Ultimate Holiday Grazing Board

Cheese and Charcuterie Platter

Everyone loves a selection of cheeses and cured meats! You’ll be covered even if this is the only item on your snack table. You can buy a beautiful platter from higher-end grocery stores like Whole Foods, but it is easy and fun to customize your own. Here are some tips for putting together a magazine-worthy platter on a nice, large, grazing board:

A good rule of thumb is to buy 2 ounces (55g) each of cheese and meat per guest.

Cheese

Buy about 5 different cheeses (more if you like!) and be sure to choose a variety of options (hard, soft, goat, sheep, cow, etc.) Here are some of my favorites:

• Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar (semi-hard, cow) or Comté Fort Saint-Antoine (hard, cow)
• Laura Chenel Goat Cheese (soft, goat) or Drunken Goat (semisoft, goat)
• Marieke Smoked Gouda (semi-soft, cow, smoked) or Carr Valley Apple Smoked Cheddar (semi-hard, cow)
• Le Châtelain Camembert (soft, cow) or Reflets de France Brie de Meaux (soft, cow)
• P’tit Basque (semi-hard, sheep) or Dehesa de los Llanos Manchego (semi-soft, sheep)

Charcuterie

Be mindful of any dietary restrictions your guests may have. If you have guests that do not eat certain proteins, it is thoughtful to separate them on a platter (e.g., you may wish to put pork products on one platter and beef on another).

Even if your guests do not have dietary restrictions, it is fun to mix things up by offering different proteins on your charcuterie plate. Check out your local specialty stores for ideas. Here are some suggestions:

• Prosciutto (pork or duck)
• Bresaola (beef)
• Salami (pork, duck, or beef)

To compose your platter:

Step 1

Arrange your cheeses and meats on a large cutting board. Add a cheese knife for each cheese, and a small fork for each variety of sliced meat.

Step 2

Add two ramekins of jam. I like sour cherry and fig.

Step 3

Arrange nuts and fresh and/or dried fruits around your meat and cheese. I like fresh red and green grapes, dried apricots, and Marcona almonds.

Step 4

Finally, make sure you have a platter of sliced bread, crackers, and/or crostini available. If you have any gluten-free guests, be sure to have gluten-free products available on a separate, labeled platter.

Step 5

If you really want to take this platter over the top, add a few ramekins of savory spreads, like hummus or tzatziki, that guests can enjoy with the bread and crackers.

Baked Brie

Baked brie is rich, decadent, and flavorful—perfect for the holidays. I recommend purchasing a prepared baked brie (wrapped in pastry) from your local deli or grocery store, and baking it just before serving. 

If you prefer, you can make your own by purchasing a wheel of brie in your preferred size, and wrapping it in all-butter puff pastry (I like Dufour, which can be found at Whole Foods). Serve drizzled with honey.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a real crowd-pleaser—flavorful and filling. They are also easy to make ahead! Plan for 1 to 1 ½ pieces (egg halves) per person. You can buy deviled eggs at many grocery stores or delis or make your own (simply scale the recipe according to the number of guests you expect).

I make these eggs ahead by preparing everything up to piping the filling into the eggs. Add the filling to a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice, wrap the tip in a small piece of plastic wrap, roll the top of the bag closed, and secure with a rubber band.

Store the empty egg halves the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, place the egg halves on a platter, pipe in the filling, and sprinkle with chives.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (be sure that your eggs are not too fresh—at least a week old—or they will be very difficult to peel)
• ½ cup (120g) mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

Instructions: Deviled Eggs

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to boil, and carefully lower the eggs in. Boil for 10 minutes. At the 8 minute mark, prepare an ice bath. Pour off the boiling water, and carefully lower the eggs into the ice bath. Shock the eggs for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Peel the eggs and cut in half, setting aside the whites. Remove the yolks, and add to the small bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients (except the chives), and blend to a smooth consistency.

Step 3

To make ahead, see instructions above. To serve immediately, pipe the filling into the egg halves using a pastry bag, arrange on a platter, top with finely chopped chives, and serve.

Crostini with Salami and Fig Jam

These simple bites are sweet and salty, and take just minutes to prepare! Scale according to the number of guests you expect.

Simply add salami to prepared crostini and top with fig jam. You may add ricotta cheese, if desired. 

Ingredients

• 24 prepared crostini
• 1 small jar fig jam
• ½ pound (225g) hard salami, thinly sliced

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms make the perfect, bite-sized hot appetizer. I have a recipe for stuffed mushrooms here, but on Thanksgiving, why not make your life a little easier? 

Simply clean your mushrooms and remove the stem and gills (a melon baller makes this quick and easy). Save a bit of uncooked stuffing from whatever you are serving for Thanksgiving, and use it for your stuffed mushrooms. Top with a little finely-grated parmesan or aged cheddar if desired, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.