Holidays Valentine's Day
February 14, 2027
A Valentine's board for two needs less than you think: about 4 oz each of cheese and meat per person if it's dinner, 2 oz each if dinner follows. Shape it like a heart, roll salami into a rose, use red and pink (strawberries, raspberries, prosciutto, pomegranate), and finish with dark chocolate and a sparkling rosé.
Date night · 2 guests
A heart of Brie, aged Gouda and a salami rose, with strawberries, raspberries, dark chocolate and honey. One small board and one bottle of sparkling rosé or Pinot Noir.
Brie · Aged Gouda · Genoa Salami · Prosciutto di Parma · Berries · Dark Chocolate · Honey · Water Crackers
Get the shopping list for 2 →Friends' night · 8 guests
A bigger, brighter board: whipped feta, burrata, prosciutto, pink grapefruit, strawberries, pistachios and shortbread, with a pitcher of something sparkling.
Whipped Feta · Burrata · Prosciutto di Parma · Grapefruit · Berries · Pistachios · Shortbread · Crostini
Get the shopping list for 8 →After dinner · 4 guests
Dark chocolate, chocolate-covered strawberries, a triple-crème, salted caramels, shortbread, brandied cherries and a small pour of port.
Dark Chocolate · Triple-Crème · Sea Salt Caramels · Shortbread · Berries · Brandied Cherries · Chocolate Covered Almonds
Get the shopping list for 4 →Each one has what to buy, why it works and a timeline.
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 |
If the board is dinner, about 4 oz each of cheese and meat per person, so 8 oz of each in total. If you're going out to dinner after, 2 oz of each per person is plenty. Two cheeses and two meats are enough.
Fold thin salami slices over the rim of a small wine glass, overlapping each one by about half, in three or four layers. Turn the glass over onto the board and lift it off, then tuck a basil or mint leaf at the base.
Sparkling rosé or Champagne works with almost everything on it. For a still wine, choose a light red like Pinot Noir. If the board ends with dark chocolate, a small glass of port is the classic match.
Outline a heart on the board with crackers or folded prosciutto, then fill it in with cheese, a salami rose and red fruit. A heart-shaped cookie cutter also turns cheese slices into hearts in seconds.
Pretty, shareable things: whipped feta or burrata, prosciutto, pink grapefruit and strawberries, pistachios, shortbread or pink cookies, and a sparkling drink. Plan about 2 oz each of cheese and meat per guest if there's other food, 3 oz if the board is the party.
Read more: Date Night Charcuterie Board: A Smaller, Smarter Build · Charcuterie Board for Two: How to Build It, What to Buy, and What Changes at Small Scale · Chocolate on a Charcuterie Board · How to Make a Prosciutto Rose: The Step-by-Step Technique · Dessert Charcuterie Board: How to Build a Sweet Board That Actually Works
Other holidays: Halloween · Thanksgiving · Christmas · Hanukkah · New Year's Eve · Super Bowl · St. Patrick's Day · Easter · 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.
