Meat & (not so) Cheese Plate

Being close to someone who is dairy free can be summarized in one word: compromise. When putting this charcutarie board together, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty leaving out cheese altogether. Fortunately, I was able to find a small enough bowl to place right in the middle of the serving dish. This way I could add a small amount of cheese without having to cross contaminate the rest of the plate. I felt that this was the best way to compromise since I was planning on sharing the platter with someone that happened to love cheese.

Sharing a charcutarie dish and a bottle of wine with one other person can end up to be a pretty pricey evening night out. However, if you plan ahead of time, you can easily replicate those plans and have just as much fun at home, for a lot less! The plate I’ve put together for this post is easy to make at any time, especially after work, and completely covers all the bases. You have the real crowd pleasing cuts of meat, as well as fruit that pairs perfectly with the assorted options. If at all possible, try and get as much of your meat cut at the counter, this way you can control the price a bit better and tailor it to the amount of people you plan on entertaining. You can easily share this recipe between two to four people, over a bottle of wine (I chose Pinot Noir) after work. No special occasion needed!

Make it Gluten Free: To make this dish gluten free, just replace the triscuits with gluten free crackers.

Ingredients

• 1 package of pepperoni
• 1 package of Genoa salami
• 1 package of summer sausage
• 1/4 lb of freshly sliced prosciutto
• 1 vine of Concord grapes
• 1/4 of a cantaloupe - cubed
• 1 small package of assorted cheese - cubed
• 1 box of Triscuits - Rosemary & Olive Oil

Steps

1. Place the small bowl with the cheese in the center of your circular serving dish. If you’re dairy free, wrap in plastic wrap to cover while you set up the rest of the plate.
2. Start at one end, and place two rows of triscuits, starting from the middle of the plate, to the ends.
3. Go around and add a row of salami, cubed cantaloupe, and prosciutto. Finish off that half of the plate with another two rows of triscuits.
4. When placing the prosciutto on the plate, rip each cut in half or thirds and place on the plate in a pinching motion. This will create easy bite sized pieces.
5. Complete the rest of the plate by adding a vine of concord grapes (or any kind of grape), then the pepperoni, and summer sausage.
6. Cover the plate in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until it’s time to bring it out.
7. Open your bottle of wine and enjoy!