Some days, the thought of cooking feels like too much—especially when you’re juggling feeding yourself and the kids. Whether it’s a busy morning, an afternoon slump, or just one of those days when you need a break, a charcuterie lunch board is the perfect solution. With minimal prep, you can quickly pull together a colorful, balanced, and satisfying meal. Plus, it’s versatile, so everyone can choose what they want to eat, making it a win for both you and the little ones.
I created this particular board after a morning full of homeschool lessons. I didn’t want to cook, especially after hosting a party the night before, so I ventured over to our pantry and grabbed whatever I felt like. As I started pulling things together, I realized I was unintentionally building a charcuterie board—so I decided to keep going with the adventure of going through the fridge, pantry, and cupboards.
Some of our favorite, ingredient-friendly foods include:
- Siete Chips, made from a cassava blend with avocado oil, chia seeds, and sea salt (no greater bang for your buck than Costco if they have them in stock)
- Mini Beef Sticks from Country Archer, crafted with grass-fed beef and a flavorful mix of spices like Cherry Powder, Coriander, Onion Powder, White Pepper, Ground Nutmeg, Parsley, and more (Costco or Walmart carries them)
- Rosemary and Thyme Almond Flour Crackers from Simple Mills (cheapest at Walmart)
- Wholly Organic Smashed Avocado (a glorious Costco find), just avocado and sea salt. I LOVE these. Especially because it’s hard for us to keep our avocados ripe til we want to eat them.
These options are not only delicious but also align with our preference for clean ingredients, so we feel good about what we’re serving the kiddos—and what we’re feeding our own bodies.
Charcuterie Style Lunch
Ingredients
- Cheeses: 1/4 block of aged cheddar and/or Dubliner Cheese from Kerrygold. My kids and I don't eat dairy but the Hubby does so we add it for him.
- Meats: 8 slices of organic turkey breasts, 8 beef sticks We use Country Archer Mini Grass Fed and Finished Mini Beef Sticks
- Crackers and Chips: 1 cup of crackers, 1 cup chips We love Simple Mills Rosemary and Thyme Almond Flour crackers and Siete brand for chips!
- Fresh Fruits: 1 cup of red grapes, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1 apple thinly sliced.
- Vegetables: 4 pickle spears, 3 celery sticks, 1 cucumber
- Nuts and Dried Fruit: 1/4 cup of almonds/cashews, 1/4 cup of pistachios, 4 pickle spears
- Spreads: 4 TBSP Peanut Butter, 1 cup Guacamole
Instructions
- Prepare the Board: Start with a clean wooden or slate board as your base.
- Place the Cheeses: Arrange the cheeses first, spacing them out for easy access. My kids and I don’t eat dairy but my husband does so we leave cheese for him.
- Add Meats: Fold or curl the sliced organic turkey breasts and line up beef sticks.
- Arrange Crackers or chips: Create sections for crackers and another for chips.
- Incorporate Fruits: Cluster the grapes, scatter the blueberries, and fan out the apple slices. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Incorporate Veggies: Cut celery sticks into desired length and peel cucumbers and cut into rounds or sticks. Add pickles into separate areas.
- Add Nuts and Dried Fruit: Fill small gaps with almonds, pistachios, and dried mangoes.
- Finish with Spreads: Place small bowls of honey, peanut butter, and/or guacamole with serving spoons on the board.
- Serve: Place the board in a central area with cheese knives and small plates for serving.
