‘Tis the season for summer gatherings, and a delicious charcuterie board is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for entertaining. While the task of assembling these spreads may feel daunting, Kroger makes it easy, offering gourmet cheeses and charcuterie in a one-stop-shop. In fact, Cortney LaCorte, also known as Nashville’s renowned Cheese Gal, shows us exactly how easy it is to create a charcuterie board by suggesting which ingredients to use and offering tips and tricks to elevate your spread.
Board #1
Suggested ingredients:
- Boar’s Head Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese
- Private Selection Parisian-Style Double Creme Brie
- Noble Springs Dairy Goat Cheese
- Private Selection Old World Soppressata
- Private Selection Old World Prosciutto
- Tru Bee Coastal Spring Honey
- Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps Fig & Olive Crackers
- Dried apricots
- Simple Truth raw almonds
- Green olives
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Red cherries
- Sage to garnish
While Kroger is known for its selection of artisanal cheeses from Murray’s, Cortney prepares this first board with the idea of “buying whatever ingredients Kroger had on hand, a Murray’s department or not.” Using sharp cheddar cheese alongside brie and goat cheese, she creates a beautiful spread perfect for feeding a small crowd. Note that Cortney cuts the entire block of cheddar cheese into bite-sized pieces, which makes it easier for guests to graze. However, she leaves the brie and goat cheese whole, since they are softer options, making them easier to quickly slice and spread.
After placing the cheeses, Cortney begins to fill the board’s empty space with soppressata and prosciutto (find tips for folding these at the end of the article!), a small jar of honey, dried apricots, olives, and a variety of fruits. By filling empty spaces, you’re giving your board a more robust, elaborate look. When it comes to layering ingredients, Cortney suggests doing so in this order: cheeses and jars first, charcuterie and crackers next, and fruit last.
Board #2
Suggested ingredients:
- Divina Fig Spread
- La Brea Bakery French Baguette
- Murray’s Young Manchego Cheese
- Murray’s Havarti with Dill
- Sartori Chardonnay BellaVitano Cheese Wedge
- Murray’s Brie Fermier
- Murray’s Calabrese Sliced Salami
- Murray’s Italian Prosciutto Di Parma
- Dried apricots
- Green olives
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Simple Truth raw almonds
- Red cherries
- Sage to garnish
This next charcuterie board is ideal for an intimate evening with friends and loved ones. Serving about four people, it’s perfect for when you plan on serving drinks and replacing dinner with a snackable spread. As far as cheeses go, Cortney uses a young manchego, Havarti with dill, brie fermier, and chardonnay BellaVitano. Because the manchego and Havarti cheeses are on the firmer side, Cortney again opts to cut the blocks into bite-sized pieces for guests. She also uses a rich and creamy chardonnay cheese, which, as the name suggests, pairs well with wine. To elevate the board even further, Cortney cuts up a baguette and adds a jar of fig spread. She also places a bowl of green olives on the board, which brings out the flavors of the cheeses with an added touch of saltiness.
Board #3
Suggested ingredients:
- Murray’s Heirloom Apple Butter
- Murray’s Whole-Grain Mustard
- Murray’s Merlot BellaVitano
- Murray’s Havarti with Dill
- Murray’s Brie Mini Cheese
- Murray’s Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
- Murray’s Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog Cheese
- Murray’s Dansk Blue Cheese
- La Quercia Prosciutto Piccante
- Private Selection Old World Soppressata
- Murray’s Calabrese Sliced Salami
- Murray’s Sea Salt Crackers
- Firehook Garlic Thyme Mediterranean Crackers
- Fresh Gourmet Sun-Dried Golden Figs
- Dried apricots
- Peppadews
- Green olives
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Simple Truth raw almonds
- Red cherries
- Sage to garnish
If you’re planning a larger gathering, board three is the perfect option. For this spread, Cortney again uses Havarti cheese with dill and brie, but she also adds blue cheese, Humboldt Fog, sharp white cheddar, and a merlot wedge. She incorporates whole-grain mustard and a jar of her favorite apple butter spread from Murray’s for sweet contrast. Since this spread is a bit larger, Cortney recommends creating pockets for nuts and fruit in the meat, which is another innovative way to fill space. As your gathering progresses, Cortney also suggests pushing your ingredients toward the middle as guests graze to keep those empty spaces filled. This keeps your board looking lush and pretty.
5 Tips & Tricks
Tip #1: If you have a rectangular cheese block, Cortney suggests first cutting it in half and then slicing each half into bite-sized pieces for easy grazing. She also recommends cutting it all at the beginning of the evening and storing extras in your refrigerator so you can easily fill in your board as guests begin to pick at the spread. She warns that large blocks of un-sliced firm cheeses on the board are likely to go untouched.
Tip #2: To make a salami flower, Cortney uses a thin-sliced option from Kroger’s deli. First, she folds pieces in half horizontally, then folds them again vertically, and closely packs the pieces on the board for a fuller look.
Tip #3: Before making prosciutto ribbons, Cortney recommends keeping the prosciutto in your refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Then, just like the salami flowers, gently fold the pieces in half and then fold again.
Tip #4: Another easy way to elevate your board is to add fresh herbs and edible flowers at the end of the assembly process. You can sometimes find these at Kroger or you may be lucky enough to have some in your own yard! Cortney compares this step to putting the ribbon or bow on a present. You can use whatever vibrant fresh herbs you have on hand for this step — sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and mint work beautifully.
Tip #5: If you want to add a dimension of color and interesting texture to your spread, layer different fruits like strawberries, blackberries, cherries, or blueberries throughout the board.
And there you have it — three low-maintenance charcuterie boards, all made with ingredients found at Kroger. Enjoy!
This article is sponsored by Kroger. All photography by Leila Grossman.
