Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Celebrate March 17th with a festive charcuterie board featuring the colours of the Irish flag. Whether you’re hosting a big party, or simply enjoying this cheerful day, this St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board is a delicious way to elevate the day with a delightful nod to the Emerald Isle. Follow this step by step guide to building a beautiful board that captures the spirit of the holiday!
The word “charcuterie” actually refers to the preparation of cured meats, but it has become a commonly used name for appetizer boards generously filled with various meats, cheeses, and all manner of little nibbles, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts,, olives, pickles, spreads and sauces. No matter what you call it – a charcuterie board, a snack plate or a grazing platter – these impressive collections of little bites are an entertainer’s dream. Made up mostly of store bought items, these boards are mostly assembled, instead of cooked, lightening the load on the host. In fact, a substantial enough board, featuring an assortment of proteins, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and breads, can be the whole meal unto itself. Set on a coffee table to be savoured and picked at with drinks in hand sounds like the perfect, casual St Patrick’s Day meal to me!
Don’t be intimidated, it’s simpler than you think. Let’s dive into what you need to know to make your own St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board. Here’s a step by step guide to making your own beautiful board to celebrate March 17th!
What goes on a St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board?
The short answer is, anything you like. Charcuterie boards normally feature a combination of meats and cheeses, fruits and vegetables, dips or condiments, olives or pickles, and nuts and crackers, but there are no hard and fast rules. The one thing that great charcuterie boards have in common, if that they offer an assortment of items with a variety of tastes and textures. We eat with our eyes first, so follow these simple steps and tips to build a board that is both visually appealing and irresistible.
Here’s a list of what I’ve put on my St Patrick’s Day charcuterie board, but feel free to mix and match your favourite items. Since this particular board has a St Patrick’s Day theme, I’ve chosen to include the colours of the Irish flag – green, orange and white. I’ve also included traditional Irish foods, such as corned beef, cheddar, soda bread, salmon and potatoes.
- Butter lettuce: This tender lettuce has small, curled leaves and makes a perfect base for the board, lending a touch of green and leafy texture to the charcuterie board.
- Green bell peppers: When cut crosswise, a green bell pepper displays the natural shape of a clover, or shamrock. Bell peppers typically come in two different shapes, with some bell peppers having 4 bumps on the bottom and some have 3. On this board, we will use a hollowed out green pepper as a bowl for the vegetable dip, and slices of green pepper as a whimsical garnish. When you shop, look for peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom, which will give you a 4 leaf clover shape – an Irish symbol for luck. Or, as it is said that St Patrick used a three leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity, perhaps you like the idea of using a pepper with 3 bumps instead. Either way, 3 leaf and 4 leaf clovers are both deeply rooted in Irish symbolism, so choose which shape appeals to you. As an added bonus, you’ll have fun facts about shamrock shapes to talk about at the party!
- Cheese: Three cheeses were used on this charcuterie board, and I chose them based on the colours of the Irish flag. The wax-covered green cheese is an herb-flecked Canadian cheddar. The orange and green veined cheese is a Shropshire Blue. The white cheese is a firm goat cheese. Depending on what you have access to, you could choose all Irish cheeses, or your favourite cheeses that fit in your colour scheme. How much cheese to buy? A general rule of thumb from my catering days, is to offer 2-3oz of cheese per person if the charcuterie board is the main or only appetizer. You could use less if the board is part of an appetizer buffet, or more if the board is a snackable dinner.
- Pickled Things: Tangy pickles offset the richness of the cheeses. I’ve chosen small, white pickled onions and green gherkins.
- Mustard: To compliment the meat on your charcuterie board, a good mustard is a must. Ireland produces fantastic brown mustards, but a good grainy Dijon will also work.
- Corned beef: Since this is a themed St Patrick’s Day charcuterie board, corned beef is an appropriate choice. Cooked Irish sausages and thick cut ham are other good options.
- Smoked salmon: Ireland produces top quality salmon. You could include a salmon paté on this board, slices of cold-smoked salmon, or chunks of hot smoked salmon. The hot smoked salmon that we used on this board was cured with whiskey, making it a particularly appropriate addition to this St Patrick’s Day board.
- Vegetables: In keeping with our theme, we chose baby potatoes that we cooked in advance and cooled to room temperature. They are absolutely addictive when dipped in the creamy herbed vegetable dip. We also chose green vegetables, such as cucumbers, sugar snap peas and celery.
- Fruit: Tart green Granny Smith apple is my number one fruit choice for its ability to pair with the cheeses and cut through all the richness. And, plus? Granny Smith apples are green and white, so they fit perfectly with the colour scheme. Green grapes would be another good choice.
- Potato chips: Good quality, crispy and salty Kettle Chips compliment every drink from beer, to wine, to cocktails and will likely be the first thing to disappear off this board. Keep an extra bag on hand for replenishing!
- Vegetable dip: A creamy, herb-flecked dip is the perfect accompaniment to the vegetables and potato chips. Make your own or buy your favourite dip from the store.
- Bread and crackers: Slices of Irish soda bread are a good choice for a St Patrick’s Day board, but any fresh hearty bread will work. Choose your favourite crackers for eating with the cheeses and meats.
- Creamy Pub Style Beer Cheese: A few homemade items on a charcuterie board make it personal and exciting. In keeping with our St Patrick’s Day theme, we’ve included this recipe for Creamy Pub Style Beer Cheese. This cheesy spread can be made a few days in advance and is delicious on crackers, apple slices and celery sticks.
- Orange and Honey Butter: This compound butter can also be made in advance and is a sweet addition to the board. Drizzled with additional honey and garnished with orange zest, this simple recipe looks as impressive as it tastes. Slather Orange and Honey Butter on the bread with abandon for a memorable treat!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This lush charcuterie platter makes an ideal appetizer board. Serve it as the main event alongside drinks for a casual St Patrick’s Day gathering, or add it to an appetizer buffet for a larger crowd. For a more substantial meal, place your St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board in the centre of the dinner table and serve it alongside bowls of soup. Guests will love making themselves custom sandwiches of bread, meat and vegetables, and grazing on all the delicious bites.
DRINK PAIRINGS
Sláinte! Raise a glass, it’s St Patrick’s Day! A crisp, cold beer pairs well with the hearty fare on this snack board. To compliment the cheeses and corned beef, choose a light to medium-bodied, fruity, red wine, such as Chianti or Pinot Noir. For a white wine, choose something with fruitiness and a good amount of acidity to cut through the richness and saltiness. I’d recommend a Gewǔrztraminer, Riesling or Pinot Blanc. I also really enjoy a brut (dry) sparkling wine with this platter. The bubbles and acidity are a lovely contrast to the rich textures, and there is nothing better than the combination of sparkling wine and plain, salty potato chips! Fresh apple cider makes a delicious and refreshing choice for those preferring a non-alcoholic drink.
How to assemble a St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board
Pro Tips:
Have fun and make it yours! Think about the ingredients that will fit with the St Patrick’s Day theme, whether they be Irish products, products nod in the direction of traditional Irish foods, or items that fit your colour scheme. Use my charcuterie board as a general guide, but make it your own based on what products are available to you and what your preferences are.
Before You Get Started:
- Make signature items. Assembling a charcuterie board, instead of cooking, lightens the workload for the host. Being an able to buy most of the items and simply arrange them before serving, is part of the appeal of a charcuterie board. That being said, including a few homemade items adds personality and dimension, making your St Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board stand out. We used homemade Pub Style Beer Cheese and Orange and Honey Butter to add some character to our board, but feel free to include your own personalized additions.
- Choose a large board or tray: Check your cupboards for a large cutting board, food-safe tray or serving platter. Choose the size based on the number of guests you’re serving. For a large group, you could make more than one board and place them around the party. A rim makes it easier to transport your finished charcuterie board from the kitchen to the table, but isn’t necessary. If the charcuterie board will sit out for a long period of time, consider using a marble board that can be chilled to keep meats and cheeses fresh for longer. Smaller boards can be placed in the fridge overnight to chill. If you live in a colder climate, larger boards can be wrapped in a sheet or towel to keep them clean, and placed outside to chill overnight. In March it’s still deep winter here in the mountains of Whistler, so I wrap my marble board well and place it on the back deck to get it nice and cold before building this St Patrick’s Day board.
Assembling the Board:
- Place your base: This step isn’t necessary, but placing butter lettuce leaves on the board first before adding anything else, adds both green colour, texture and depth.
- Anchor with your large items: I usually start with the cheeses, choosing an odd number. In the case of this board, I used 3 cheeses, but you could use 5 or 7 for a larger crowd. The cheeses are added to the board in a triangular arrangement, which gives balance and visual appeal to the board. A hollowed out green pepper makes the perfect serving dish for dip on a St Patrick’s Day board as its shape is reminiscent of a four leaf clover. Since it is large and space will be needed to nestle in vegetables, place it on your board next. Dishes containing any homemade items such as Pub Style Beer Cheese or Orange and Honey Butter can be added next.
- Add jars and dishes or condiments: Smaller vessels containing condiments and pickles can be added next. Though the jars are only a few inches high, they are taller than the other items and add a little “height” to the board.
- Pile it on: The salmon and corned beef share a similar dark colour and are arranged in opposite corners of the charcuterie board for visual balance. The corned beef slices were cut in half, then rolled to make them both a manageable size and easy for guests to take from the board. Generous piles of salmon and corned beef look inviting, so heap it on. The rolled corned beef was carefully stacked, but the smaller pieces of smoked salmon were simply piled.
- Group it together: Place meats near their condiments, veggies near the dip dish, celery near the pub cheese, bread near the orange honey butter and crackers near the cheese so it is easy for guests to guess what goes with what.
- Fill in the gaps and garnish: Fill the green pepper bowl with dip, add fresh herbs to garnish the pub cheese and dip, tuck in the sliced green pepper “shamrocks” and crackers and breads to the board. Fill in any remaining spaces with smaller items. For this board, I use things like potato chips, cut apple slices and sliced green bell pepper, but nuts and berries also work well. To finish it off, I tucked in a few of the smallest leaves from the head of butter lettuce. Serve and enjoy! Happy St Patrick’s Day!
St Patrick's Day Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 1 small head of butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 2 green bell peppers
- 3 cheeses of your choice (or more for a larger crowd)
- Creamy Pub Style Beer Cheese (see link to recipe above)
- Orange and Honey Butter (see link to recipe above)
- pickles of your choice
- grainy mustard
- sliced corned beef
- hot smoked salmon
- tiny potatoes (I used 225gr (1/2 lb))
- assorted fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, celery and sugar snap peas
- assorted fresh fruit
- vegetable dip
- plain kettle cooked potato chips
- fresh bread
- crackers
Instructions
Make Ahead:
- Prepare any homemade items such as Pub Style Beer Cheese or Orange and Honey Butters (see above for links to recipes) in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Cook potatoes if using: Place baby potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the water. Boil the baby potatoes until they are fork tender, about 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature before adding them to your board. Baby potatoes can be cooked up to a day in advanced and kept in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble the board:
- Choose your board based on the number of guests. A large cutting board or food-safe tray would work for a big group, and smaller cheese boards are perfect for just a few guests. For an extra large group, you may want to make more than one board.
- Add large butter lettuce leaves to the corners of the board to add colour and texture.
- To make a serving bowl for the vegetable dip, cut the top off one green pepper and hollow out the core, ribs and seeds.
- Place larger items first, such as cheeses and large dishes of homemade items onto the board. Working in odd numbers and triangular arrangements looks best. On this board, we used 3 cheeses and placed them away from each other to form the shape of a triangle. We also used 3 homemade items (Pub Style Beer Cheese, Orange and Honey Butter and vegetable dip served in a hollowed out green pepper), and arranged them away from each other, also in a triangular pattern.
- Add smaller vessels containing condiments and pickles. Using small jars that are a little taller than the other items on the board as visual "height".
- Cut the corned beef slices in half, then roll them up. Stack the rolls of corned beef in one corner of the board, on top of the butter lettuce leaf. In the opposite corner of the board, on top of the lettuce leaf, pile the chunks of smoked salmon.
- Place items that go together near one another. Arrange the cooked and cooled potatoes on the lettuce leaf near the green pepper bowl, stacking them up. Trim and cut the cucumber and sugar snap peas, and nestle them in around the pepper, so the vegetables will be near the dip bowl. Close to the pub cheese, stack up the celery sticks. Slice the fresh bread and tuck it in near the Orange and Honey Butter. Start filling in spaces near the cheeses with crackers.
- Fill in the gaps with smaller items such as sliced green apple and potato chips.
- To finish the board and garnish, fill the green pepper with vegetable dip. Garnish the tops of the dip and Pub Style Beer Cheese with fresh herbs. Slice the remaining green pepper crosswise into rings Remove the core and seeds and trim any white ribs so you have green pepper rings that resemble the shape of clover or shamrocks. Tuck the green pepper rings in and amongst the other items on the board to garnish. Reserve any extra vegetables, fruit, crackers, bread and potato chips and replenish the board as needed. Serve and enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
- This St Patrick’s Day themed charcuterie board can be assembled to a point several hours in advance and kept, well covered, in the fridge. Keep in mind that crisp things, when kept near humid things such as vegetables and dips, will start to soften. Hold off adding crispy things like potato chips and crackers until just before serving.
