Sweet & Savory Charcuterie Board with Homemade Almond Apricot Cheese Spread
I just love charcuterie boards. They are colorful, festive, and have the perfect sweet and salty balance. I hosted a #DishinUpTheNewYearCollab on Instagram with my friend Loren. About 15 other foodie accounts participated, and it was so fun to see everyone’s traditional New Year’s Eve recipes. When I was brainstorming ideas for this collab, I immediately thought of a charcuterie board. It is the ultimate party appetizer!
The highlight of this board is this *super easy* apricot cheese spread that literally pairs well with anything!
My favorite way to enjoy it was spreading it on a cracker and pairing it with a piece of salami. Below, I have listed the ingredients I used to build this board and how I built it. However, the good thing about a charcuterie board is you can have fun with it! There are no specific rules. Don’t like grapes? Use strawberries or dried fruit instead! What I have listed below is to simply serve as inspiration for your next charcuterie board or if you have never made one before and new a few ideas to get started!
Ingredients:
For the Apricot Spread:
1 package softened cream cheese
½ cup apricot preserves
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup sliced almonds
For the board:
½ cup mixed nuts
2 (3 oz) packages Genoa salami
2 (3 oz) packages prosciutto
1 (16 oz) package fresh mozzarella cheese
1 Honeycrisp apple
2 bunches black seedless grapes
½ cup fresh cranberries, for garnish
Multigrain crackers
Water crackers
Instructions:
For the Apricot Spread:
Whip the cream cheese and apricot preserves together until smooth. Fold the cheddar cheese and sliced almonds into the mixture. Chill for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator or until you are ready to serve.
Begin building the charcuterie board with bowls. Bowls serve as the foundation and allow you to prop meat, cheese, and crackers up! I had 2 smaller bowls on my charcuterie board, one for the mixed nuts and a slightly larger one for the apricot spread.
Next, add the meat and cheese.
Arrange the crackers around the meat and cheese.
Fill in the remaining gaps with fruit. You can also garnish your board with herbs, such as rosemary or thyme. Enjoy!
