Fancy Small Charcuterie Board
How to make an impressive small charcuterie board for 6 (or a mini board for 4)! With pita & savory dips on the side, it’s like classic charcuterie-meets-Mediterranean mezze board. An easy DIY charcuterie idea that you can arrange on a small platter & plates instead of a big board.
What goes on a small vs. mini charcuterie board?
On a small charcuterie board for 6 people, you’ll need 6-12 oz meat & 6-12 oz cheese. (Plus enough crackers & snacks to load up the board!) For a mini charcuterie board for 4, you’ll need 4-8 oz meat & 4-8 oz cheese. You can set up whatever size board you want—just plan for ~2-3 oz meat + cheese per person (or 4-5 oz for a larger meal-sized portion).
Small Charcuterie Board Ideas
- Meats like rolled deli turkey, deli ham, & summer sausage are hearty and well-suited to a smaller group setting, where each person typically gets to eat a bit more. Or fold a salami rose or two to serve on your small platter!
- Cheeses like goat cheese, blue cheese, or Brie can add elegance to your board & are made for sharing. Try to include at least 1 soft cheese, as well as 1 hard cheese—like sliced Colby Jack, Swiss, or cheddar. (Or replace the charcuterie meats with extra cheeses & set up an epic cheese board!)
- Crackers of all kinds can fit well on a small charcuterie board—use what you like! I usually buy a box of entertainment crackers so I get a variety of shapes that look nice on my board.
- Fruits & Vegetables can add lots of color & are easy to pile on! Dried fruits like prunes or dried apricots are ideal for a grazing board, but fresh fruits & veggies like berries, grapes, carrots, & broccoli are also great finger foods that can brighten up your board.
- Snacks like mini gherkins, olives, cashews, & other nuts are perfect for noshing, and they add briny flavors & crunchy textures that work really well in a charcuterie spread.
- Garnishes like edible flowers or fresh herbs are easy final touches that can beautify & elevate a simple charcuterie board!
What to Serve on the Side
- Dips & Spreads like fruit jams & mustards are classics on charcuterie boards, but you can really use any dips you like to shape the flavors on your board. For this Mediterranean-inspired platter, I decided to serve “mezze” style dips like hummus, tapenade, and a dukkah yogurt dip on the side with some pita bread.
- Breads like pita, baguette slices, or homemade crostini are ideal options when I’m serving a small charcuterie platter for dinner. Satiating foods like breads, meats, & cheeses can make charcuterie a satisfying full meal for a small group!
How much does this cost?
Setting up a fancy charcuterie platter doesn’t have to be expensive. My Budget Charcuterie Board for Beginners is full of ideas to keep your board simple & cheap—but still so impressive!
What size is a small charcuterie board?
You can set up a small charcuterie board for 6 on any platter that’s 9×13-inches or larger. (The size of a regular cutting board.) Or you can arrange your own DIY charcuterie spread on any combination of dishes you have—even regular dinner plates! For this recipe, I used a small wooden platter (10×14”) with 2 serving plates to hold my Mezze dips & pita bread.
How to Arrange a Small Charcuterie Board
- Set up extra plates for accompaniments like dips, breads, or crackers. To save space on a smaller charcuterie platter, I’ll serve items like these on separate dishes, alongside my main platter. (If you’re using a larger board, arrange dip bowls on the board first.)
- Place large items on the board or platter first, like soft cheeses & rolled meats. Then begin arranging your other ingredients around the larger items.
- Add sliced meats, cheeses, & crackers next. Layer items in a line to make them look nice, or arrange small piles—however you want to design your board!
- Fill in the board with fruits, veggies, & other snacks. Use these ingredients to fill in the space on your board and make it colorful.
- Finish the board with garnishes like edible flowers, if desired.
- Serve your small board with any accompaniments on the side and enjoy!
Level-up your charcuterie game!
Check out my Ultimate Charcuterie Board How-To Guide to learn about the best ingredients to use, how to arrange a gorgeous board & easy ideas to elevate it!
Small Charcuterie Board for 6
Ingredients
Dips & Spreads
- ¼ cup olive prune tapenade
- ¼ cup hummus
- ¼ cup dukkah spiced yogurt dip
Charcuterie Meats
- 6 oz sliced deli turkey or ham, rolled
- 3 oz summer sausage, sliced
Cheeses
- 4 oz blue cheese wedge
- 4 oz herbed goat cheese log
- 2 oz Colby cheese squares
Crackers & Breads
- 15-20 assorted entertainment crackers
- 1-2 pieces pita bread, sliced into wedges
Fruits & Vegetables
- 12-15 prunes
- 1-2 carrots, crinkle cut
- ½ cup broccoli florets
Snacks & Garnishes
- ½ cup gherkins or mini pickles
- ½ cup cashews
- edible flowers
Equipment
- small wooden platter (or any platter ~9×13-inches or larger)
- additional plates as needed, to hold dips & breads
- small pinch bowls for dips
- small spreaders or spoons for dips
Instructions
- Set up accompaniments like dip bowls or breads on separate plates if needed, to save room on your smaller charcuterie platter. (If you’re using a larger board, arrange dip bowls on the board first.)
- Place large items on the board first, like soft cheeses & rolled meats.
- Add sliced meats, cheeses, & crackers next, building around the larger items on the board. You can layer items in a line to make them look nice, or arrange small piles.
- Fill in the board with fruits, veggies, & other snacks. Place each item near other ingredients you think it pairs well with!
- Garnish with edible flowers or fresh herbs, if desired.
- Serve your small charcuterie board with any extra plates on the side, and add spreaders or spoons into the dip bowls.
