Individual Charcuterie Cups for a Party
What's better than one big charcuterie board? A platter of individual charcuterie cups! With a variety of meats, cheeses, fruit, nuts, olives, and crackers, these cups are a fun and elegant appetizer. They're lovely for dinner parties, holidays, wine tastings, and get togethers with friends!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, (170 grams)
- 6 ounces gruyère, (170 grams)
- 6 ounces pepper jack, (170 grams)
- 16 mini brie cheese wheels (or 16 brie wedges)
- 1 pound red grapes (454 grams)
- 6 ounces raspberries (170 grams)
- 8 ounces peppered salami (227 grams)
- 16 cornichons (64 grams)
- 32 Castelvetrano olives (192 grams)
- 1 pound roasted & salted pistachios (454 grams)
- 6 ounces Croccantini crackers (170 grams)
- 5.3 ounces fruit & nut crisps, homemade or store-bought (150 grams)
- 6 ounces cheese stick crackers (170 grams)
- 4 ounces white chocolate covered pretzels (113 grams)
- 16 sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme, for garnish
Equipment
- 16 small drinking glasses (about 10 ounces)
- 32 Bamboo skewers
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
Instructions
- Slice the cheeses: Start by slicing the sharp cheddar into cubes. Then, thinly slice the gruyère and pepper jack cheeses. Cut the pepper jack slices in half diagonally to make triangles.
- Make the skewers: Next, thread the skewers with a combination of the cubed cheddar, mini Brie wheels, red grapes, raspberries, salami, cornichons, and olives. You will need 2 skewers per cup (32 skewers total). I recommend pairing the brie with the grapes and raspberries and pairing the cheddar with the savory ingredients like salami, cornichons, and olives.To assemble the salami, fold the slices into quarters, and skewer 3-4 pieces of the folded salami down the middle for that pretty ruffled effect. Don't stress too much about the skewers being perfect - just have fun with it!
- Prep the cups: Pour about 1/4 cup (14 grams) of pistachios into the bottom of each cup. Add a few grapes. Then, add 2-3 crackers and a cheese stick cracker to each cup, staggering the crackers for height. Arrange a few slices of gruyère and pepper jack next to the crackers.
- Assemble & garnish: Place 2 skewers in each cup, tilting them slightly to show off all of the ingredients. Fill in any gaps in the cups with extra raspberries, grapes, olives, crackers, and other small items. Arrange the ingredients so taller items are in the back and shorter ingredients are up front. You want to show off all of the pretty ingredients. Garnish each cup with two white chocolate covered pretzels and a sprig of rosemary and/or thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
The above recipe includes all of the ingredients I used in the pictured charcuterie cups. But, these cups are super customizable! Feel free to switch up the ingredients depending on what you like. See the "Ingredients & Variations" section of the blog post for more ideas!
For the skewers, try pairing ingredients that go well together. Add meats, sharp cheeses, and pickled items like cornichons or olives to half of the skewers. On the rest, use a mix of creamy/sweeter cheeses, fruits, or dried fruits. This will help your guests know how to pair the ingredients!
For a vegetarian version, simply make these cups without meat. Or, replace it with extra cheese, fruit, or even veggies!
To make these cups prettier, use ingredients with different shapes and sizes. Slice the cheeses into cubes, triangles, or rectangles. Try folding some meats and rolling others. Or, use a variety of fruits for color!
Use a mix of ingredients with different heights for depth and texture. You'll want to stagger the tall and short ingredients so you can see all of the ingredients. If you can't get something to stand up (like a skewer or some crackers), use small items like grapes or olives to prop them up.
Keep wet and dry ingredients separate. You don't want wet ingredients (like olives or cornichons) to make dry ingredients (like crackers) soggy. You can also dry out any wet ingredients which helps a lot!
Let the cups sit out for 30 minutes or so before eating. Serving cheese at room temperature brings out all of the best flavors and textures.
To transport these cups for a party, place them side-by-side in a box. If there are any gaps, stuff them with clean towels to keep the cups from tipping over. Then, cover the box with a clean linen or towel to keep them from drying out.
Use seasonal ingredients to switch these cups up for different seasons and holidays. For example, if I'm making Christmas charcuterie, I'll use pomegranate arils, cranberry cheese, and spiced nuts. For fall charcuterie vibes, try blue cheese, figs, and red wine salami.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 361kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.3g, Protein: 16.2g, Fat: 22.4g, Saturated Fat: 10.5g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 797mg, Potassium: 200mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7.6g, Calcium: 276mg, Iron: 1mg
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