Holidays Memorial Day & Graduation
May 31, 2027
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Build it for a backyard crowd: firm cheese and cured sausage that handle warm weather, fruit, chips and dips. Plan about 3 oz each of cheese and meat per guest as party food, and keep it in the shade, out no more than 2 hours.
Cookout · 20 guests
Aged cheddar and pepper jack, summer sausage and pepperoni, kettle chips and tortilla chips, pickles, ranch, berries and melon. Firm cheeses and dry sausage hold up better outside than soft cheese.
Aged Cheddar · Pepper Jack · Summer Sausage · Pepperoni · Kettle Chips · Tortilla Chips · Dill Pickles · Ranch Dip · Berries · Melon
See the full board → Get the shopping list for 20 →Memorial Day · 12 guests
Strawberries and blueberries, white cheddar and fresh mozzarella, pepperoni and salami for the red, and plain crackers to hold it together. Lay it out in stripes.
Berries · Fresh Mozzarella · Aged Cheddar · Pepperoni · Genoa Salami · Water Crackers · Honey
Get the shopping list for 12 →
Graduation party · 40 guests
A long table instead of a board: two or three cheeses repeated down the length, salami and ham, grapes, crackers and chips, with the school colors in the fruit and napkins.
Aged Cheddar · Colby Jack · Pepper Jack · Genoa Salami · Honey Ham · Grapes · Berries · Butter Crackers · Pretzel Crisps · Mixed Nuts
See the full board → Get the shopping list for 40 →Each one has what to buy, why it works and a timeline.
Occasions & Parties
Graduation Party Charcuterie Board
Serves 12–20 · $65–$100
Full plan · $3Intermediate
Seasonal & Holiday
Summer Backyard Charcuterie Board
Serves 8–12 · $45–$70
Full plan · $3Beginner
Seasonal & Holiday
Beach Picnic Charcuterie Board
Serves 6–10 · $35–$55
Plan in the bookBeginner
Occasions & Parties
No-Fridge Camping Charcuterie Board
Serves 4–8 · $30–$50
Plan in the bookBeginner
Served as an appetizer before a meal, plan about 2 oz of cheese, 2 oz of meat and 6–8 crackers per guest. If the board is the party food, plan 3 oz of each; if it's dinner, 4 oz. From 20 guests, add 10% (included below).
| Guests | Cheese | Meat | Crackers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 12 oz | 12 oz | 36–48 | Full list |
| 12 | 1½ lb | 1½ lb | 72–96 | Full list |
| 20 | 2¾ lb | 2¾ lb | 120–160 | Full list |
Plan every board this season
Exact shopping lists, prep timelines, placement steps and pairing science for 50 boards, including Thanksgiving, Holiday Entertaining, New Year's Eve and Game Day, in Charcuterie Lab: 50 Boards Built by Science.
Foods that handle warm weather: aged cheddar, pepper jack, summer sausage and pepperoni, plus chips, pickles, a dip, berries and melon. Leave the soft cheeses for indoors.
No more than 2 hours out, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F, per USDA guidance. Outdoors, set the board in the shade, keep a second tray in the cooler and swap it in halfway.
As an appetizer before a meal, plan about 2 oz of cheese and 2 oz of meat per guest, plus 6 to 8 crackers. If the board is the party food, plan 3 oz of each and 10 to 12 crackers; if it's dinner, 4 oz of each. From 20 guests, add 10%. For a grazing table, repeat the same items down the table instead of adding more kinds.
Use strawberries, salami and pepperoni for red, fresh mozzarella and white cheddar for white, and blueberries for blue. Lay them in stripes, with the blueberries in a corner square like a flag.
As party food, plan about $4 to $6 per guest on a budget and $6 to $10 for a standard spread, so roughly $160 to $240 or $240 to $400 for 40 guests. Warehouse clubs bring that down. Store and region change the total.
Set it in the shade, chill the board itself before you build, and put only half the food out. Keep the rest in a cooler with ice packs and refill after an hour. Nest a tray over ice for the cheese if it's hot.
Cut and pack everything the morning of and chill it in containers. Build in the last 30 minutes, add crackers and chips last, and keep the refill in the fridge or cooler until it's needed.
Read more: How to Make a Grazing Table: Amounts, Layout and Setup · Charcuterie Board for a Large Group: How to Scale Without the Chaos · How Long Does a Charcuterie Board Last? (By Ingredient) · How to Transport a Charcuterie Board (Without It Sliding Apart) · Charcuterie Cups: How to Make Them for a Party (12, 24 or 50 Cups)
Other holidays: Halloween · Thanksgiving · Christmas · Hanukkah · New Year's Eve · Super Bowl · Valentine's Day · St. Patrick's Day · Easter · Mother's Day · Fourth of July · All holidays
Free printable
How much to buy for any guest count, the build order, fridge timing and pairing rules on two printable pages. Plus the Lab Report: one pairing that works and why, and new printables the day they land.