4th of July Charcuterie Board
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Are you excited about the upcoming 4th of July celebration? Well, get ready to take your Independence Day party to the next level with an epic 4th of July charcuterie board.
This red, white and blue charcuterie board is super easy to make and so cute for the holiday. Now, I know the word “charcuterie” might sound fancy, but don’t worry, it’s essentially just a delicious spread of meats, cheeses, and other accompaniments, like fruit, vegetables, nuts, etc.
A charcuterie board is a communal experience that encourages sharing and mingling among guests. It creates a relaxed and social atmosphere, allowing everyone to graze and enjoy a variety of flavors at their own pace. It’s a great option for gatherings where people can gather around, connect, and savor delicious food together.
In this blog post, we’re going to show you how to create an awesome 4th of July charcuterie board that will have your friends and family ooh-ing and aah-ing.
With some amazing tips, tricks, and ideas coming your way, you’ll be able to create the perfect patriotic masterpiece.
You’ll love this recipe because:
Here’s what you’ll need:
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Ingredient Notes
- Cheese – Consider including a mix of soft, semi-soft, and hard cheeses, as well as different milk types (cow, goat, sheep) for a diverse selection. I like to include 4-5 different cheeses on my boards. I used brie, a blueberry rind goat cheddar, goat cheese rolled in dried blueberries, a sharp white cheddar, and bleu cheese. I tried to go for very white looking cheeses and cheeses that had blue rinds or blue detailing, like the bleu cheese. Cut your cheeses up in various ways to keep the board interesting.
- Meat – I like to add 2-3 cured meats to my charcuterie boards. On this July 4th charcuterie board, I used capicola (also known as coppa or capocollo) and dry soppressata salami. Both of these went in the red section of my board. You can also use any other red meats, like prosciutto, other dry salamis (like genoa or pepperoni), or chorizo. Spicy dry meats tend to be redder in color, perfect for this charcuterie board.
- Crackers – I try to aim for 2-3 types of crackers on any charcuterie board to give guests options. I used 2 different crackers as well as blue corn tortilla chips to have some white and blue options on the board. If you’re lucky, you might find crackers in red or blue tones to match the patriotic theme around the 4th of July. Red or blue tortilla chips are a great option to fit the theme..
- Accompaniments – Jams, dips, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, pickles, olives, or other briny foods are all great additions to charcuterie boards. Since it’s July, I added a lot of fresh fruit to the board since they were in season and really went with my red, white and blue theme. I used fresh watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and cherries. For my dried fruit, I used dried cranberries. I could have also used dried cherries here instead. For my briny element, I used kalamata olives, which are a purple tone and close enough to blue in my book. Black olives could have also worked here.
More red, white and blue ingredient suggestions
Red Ingredients
- Jams and jellies – Cherry, red currant, raspberry or a spicy red pepper jam are all great options
- Fruit – Pomegranate seeds, raspberries, plums, strawberries, cherries, watermelon, grapes, red apples, red pears, or even blood orange slices all add a burst of freshness and vibrant red color to your board.
- Vegetables – Red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes are both delicious with meat and cheese. You can also use roasted varieties of both of these for another added layer of flavor.
- Dried fruits – Dried cranberries or cherries are perfect for charcuterie boards. Freeze dried fruits, like freeze-dried strawberries, can also add a pop of color.
- Dips – Try red pepper hummus, beet hummus, roasted red pepper spread (the one from Trader Joe’s is amazing!), or harissa sauce.
White ingredients
- Cheeses – The bulk of the white typically comes from the cheeses. White cheddar, parmesan, manchego, brie, camembert, havarti, or gouda are favorites. Also include varieties such as fresh mozzarella, burrata, or goat cheese. These creamy and mild cheeses will add a lovely white element to your charcuterie board. Play with different shapes and sizes of cheese to make your board more beautiful.
- Vegetables – Cauliflower, jicama (sliced thinly into chips), white asparagus (blanched), or radish all add some white color to the board and additional ways to dip or serve with cheese.
- Nuts – Add some white almonds, cashews, or macadamia nuts for a crunchy element.
- Chocolate – Incorporate white chocolate chips or chunks as a sweet treat option.
- Dips – Prepare a creamy white yogurt-based dip seasoned with herbs or spices. Tzatziki is a fun option. You can also do hummus or a white bean dip instead. Baba ganoush is also a great idea.
Blue ingredients
- Cheeses – While I typically include cheeses that have blue hues like bleu cheese, gorgonzola or stilton in my white section of the board, they can also be included in the blue section. If you’re going to include them in the section, look for varieties that have more pronounced blue veining to complete the effect.
- Vegetables – Roasted or steamed purple potatoes, blanched purple asparagus, or blanched purple cauliflower can be used in the blue section. While these vegetables are more purple than blue, we don’t need to be super rigid as blue is a difficult color to find naturally. If you include these vegetables, I recommend adding some dips to the boards so they have something to pair with.
- Fruits – Blueberries, concord grapes, blackberries, and purple figs, will add a fresh touch to the board.
- Crackers – Blue corn tortilla chips are very common and able to be found at most local grocery stores. You can also add black bean chips on the board, which have a dark blue-ish purple hue.
- Jams and dips – Blueberry jam or blackberry compote will add a touch of deep purple to the board.
I like to separate my board into red, white and blue sections so you get a pop of each color when you look at the board. If you prefer, you can mix up the colors throughout the board instead.
Step-by-step instructions
This 4th of July charcuterie board is very simple to make! The below photos with matching steps are not the full recipe, but are meant to help you see the charcuterie board made at various stages so you can make a beautiful board at home!
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Expert Tips
FAQs
You can prepare certain elements of your charcuterie board in advance, such as cutting fruits, arranging cheeses, and preparing dips. However, it’s best to add fresh ingredients like fruits and vegetables closer to serving time to maintain their freshness.
Absolutely! You can create a vegetarian charcuterie board by omitting the cured meats and incorporating additional varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dips. There are numerous options available to cater to dietary preferences and restrictions.
Yes! Just make sure your crackers are gluten-free and double check all of the meats, accompaniments, and dips to ensure they are gluten-free. The board I created in the photos is actually gluten-free as I have celiac disease. I used Simple Mills sea salt crackers, Milton sea salt crackers, and blue corn tortilla chips.
To keep your charcuterie board fresh, you can use small bowls or ramekins for dips and wet ingredients to prevent them from spreading or making other items soggy. Keep the board refrigerated until shortly before serving and replenish any ingredients that may wilt or dry out as needed.
Storage Instructions
Storage: If the charcuterie board has not been left out very long, you can refrigerate any leftovers. However, if it’s been left out over 2 hours, toss everything in the garbage as bacteria can grow. I personally like to make a smaller board and then have leftovers portioned out in the refrigerator so I can add more food as needed. This way, if you don’t need more food you have the leftovers already packed up in the refrigerator for later.
Related recipes
More 4th of July recipes, printables, and more!
4th of July Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
Red Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Watermelon
- Soppressata salami
- Cappocolo
- Dried cranberries
White Ingredients:
- Brie round
- Simple Mills Sea Salt Crackers
- Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers
- Sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
- Blueberry rind semi-hard cheese, cut into triangles (I used Trader Joe’s Blueberry Fields Cheese, but you can use any other semi-hard cheese instead)
- Bleu cheese wedge
Blue Ingredients:
- Blueberries
- Kalamata olives, or black olives
- Blackberries
- Blueberry goat cheese log, cut into coins
- Blue corn tortilla chips
Instructions
- Start by selecting a large board or platter as the base for your charcuterie board. I used a large rectangular platter, but a sheet pan works just as well!
- Take the brie and freeze it for 10 minutes. Then, use a star cookie cutter to cut a shape out through the center of the brie. Carefully remove the star from the center of the brie.
- Place the brie with the star outline on the bottom ⅓ of the board, which will straddle the white and blue sections since it has both colors. Fill the center with fresh blueberries. Place any items that are in bowls on the board as well, including the olives and dried cranberries. Place the olives in the blue section on the bottom and the cranberries in the red section up top. Placing larger objects on the board first gives you a starting point so you can decorate around them.
- Fill the brie outline with blueberries.
- Start with the blue section of the board, adding the blue corn tortilla chips, blueberry goat cheese, additional blueberries, and blackberries. You want this section to take up the bottom ⅓ of the board. Fill in empty spaces with additional berries.
- Move to the white section, which will be the middle 1/3 of the board. Start with some crackers to provide some movement through the board. Using the brie as an anchor point to guide the crackers is a good idea. Slice the cheeses in different ways to provide interest. I left the bleu cheese mostly whole, with a few crumbles, the sharp white cheddar cheese is cubed, and the blueberry rind cheddar is cut into triangles and then zig zagged to create an interesting shape.
- Finish with the red section, which is the top ⅓ of the charcuterie board. Use the bowl as an anchor for the cured meat, arranging the meat in a curved pattern.
- Add fresh fruit, like the strawberries, watermelon, cherries, and raspberries in the spaces to round out the board.
- Make sure all empty spaces are filled. If you have any holes, fresh fruit or nuts are always good ways to fill in the board as needed.
- Place the brie star at the top of the white section. I like a little overlap between the red and white sections to bring the board all together.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add serving utensils and enjoy!
