Make a small charcuterie board from Trader Joe’s this holiday season! These ideas will help you to make a tasty cheese board that will impress your guests without breaking your budget! For less than $30 you can create a small & simple meat and cheese platter with a delicious assortment for 2, 4 or 6 guests!
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You don’t have to go on Pinterest for long to see a ton of different charcuterie ideas! If you’re anything like me, this can be slightly overwhelming, especially if you are having a smaller gathering or just don’t want to spend a ton of money!
Of course you can find a pre-made one, but I actually was able to make this one for under $30 by using Trader Joe’s charcuterie board items. Want to spend even less? Check out this Aldi charcuterie board I made for under $25!
Looking for more holiday appetizer ideas? You have to give goat cheese puff pastry appetizer and air fryer crab cakes a try.
Why You Should Make This
- Simple for holidays or everyday This small charcuterie board is perfect for a simple Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter holiday and also works great for a weeknight meal when you are out of ideas or in a rush. Kids will love to have a super easy and fun meat and cheese dinner.
- Unique on a budget: Trader Joe’s charcuterie board items are some of the most unique you will find without being overly expensive. I was able to put this one together for under $30.
- Last minute guests: Having a few of these items on hand can help you to throw together happy hour or date night at home or an impromptu gathering with very little stress.
- Easy to make: This guide will help you navigate creating the perfect appetizer with step-by-step instructions!
Ingredients You Need
The beauty of this dish is your unique spin! You can add whatever ingredients your family or guests will eat, but here are some general guidelines for what to buy. I’ve included the examples for what items I got at Trader Joe’s.
- Cheese: Generally two different types of cheeses (a hard cheese like cheddar, Manchego, or Asiago and a soft cheese like gouda, brie or goat cheese) are good for making a serving for 6. Sometimes you can even find small cuts of cheese that are pre-sliced. I chose one hard and one soft cheese; the British Mustard & Ale cheddar cheese and the Double Cream Brie.
- Meat: Salami, sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni are just a few ideas for meat choices. I used the Chianti Red Wine Artisan Salami and the Truffle Salami.
- Crackers or Bread: Crackers, a baguette or other bread, pretzels and toasts all work well. I used two different shaped crackers, the Italian Breadsticks with Olive Oil and the Some Enchanted Cracker.
- Spreads or Dips: For simplicity, try to add in one or two of your favorite spreads, dips (like my 4-ingredient guacamole), hummus, fruit preserves, etc. I added one savory and one sweet using Olive Tapenade and Fresh Raspberry Preserves.
- Other: Feel free to layer in or switch and swap by adding in nuts, veggies, honey, chocolates or a variety of other items you can add.
How to Make a Trader Joe’s Charcuterie
Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for assembling.
- Select your serving platter, board or plate and line it with parchment paper if desired.
- Add your selected cheeses, alternating them on either side.
- Add in meats and dips, spreads or preserves.
- Sprinkle in crackers and breads and add in serving utensils like small spoons or cheese knives if needed.
Expert Tips
- Serving Size Tips: This small charcuterie board was made for 6. For other sizes, refer below:
- Scale for four: Use a medium-sized board or a dinner plate.
- Scale for two: Use a smaller board or a salad plate.
- Make individual boards: Amazon sells adorable mini boards for making individual portions. You could also use cups.
- Platter & Plating Tips:
- You can find cheap charcuterie boards on Amazon or you can use a sheet pan, cutting board or dish you may already have at home.
- Add in small spoons or cheese cutters to make it easy for guests to make an individual plate.
- Don’t worry about making the arrangement of the items super fancy! I try to arrange different items around to keep things balanced. Most of the items lay right on the serving platter aside from a few things like nuts, tapenade, jams and jellies that I put in small white bowls or small glass bowls from Amazon or from what I have in my cupboard.
- The most important thing is to add what you like to the boards! It’s a waste of money to add something fancy that no one will eat.
- Use what you already have on hand in your pantry to save a few extra dollars!
- Fruit like grapes are nice to add because they can be trimmed into small clusters to fit any size or shape board. Sliced apples or oranges also work.
FAQs
For a simple, small charcuterie board you can stick to a simple selection of one cheese, one meat, and one type of cracker or bread. You can also add in some nuts, a fruit spread or dip if you would like.
The size depends on how many you are serving. For two you may use a board the size of a salad plate. For a group of four, a size of a dinner plate would suffice. For 6 or more you will want to use a larger serving plate or a platter or sheet pan.
You can use a sheet pan, platter, cutting board or any dish. Anything works and if you line the surface with a piece of parchment paper it will help with easy cleanup.
There are items throughout the store that are great additions to even a small charcuterie board. My favorite Trader Joe’s charcuterie board items are found in the fresh cheese section as well as the meat section. Generally you can also find dips and spread in these areas. Scan the store as they sometimes will put things in different aisles or more seasonal offerings will be in special spots.
Related Recipes
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Small Charcuterie Board from Trader Joe’s
Ingredients
- 1 block hard cheese cheddar, asiago, Manchego
- 1 block soft cheese brie, goat, blue
- 1 link meat salami, pepperoni, etc., sliced
- sliced meat i.e. prosciutto, sopressata
- crackers, bread, toasts
- other spreads, dips, fruits, nuts, chocolate your preference
Instructions
- Arrange items on a wooden board, sheet pan or cutting board.
- Add serving utensils and plates or create individual portions.
Notes
- Serving Size Tips: This small charcuterie board was made for 6. For other sizes, refer below:
- Scale for four: Use a medium-sized board or a dinner plate.
- Scale for two: Use a smaller board or a salad plate.
- Make individual boards: Amazon sells adorable mini boards for making individual boards. You could also use cups.
- Platter & Plating Tips:
- You can find cheap charcuterie boards on Amazon or you can use a sheet pan, cutting board or dish you may already have at home.
- Add in small spoons or cheese cutters to make it easy for guests to make an individual plate.
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