Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Board

This Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Board tutorial will teach you how to make the perfect easy charcuterie cheese and meat board, vegetarian charcuterie board or even a sweets charcuterie board. Also, included are keto, low carb, dairy free, meatless and gluten free options!

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A charcuterie board can be known by many different names such as a cheese platter, meat and cheese board or crudité. Essentially, it is a delicious compilation of meats, cheeses, smoked fish, vegetables, crackers, jams, dips, spreads, honey, fruit, nuts and anything else you can imagine!

You can buy all of the ingredients needed already pre-made from the grocery store. Or, if you are feeling extra ambitious, you can make some of them yourself!

I love making my homemade Honey Smoked Salmon to add to a salmon charcuterie board. I also love making my Bacon Jerky and Bacon Cinnamon Rolls to add to my breakfast charcuterie board.

But back to the main event! If you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s then you know they are AMAZING. Not only are they my favorite grocery store, but I will NOT make my board without going there to get my ingredients.

Trader Joe’s products are top quality and their prices cannot be beat. Seriously. Trader Joe’s is my spirit animal and if I could be a grocery store, I would want to be Trader Joe’s. Who doesn’t want to be a grocery store, right? Ok, maybe that is weird.

Why this recipe works

• You can make these boards in all different shapes and sizes and feed any size crowd. You don’t even have to treat this as just an appetizer or starter, this can be the full lunch or dinner for your whole family. Seriously, I kind of think it is the best part of any meal. Am I right?
• A Trader Joe’s charcuterie board can be modified to accommodate any dietary preference.
• These boards are flexible on ingredients! The sky is the limit when it comes to ingredients. Whatever you have on hand, you can make a beautiful board.
• It is a fun and beautiful way to entertain your friends and family.

Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Ingredients

Amounts

The amounts of each item will depend on the size of your board and your taste preferences. Don’t be afraid to grab a few extras so you have a full and bountiful Trader Joe’s charcuterie board. Leftovers are always great!

Cheese

• Trader Joe’s Triple Cream or Double Cream Brie (they also have a light option).
• Trader Joe’s Goat Cheese: Plain, Italian herb or cranberry.
• Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar or Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions.
• Trader Joe’s Crottin Goat Cheese Sampler.
• Trader Joe’s Saint André or Pedto Gouda.
• Trader Joe’s Parmesan Reggiano.
• Trader Joe’s Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah.
• Trader Joe’s 1,000-Day Gouda.

Meat

• Trader Joe’s Brand Prosciutto
• Columbus Salame Secchi Fiore (Salami Stick)
• Trader Joe’s Hot Smoked Salmon or Cold Smoked Salmon (Plain, Pastrami or Everything but the Bagel Seasoning).
• Homemade Honey Smoked Salmon
• Trader Joe’s (3 Salami Sampler Pack).
• Deli Meats, hams, turkey, roast beef.

Jam, Jelly, Sauce, Dip or Honey

• Trader Joe’s Artichoke Spread
• Trader Joe’s Fig Jam
• Trader Joe’s Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip
• Trader Joe’s Jams/Jelly or Honey Mustard
• Homemade Date Jam
• Homemade Brazil Nut Butter
• Homemade Pumpkin Seed Butter

Nuts

• Almonds
• Pistachios
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia Nuts

Fresh Fruit 

• Green Grapes
• Red Grapes
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries

Dried Fruit

• Apricots
• Mango
• Figs
• Dates
• Candied Oranges

Pickled Items or Misc. Finger Foods

• Olives (mixed, kalamata, castelvetrano or green olives)
• Pickles
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Hearts of Palm
• Grilled or Marinated Artichokes
• Trader Joe’s Dolmades
• Trader Joe’s Marinated Chickpeas

How to put together a charcuterie board

If you are wondering how to build a Trader Joe’s charcuterie board, you are in the right place! While it can seem daunting at first, by following a few easy rules, you will be creating a beautiful masterpiece charcuterie spread in no time!

Build a Foundation

Place any bowls first. Then, place any larger blocks of cheese or large items (salami rose or smoked salmon piece). This sets your foundation.

From there, you will want to arrange your items in descending order focusing on next heaviest or large items. The items should get gradually smaller and fill in the gaps.

Sample Order: (Start) Bowls, Cheese, Meats, Bunches of Grapes, Crackers, Smaller Dried Fruit and Nuts (Finish)

Create Movement on the Board

You want to utilize movement to create a beautiful board. Experiment with placing your bowls off-center in a variety of places on the board.

When placing the foods, you can create a combination of wavy patterns or more uniform placements. Don’t be afraid to play.

Contrast your Colors

When placing your foods, contrast your colors indifferent areas of the board. For example, if you have white crackers, you might place them near green or red grapes or vibrant charcuterie board fruit instead of near a white cheese. This creates visual excitement.

Vary your Sizes and Cutting Techniques

Play around with placing larger items next to smaller items. You can also experiment with different sizes in your slicing. For example, you might cut some slices off a block of cheese and set it next to the remaining block of cheese for a beautiful contrast. You might do the same with a salami stick.

You can also experiment with slicing patterns. You can cut things in a rustic way or you can do fun crisscross or dragon patterns. You can arrange meats in roses, slices or swirls.

Vary Flavors

Depending on your dietary preferences, it is always great to have a variety of flavors on the plate. Use different meats and cheeses, cheese board accompaniments, veggies or fruits, different dips (sweet vs. savory). This variety is part of the fun of these appetizer boards.

Best Trader Joe’s Cheese for Charcuterie

In my opinion, the best Trader Joe’s cheeses for charcuterie have to be one of their Brie options, a goat cheese and a cheddar. That is a solid trifecta for your charcuterie spread. But of course, you can absolutely mix and match. And, don’t forget the cheese board accompaniments.

• Brie: They have St. Andre triple cream brie or an excellent triple cream of double cream Trader Joe’s brand brie).
• Goat Cheese: Plain, Italian herb or cranberry (Trader Joe’s brand).
• Cheddar: I really like the Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar).

Please note, Trader Joe’s constantly rotates their selection and availability to these may not always be current. But rest assured, they will have another amazing option to replace.

Some other Trader Joe’s Cheeses that would be great are as follows.

• Trader Joe’s Crottin Goat Cheese Sampler.
• Trader Joe’s Saint André
• Trader Joe’s Pesto Gouda.
• Trader Joe’s Parmesan Reggiano.
• Trader Joe’s Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah.
• Trader Joe’s 1,000-Day Gouda.
• Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese With Caramelized Onions.
• Trader Joe’s Triple Creme Brie Cheese.

Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Meat

Trader Joe’s has an amazing selection of deli meat, salami, prosciutto, smoked salmon and more! My favorite go-to meats to grab as a base to my platter are as follows:

• Trader Joe’s Brand Prosciutto: I love their brand prosciutto and it is the best price. Win-win!
• Columbus Salame Secchi Fiore (Salami Stick): Believe it or not, I am not a huge salami lover, but I am a BIG FAN of this brand. It just tastes great. That’s all I can say. Do it!
• Trader Joe’s Smoked Salmon: They have an excellent hot smoked salmon that is slightly sweet. They also have some delicious cold smoked salmon options such as pastrami smoked salmon and everything but the bagel smoked salmon.
• Trader Joe’s (3 Salami Sampler Pack): This gives a good variety of salami. Check out this great video to make a beautiful salami rose which is always a nice addition to your meat and cheese board.

Charcuterie board size and where to buy

If you want to build a super fun meat and cheese board, you can start with a super fancy board (or multiple wooden boards of many shapes and sizes) or you can start with a platter from the dollar store! Yes, yes I have.

For my son’s birthday party at the park, I grabbed a dollar store platter, covered it in some parchment paper and created a portable masterpiece. From budget all the way to fancy pants, I have your back!

There are many different shapes and sizes of charcuterie board. Some basic sizes would be small, medium or large. Typical shapes are circular or rectangular but you will see everything in between!

Depending on your desired presentation and charcuterie supplies, you may wish to do a board with vegetables and dips and your meats and cheeses on a separate board (for example). Or, you can put everything all together. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Here are some ideas for different shaped boards that you can purchase on Amazon:

• Basic Rectangle Board
• Board with Handle
• Rounded Board

Charcuterie Board Ideas

The sky is the limit when it comes to Trader Joe’s charcuterie boards and they are only getting more popular! Let your creativity be your guide and don’t be afraid to try exciting ideas. Anything goes!

Even fun variations such as charcuterie jars (“jarcuterie”) and interesting charcuterie supplies such as charcuterie cones are popping up at parties! Different cheese board accompaniments are also popping up everywhere.

Charcuterie Board Themes

Some fun Trader Joe’s charcuterie board themes you may want to explore for the holidays include Thanksgiving or turkey charcuterie board, Christmas charcuterie board, or a 4th of July board with red, white and blue colors.

Some other fun ideas for your charcuterie spread are a dessert charcuterie board, breakfast or pancake charcuterie board, nacho charcuterie board, bagel charcuterie board, s’more charcuterie board, French charcuterie board, sweets charcuterie board, waffle charcuterie board, Italian charcuterie board, breakfast charcuterie board, taco charcuterie board and pizza charcuterie board.

Dietary Variations

Some dietary variations you might want to consider based on your different guests preferences are a vegan or vegetarian charcuterie board, charcuterie board without cheese, keto charcuterie board, pescatarian or salmon charcuterie board or veggie charcuterie board.

Your guests with certain food intolerances might enjoy a gluten free charcuterie board, meatless charcuterie board, dairy free charcuterie board or low carb charcuterie board.

Below I have included some easy ways to modify your board for all of your guests!

Low Carb Charcuterie Board

Modifying for a low carb charcuterie board is super easy. Increase the amounts of meats and cheese and cut down on crackers and sweet items such as fruits jams and dips. Olives, pickles and artichoke spread are also great options.

Dairy Free Charcuterie Board

It is easier than you think to make a charcuterie board without cheese! Remove any standard dairy cheeses from the board and feel free to substitute with a plant based cheese such as Trader Joe’s Vegan Cheddar Slices this plant based cheese available online or at Whole Foods.

Meatless Charcuterie Board

To make your meatless charcuterie board, you will want to increase your cheese and fruit options. Also, don’t be afraid to supplement with some extra finger foods. Trader Joe’s has delicious dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice).

Gluten Free Charcuterie Board

To make a gluten free charcuterie board, the main items you want to keep an eye on are the dips/jams and crackers/breads. Check your dips to be sure they are gluten free.

For cracker or bread options, you can consider popcorn (again, always double check ingredients). Trader Joe’s also has Everything but the Gluten Crackers and Gluten Free Crispbread (made with nuts and seeds and is so delicious!).

Keto Charcuterie Board

To make your keto charcuterie board, increase the amounts of meats and cheese. Double check your carb counts on the meats and cheese because sometimes they can have hidden sugars and carbs.

Remove or reduce crackers, breads, jams, honey or fruits. Add extra olives, pickled and low carb nuts.

Vegetarian Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board for vegetarians requires very little modifications. Remove the meats and add extra fruits and veggies.

I love adding more finger foods like pickles, olives and roasted red peppers. Additional charcuterie board fruit is always popular to pair with extra veggies.

FAQ and expert tips

Looking for other delicious dinner party options to wow your guests?

• Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
• Wagyu Ribeye
• The best grilled Wild Sockeye Salmon Recipe
• Lobster Ravioli Sauce for your pasta of choice.

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