PRETEND YOU’RE FANCY BY SERVING CHARCUTERIE

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sargento® Cheese for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last fall, a wine and charcuterie restaurant opened in a nearby city.  Even though my friends and I tend to be more beer and bonfire types, we decided to check it out.  Although I felt mildly silly saying the word charcuterie repeatedly, the food was delicious (as were the cocktails).  It’s actually more fun (and more economical) to pretend you are fancy by serving charcuterie at home.

Don’t let the fancy French name fool you, charcuterie is really just a thoughtfully-assembled cheese and meat board.  Charcuterie is also the perfect way to pull together a simple, but classy, spread for a cocktail party with friends.

To assemble your charcuterie, select a variety of meats and cheeses.  When I say variety, I really mean it.  Try to have both sharp and mild cheeses.  That variety allows your guests to mix and match the flavors they eat.

You don’t have to head to visit your local cheese monger or deli for your supplies.  You can usually find good options right at your grocery store, as long as you are careful about reading the packaging.  Sargento® Sliced Cheese is 100% real, natural cheese that has been sliced from an actual block, not the processed cheese food that is only required to contain 51% real cheese.

While the meat and cheeses are the stars of the board, you should also offer some nuts, fruits, or spreads on the platter.  Wrapping fruit slices in the cheese is a delicious way to pair up flavors.  Cheese and fresh apple are amazing together.

Round everything out with fresh baguette, olives, or nuts, and you have a spread that will impress.  Open a bottle of wine, place the charcuterie in the middle of the table, and enjoy!

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