DIY Gluten-Free Charcuterie Board

Cheese, wine and meats are some of my favourite things! So naturally, when Two Oceans sent me a few bottles of wine, I knew I had to enjoy them with my family alongside a homemade charcuterie board. (Whoever said charcuterie boards couldn’t be enjoyed at home, anyways?)

Charcuterie boards are a wonderful thing. Being gluten free, I often can’t always eat them when dining out so I resort to making my own. (I won’t lie, I sometimes eat them all by myself too. If you cut me I’ll bleed brie.) They seriously so easy to make at home and are great for whenever you are entertaining.

I find the key to a good charcuterie board is variety. It’s generally a good idea to have a wide range of flavours and textures on your board.

First things first, let’s talk cheese. I personally think the more cheese the better.

You can use whatever kinds of cheese you like, but my personal favourites are:

Havarti
Brie
Boursin garlic and herbed
Goat cheese
Gouda

Moving on to the meats, Mastro has a really great value pack of assorted charcuterie meats that are gluten-free. What I love about Mastro meats is that they are also lactose free and are often raised without any antibiotics. As far as rations go, it’s generally recommended that you have about 2 to 3 ounces of meat per person.

Some standard meats to include are:

Salami
Coppa
Prosciutto
Bresaola
Pâté

Garnishes are something that are often overlooked, but they are something that is so important for a good charcuterie board. Seriously, they can make or break it! For garnishes, it’s a good idea to have a good mix of sweet, salty solid and fluid toppings.

Some of my favourite charcuterie garnishes are:

Honey
Hot sauce
Jams or mustards
Olives
Sundried tomatoes
Pickles
Oils
Grapes
Apples
Peppers
Nuts
Artichokes
Pretzels (Glutino is a great gluten-free brand!)

I’ve seen charcuterie boards done without crackers, but I personally think that they are incomplete without them. They add a good mix of texture to the platter. You would think that this would be a problem being gluten-free, but there are lots of options available!

My favourite gluten-free crackers are:

And last but not least, what would any charcuterie board be without a side of wine?

Two Oceans was kind enough to send me some wine to help me complete my charcuterie board. I chose two wines, for a red I picked a shiraz and for white I picked the sauvignon blanc.

The shiraz is a deep, vibrant red colour and has a fruity scent of berries, with a hint of spice. I found it to be the perfect blend of sweet and spiced, and could taste hints of cherry. It had a medium body, and I could see this wine paring amazingly well with a juicy steak. We all know I love sangria, and I could see it working well for that too! I think this particular wine might be my new favourite red.

The sauvignon blanc has such a refreshing and crisp colour. I felt like I could almost taste it just by looking at it! I found it to be incredibly refreshing and sweet with hints of citrus and apple. It’s very easy to drink and I could see it being paired with virtually anything.

Both of these wines worked perfectly with my charcuterie board!

Some general tips and tricks for when creating your own charcuterie board are:

Add some fresh herbs like parsley to your tray to help add some visual variety and texture
Don’t let the board sit out for more than two hours – it’s better to make several smaller platters if you are entertaining for longer periods of time so that everything stays fresh.
Serve it on a wooden or granite board to create a visually stunning platter
Always serve it with wine ;)

Happy eating!

PS – If you like those wine glasses, stay tuned for a DIY!