Charcuterie Platter

I LOVE to have a charcuterie platter for a special occasion, especially Thanksgiving when we have a lot of people and we want to entertain them (but we are a bit busy getting the meal finished up). Making the platter look delicious is as important as what you put on the board. Feel free to mix it up every time you make one- trying new food options to sample. But please be sure to include a hard cheese, a soft cheese, something salty, such as peanuts and something sweet like a jam or dried fruit. The board should be VERY full.

Prepare all food on the cutting board or in a small bowl next to the board.

Meats:  sliced peppered salami, rolled prosciutto, thinly sliced ham, thinly sliced roast beef

Fruit: grapes, strawberries, dried fig and dried apricots, thin sliced apples

Cheese: hard and soft, mellow and sharp

Nuts: almonds, macadamia, cashews, peanuts

Bread and crackers: bread cracker sticks, thinly sliced and toasted baguettes, buttery crackers, multigrain crackers

BOWLS:

Dipping sauce: spicy mustards, spinach dip, fruit jams

Olives and pickles: