Valentine's Charcuterie Box
Valentine’s Charcuterie Box- Skip the cliché box of chocolates and surprise your loved ones with a personal charcuterie box instead!
February 17, 2023 by Nicole Collins
Before we get into it today, let me apologize for putting this up after Valentine’s Day. I somehow TOTALLY blanked and got this up on socials but not on the actual blog! The good news is that all the candy is 50% off now, and celebrating is more fun on the weekend anyway soooooooo…. With that said, let’s get to what I thought I posted weeks ago! :-/
Let me set the scene for you…
Picture it. Sicily, 1932…
J/k! It’s Valentine’s Day, 2023.
Your loved one hands you a heart shaped box of chocolates. But this isn’t just any old box of chocolates. This is like no other box of chocolates you’ve ever had before.
Inside of the box, there’s cheese. There’s meat. There’s fruit. There’s nuts. And of course, there’s chocolate! You gasp in amazement as you take in the colors, sights, and smells of this personal sized charcuterie feast sitting in your hands.
Life is good.
You want to spread the same joy that someone special shared with you. So, you’re here…reading this post, saving this recipe.
That’s right! Today, we’re making a Valentine’s Charcuterie Box!
There’s nothing wrong with a classic box of chocolates on the day of love. But, why limit ourselves to only one treat? Let that heart shaped box fulfill its ultimate destiny by filling it to the brim with delicious cheese, fancy crackers, and salami roses. Cheese is what we all really want anyway, isn’t it?
Let’s talk serving vessel. Call me simple, but I really love a classic box of Russell Stover’s candies. They’re easy to find, reasonably priced, and full of nostalgia. What more do you need? You can get candy boxes in a couple of different sizes, and the size you choose will depend on how many each box will feed. We’ll pop out the candy tray, set that aside for later, and use the box liner to protect the bottom of our box from all the goodies we’re gonna pile in.
You can’t have Valentine’s Day without roses and you can’t have charcuterie without salami, so of course we’re going to add some salami roses to our box. Here’s my problem with the current methods out there for creating salami roses: you have to use a thousand pieces of salami for one rose. Sure, they look beautiful. But, they’re just not practical. So allow me to introduce a new method that only requires one piece of salami per rose!
If we have any crafters out there, you may recognize this method. Because we’re basically following the same steps to create a felt craft rose. All we need is some kitchen scissors and deli salami. Then, we’re going to start at the edge of the salami and cut in a spiral pattern. When we get to the center, we’ll start folding the salami into itself from the center and keep rolling until we get to the other end. We can use a toothpick to help secure the rose in place, and that’s it. It’s soooo easy!
For our cheese, I don’t like to go too crazy with flavored cheeses. We want to use something that will pair well or compliment the chocolate. I also like playing with colors, shapes, and textures with the cheeses. So I find that a sharp yellow cheddar, a cranberry white cheddar, and a simple brie works perfectly in this box.
To complete the box, we’ll add some fancy artisanal crackers, some reserved chocolate candy, some mixed nuts or trail mix to fill in the gaps, and a fresh strawberry or two in the center. If you’re making smaller personal sized boxes, you won’t have room for the crackers. But, just have them as an option ready to go on the side.
And that’s it for our boxes!
These are not only a beautiful way to present an appetizer or snack, but they just feel so thoughtful. Anyone can pick up a box off of a shelf. But taking some time to add some love and care to the gift is what it’s really all about. Whether you’re giving this to a significant other, a friend, the kiddos, whoever; these are sure to not only make someone’s day, but their meal too!
Okie dokes! Please make sure you tag me on socials when you make these. I can’t wait to see your creations!
I hope you enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Valentine’s Charcuterie Box
Serves: 1 Print
Ingredients:
Sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
White cheddar cranberry cheese, sliced
Brie cheese, sliced
Salami
Strawberries
Box of Valentine’s Day chocolates (I used Russell Stover)
Crackers,
Mixed nuts
Directions:
Remove the chocolate tray from a heart shaped box of chocolates. Use the protective liner from the box to line the bottom of the box.
For a 5 oz chocolate box, fill the box with about 2 oz cheddar, 2 oz white cheddar cranberry, 2 oz brie, 4-5 chocolates from the box, 4 salami roses, 2 strawberries, and crackers/nuts to fill in the box. This serves 2 people.
For a 3 oz box, fill the box with 1 oz cheddar, 1 oz brie, 2 salami roses, 1 strawberry, and 2 chocolates from the box. Serve crackers on the side. This serves 1 person.
ENJOY!
Recipe notes:
*To make a mini salami rose, take one slice of salami and use kitchen scissors to cut a spiral into the salami. Starting at the center, roll the spiral until you get to the end. Secure with a toothpick. (See my IG or Tiktok for a video tutorial!)
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