasonal veggies. It’s nice to add a little sweet balsamic to the mix to balance out the savory.

And, what about the essential sidekick to a yummy Antipasto Platter, otherwise known as wine? Christine has us covered there too.

“Reds are a good choice for heartier antipasti plates such as a San Giovese blend {San Giovese is the grape used for Chianti and so many of the Tuscan faves),” she said. “But a refreshing Pinot Grigio isn’t a bad choice for those who insist on white.”

She added, “Oh, and then there is one of my favorite red Italian blends from the Veneto region: La Cappuccina’s Madego.. it’s organic and so smooth, but not boring. But I am all for blends these days…I can’t commit to just one grape.”

The list of ingredients from the mouth-watering plate Meredith Moran of Meredith Moran Photography snapped for us at Parisi includes…

Drunken Goat (harder goat cheese immersed in red wine)

Fresh Asiago

Pecorino Picante

Prosciutto di Parma

Finocchiona salame (with fennel)

Castelvetrano & Kalamata Olives

Mortadella

Pancetta

Bruschetta with an artichoke topping & a cherry tomato topping

Now are you ready to impress your guests with the most amazing Antipasto Platter ever? Of course, if you need some authentic Italian food for inspiration, a great sandwich for lunch, an impressive place to bring a special date, or you just want to indulge yourself because you deserve it, stop by Parisi. If you want to eat for hours like the Italian’s do in a more intimate setting, make a reservation right below Parisi at Firenze a Tavola {same owners}. I promise, you will want to go back for more. It’s special to us, not only because Florence is our love affair city, but also because Jenna and Will celebrated their rehearsal dinner at Firenze a Tavola, and that was just the beginning to a wonderful life together.

Thanks to Christine at Parisi and Meredith Moran for making this post possible.

{images via Meredith Moran Photography}

Delicious & Easy Charcuterie Board

How to Make the Best Antipasto Platter

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