Cheese Charcuterie

All you need is love…and a cheese charcuterie spread

They say love makes the world go around. In Wisconsin, we think a great cheese charcuterie spread probably has more to do with it. Love is complicated after all, but a cheese charcuterie board couldn't be easier. It's always there when you need it, ready to impress at any party. A cheese charcuterie platter will never break your heart – it always delivers a heart-throbbing combination of flavors and textures. And for looks? What could be more attractive and, dare we say seductive, than a sultry mix of Wisconsin's finest cheese paired with cured meats, olives, nuts, mustards, jams, dried fruits, and fresh figs?

We're happy to help you make a love connection with the right cheese charcuterie recipe. Just browse our website to swipe left or right on a parade of possible dates with a beautiful cheese charcuterie dish or read on to find a meat and cheese platter idea of your very own.

Cheese charcuterie 101: Building the perfect board

Here are our best cheese and charcuterie tips for creating the ultimate party plate.

1. Choose a handsome platter. Wooden boards or cutting boards work well. Slate or chalkboards let you identify the ingredients for your guests. Marble slabs add a touch of elegance.
2. Use a centerpiece. Place something tall in the center – a mound of grapes or a tall glass with a spread or dip – to give the board some shape.
3. Start with cheese. Adding the cheese first will give it time to come to room temperature, which is best for serving. Spread four to six types of cheese around the board and give each its own knife. Mix textures, with hard cheeses like romano, soft cheeses like burrata, and semi-firm cheeses like Swiss or provolone. Add gorgonzola, smoked gouda, or a specialty cheese like caraway-studded havarti for additional flavor.
4. Next, bread and crackers. Include a variety of crunchy, hearty crackers and slices of a softer breads like a baguette that pair well with your cheeses.
5. Add the meats. Place 3 to 4 cured meats around the board. Play with shapes – rolls, slices, and loose bunches. Salami, prosciutto, soppressata, pepperoni, dry-cured chorizo, and smoked ham all work well.
6. Fill in the spaces. Mix sweet flavors like dried fruits, candied nuts, honey, and chocolates with salty ingredients like olives and pickles. Add fresh grapes, berries, and figs for color and nuts like almonds, pistachios, and pecans for crunch, and roasted red peppers and artichokes for silky smoothness.
7. Finish with zip. Lastly, add small bowls of olive tapenade, stone ground mustard, fresh honeycomb, and fruit confiture for an extra punch of flavor.

When buying ingredients for your cheese charcuterie board, you can plan on two ounces of cheese and meat per person.

Charcuterie craves Wisconsin cheese

Every slice of salami and chunk of chorizo dreams of being paired with Wisconsin cheese, because that's when charcuterie knows it's really hit the big time. It's not just that Wisconsin cheese has won more awards than cheese from any other state or country. Or that Wisconsin has more flavors, styles, and varieties than any other place in the world. It's that when you've got products from Wisconsin on your cheese charcuterie spread, you know you're serving the tastiest, highest-quality cheese in the universe. And what slice of meat in its right mind wouldn't want to be hooked up with that?