“Charcuterie!!!” (We say it with a little dance at our house—and it’s been our simple summer go-to.) Don’t let the fancy word, charcuterie, intimidate you.
Maybe we’ll just refer to it as “friend food” —since it’s a fun, shareable platter. They’re simply nibbles that are easy to pull together on one tray. It looks beautiful—alllll the colors!
Planning/prep is minimal—literally, just raid your pantry. It seems as though everyone loves them—especially the kiddos! Perhaps best of all, they work for any time of the day.
A breakfast charcuterie can include boiled eggs sliced in half, buttered toasts with a small dish of jam, and sliced fruit. We even add sausage patties or salami slices to our breakfast charcuterie!
Lunch—my kids love when I set out a charcuterie tray for lunch. (A muffin tin works well.) It’s also a great way to introduce new foods. Use anything in the house—some of my kids’ favorites are olives, sliced kohlrabi, salami, dried fruits, clementines, and cashews.
Need an appetizer? Bring a charcuterie tray to your next party or create a party entirely centered around a large board! And don’t worry about a centerpiece—it IS your centerpiece! I like using a huge baking sheet for this.
The food options are endless and you can change up the items each time.
Add 1-3 small bowls for things like spreads, preserves, olives, or nuts. Often times I’ll serve crackers, toasts, or bread in a separate basket or on another plate—this prevents them from getting soggy. Mix sweet/savory/sour, use a variety of colors, and don’t stress about it!
Some of my personal favorite party items to include are dried figs, a good aged cheddar, a quality salami, Marcona almonds with rosemary from Trader Joe’s, Castelvetrano olives (the super bright green ones), and Peppadews (tiny sweet red cherry peppers).
Offer your guests a good wine, ice-cold beer, sun tea, or prepare a favorite batch cocktail. Keep it simple!
Enjoy your friend food! xo
About the Author:
Hello, hello! ?? I’m Lexi —I’m forever fascinated by all things gastronomy—cultures and food are my jam.
I love being creative, spending time outdoors, and I’m a farmers market junkie.
My favorite color is orange, I’m a pistachio gelato snob, and I like cheap beer.
I love being mum to my babes—Axel and Ian. I enjoy running a little spot on the ‘gram under @inthehutch_lexi where I share a collection of my everyday trinkets & tidbits—a menagerie of my favorite things.
I hope you’ll come to say hi!
