Name: Simple Charcuterie Board for Two
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 30 g Soft Mild Cheese (Like Brie); 30 g Soft Aged Cheese (Like Camembert); 30 g Aged Hard Cheese (Like a Mature Cheddar or Emmentaler); 1 small wheel Boursin (The cranberry flavour is great! or Other spreadable cheese. ); 60 g Spicy Cured Meat (Chorizo, or Genoa); 60 g Summer Sausage (or Other Mild Salami); 1 cup Dried Apricots (or Other Dried Fruit); 1 cup Grapes (or Other Fresh Fruit); 1 cup Nuts of Choice; 1/4 cup Jam or Jelly of Choice (We like a sweet & spicy combo, like a hot pepper jelly.); Raincoast Crackers, or Other Crackers of Choice

As we’re coming up to Thanksgiving in this very strange year, I know a lot of people who are celebrating differently. In our house, that means just the two of us. With only two people eating it can seem like a lot of excess work and food to do up a full Thanksgiving meal. So this week, I’ve decided to share some really great menu options for having a lovely and special meal for only two people. While still enjoying the food, and of course, having leftovers. I’ve got a whole menu planned out with easy and delicious recipes, so stay tuned through the week, to be ready when the weekend arrives. Starting with this Simple Charcuterie Board for Two.

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A simple Charcuterie Board for Two people to share through the day on Thanksgiving. A pandemic doesn't mean you can't enjoy some yummy eats!

If you’re like Mike and I on thanksgiving, we like to spend the day being pretty relaxed. Doing some food prep as needed, but mostly enjoying appetizers, nibbly foods, playing games, or generally chilling out. Of course normally this would happen surrounded by lots of people, and the snacks for big groups are usually pretty standard like chips and dips. For just the two of us though, it’s actually an option to have something a little fancier going on. Like a lovely charcuterie board!

It can be really easy to go overboard with charcuterie, so try to think about how hungry you’ll be through the day. Consider that this will basically become your lunch, so try to include a good variety of ingredients.

Charcuterie Cheeses

For two people try to choose 3-4 cheeses, of a couple types. About 30g of each is plenty. A good combo in our house is:

A spreadable cheese, like Boursin. The cranberry flavour is great for Thanksgiving!
A soft, aged but mild cheese, like a Triple Cream Brie
A good soft and strong (stinky) cheese like a Camembert, or Limburger.
An aged hard cheese. Mike’s favourite is an Irish Cheddar from Loblaws.

These days sampling isn’t usually an option, so look for descriptions on packaging. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, just pick a few at random!

Charcuterie Meats

Cured meats for two people is much simpler than cheeses in my opinion. Don’t choose as many varieties, maybe 2-3, and try to get a couple levels of spice. We usually pick a cured chorizo, and a good summer sausage. That way we have a balance of spicy and mild that pair nicely with our variety of cheeses. If you want a third meat product, I’d go for a flavourful pate.

Bits and Bobs

It’s a good idea to have other things beside the meats and cheeses, to bring more colour anf flavour. But also to help cut through the richness and fat. Options for things to have on the board:

Dried fruits, like apricots, cranberries, or raisins.
1 or 2 types of nuts. Roasted or flavoured is a good option.
One type of fresh fruit. Plums, grapes, apples or oranges.
Jams or Spreads. If you’ve never had jam and cheese before I recommend you try it, it’s fantastic. If you’ve got a good fig jam, or a sweet&spicy jam those are always a good match.

And of course, you need something to pile all your yummy things onto! Toasted and sliced baguettes are great, as well as a favourite cracker type. We love the Raincoast crackers. There are a few flavours and they aren’t too filling (possibly because they’re gluten free?). Put your board together around midday on the day of your Thanksgiving dinner, and casually snack on it through the afternoon, and into the evening. Enjoy it with some cider or some hot toddys if the weather is chilly.