Out-of-the-box DIY charcuterie board idea: Get (pea)nutty!

I was gifted peanut butter products by the National Peanut Board to create this recipe. I was not financially compensated for this post. The opinions are my own.

Charcuterie boards are essential dishes for entertaining. But what exactly is a charcuterie board, and how do you put one together? Charcuterie is a French word referring to a store that sells prepared meat products. The term charcuterie board has come to refer to a platter of fine cured meats arranged with complementary pairings, like cheeses, fruits, nuts, olives, and crackers or breads. It is quite easy to put one together, and the best part is that charcuterie boards are almost always guaranteed to please your party guests. Today I’m sharing tips for how to put together a charcuterie board, along with a recipe for an out-of-the-box, protein-packed charcuterie board that stars peanut butter!

I’ve been talking about the many health and sustainability benefits of peanuts and peanut butter for some time now, and love coming up with new ways to use peanut butter in recipes (see links to some of my other peanut and peanut butter recipes at the bottom of this post). Peanut butter is not only delicious, but also very nutritious and affordable. Adding just a two tablespoon serving to your recipes and snacks will give you eight powerful grams of protein, two grams of filling fiber, and 12 grams of unsaturated fat (the good fat we need!). Sure, PB&Js are delicious, but there are tons of other ways to use peanut butter during breakfast, lunch, dinner and more. Holiday entertaining is no exception, and the peanut butter charcuterie board I am sharing today shows off just how versatile peanut butter is by pairing it with some delicious, and maybe even unexpected, meats, cheeses and fruits. If you want to explore even more creative ways to cook and bake with peanut butter, visit pbrecipes.com.

How to put together a charcuterie board

The key to preparing a delicious, crowd-pleasing charcuterie board is to choose meats and pâtés, cheeses, and other things like nuts and fruits that complement each other. I try to match an equal number of meats and cheeses, then am more flexible with the added nuts, fruits, olives, crackers or bread, etc. You can arrange them on a board (like a cutting board) or large platter. If you are using unrecognizable ingredients, it is often a nice touch to label or list your charcuterie board ingredients for your guests as a key.

As far as arrangement goes, I like to place the meats and cheeses that complement each other the best together, then use nuts, olives, and fruits to fill empty space in between them. But just because certain items are next to each other doesn’t mean that guests can’t experiment with new combinations from all over the board – in fact, this kind of experimentation and discovery is one best parts of serving (or eating) charcuterie platters.

Choosing peanut butters for a peanut charcuterie board

Since this charcuterie board idea is centered around yummy peanut butter, I started by choosing a few different peanut butters. I then selected my other ingredients (meats, cheeses, and fruits) based on what would complement these three types of peanut butter:

• Classic peanut butter
• Cinnamon peanut butter (affiliate link)
• White chocolate peanut butter (affiliate link)

What meats to use for a peanut butter charcuterie board

I chose meats for my charcuterie that complemented not only peanut butter, but the specific flavors of peanut butter I selected (classic, cinnamon, and white chocolate). We already know peanut butter goes well with bacon, so that was my starting point. Here is what I chose:

• Applewood smoked bacon (apples and bacon, apples and cinnamon, and apples and peanut butter all go well together)
• Premium summer sausage (beef goes well with Cheddar cheese and apples)
• Prosciutto (goes well with white chocolate and Parmesan cheese)

Cheeses that are good for charcuterie boards

Just like above, I added cheese options based on the flavors of peanut butter and meats:

• Cheddar cheese (the cinnamon flavor of cinnamon peanut butter reminded me of apple pie, which goes well with cheddar, and of course cheddar is delicious with both bacon and summer sausage)
• Parmesan (pairs with prosciutto, and is surprisingly good with white chocolate and adds a sharpness to the board)
• Brie (to add a soft cheese texture that goes deliciously with peanut butter and apples)

Fruit ideas for a peanut butter charcuterie platter

Once I had the other ingredients, fruits were easy to choose for my peanut butter charcuterie platter. I decided on two:

• Banana chips (think of those peanut butter, bacon, and banana combos that Elvis made famous)
• Apple crisps (apple was a no-brainer with the cinnamon peanut butter and cheddar cheese, but it also works really well with Brie)

Using nuts on a charcuterie board

A little more protein never hurt anyone, and nuts are great for snacking, so they are an awesome choice for a charcuterie board filler. Here are the two I chose to complement the rest of the ingredients in the peanut charcuterie:

• Salted roasted peanuts
• Honey roasted peanuts

Pairings for a peanut butter charcuterie platter

Several of these ingredients really do mix and match, but I chose to lay the primary ingredients together in the following ways.

Classic peanut butter, Parmesan cheese, applewood smoked bacon, banana chips, and honey roasted peanuts.

Cinnamon peanut butter, Cheddar cheese, prosciutto, and apple crisps.

White chocolate peanut butter, Brie, beef summer sausage, and salted roasted peanuts.

Here is how it all came together! A combination sure to please your guests.

Would you try a charcuterie board centered around peanut butter? Comment below to let me know, and share other ways you use this classic comfort food with the hashtag #HowDoYouPB.

More peanut and peanut butter recipe and food ideas:

• Rich and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe
• Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe
• Thai-Style Coconut Peanut Chicken Stir Fry recipe
• Kickin’ Texas Peanut Brittle recipe
• Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge recipe
• Vegetarian Banh Mi Bowls recipe
• After School Snack Idea: PBJ “Sushi”