Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board

Make this Valentine’s Day charcuterie board and learn how to do a lot with just a little. Learn to make salami roses, skewered flower stacks, Cupid’s arrows, and other fun charcuterie basics with this low-priced dinner idea.

Horizontal image of a close up of a Valentine's Day charcuterie board made with salami roses, Cupid's arrows, and meat flowers.
This easy and wallet-friendly charcuterie board is a perfect way to snack on the sweetest holiday of the year.

RELATED READING: Make a Delicious Frosting Board for an Easy Dessert

Valentine Charcuterie Inspiration

Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I love a good charcuterie board (or, as they say here in Texas, “Shark-coot-er-eee.” The boards look amazing, are easy to put together, and are a special way to say you put some thought into the day.

Depending on where you are, it might be hard to find dragon fruit. If that’s the case, it can easily be substituted with watermelon. It will stay within the color scheme and it’s easy to cut with any shaped cookie or aspic cutters you have on hand.

Wine Pairings for This Valentine’s Day Charcuterie

You can serve this charcuterie recipe with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. Both will go well with the cheeses and meats selected.

That said, if you want to “up the game” a bit, a Prosecco is a wonderful option. Be sure to have it chilling before serving and keep it cold for top ups.

Close image of fruit, meats, and a brie cheese with hearts cut out and filled with raspberry jam.

Ingredients and Supplies

You’ll need some sort of charcuterie board for this. It can be wood, slate, or even a dinner plate. If you’re in the market for one, ALWAYS go to the thrift store first. Rectangles and circles are the best shapes because they’re versatile.

  • 4 ounces of brie cheese
  • 5 slices of round ham
  • 3 1/2 ounces salami
  • 10 cracker sticks (they are these in case you’ve always passed them up in the store)
  • 12-18 Ritz crackers
  • 2 teaspoons raspberry jam
  • 1/2 dragon fruit (can substitute with watermelon)
  • 3 aged goat cheese (or other cheese of your choice)
  • 1-2 tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons green olives
  • red and black grapes
  • sprigs of mint, optional
  • pomegranate arils, optional

Note: if you’re also feeding kids with picky taste buds, make this quick Crack Chicken pinwheels recipe to add to their plates instead of the salami.

How to Make a Charcuterie for Valentine’s Day

Below is how to assemble the salami roses, the ham Cupid’s arrows, and some fruit flowers. I’ve included some images to help you assemble, so keep this page open and follow along.

If you prefer, you can scroll to the bottom to print this off without the images.

First, slice the dragon fruit or watermelon into quarters 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Form some of the fruit into hearts using a pairing knife or a mini cookie or aspic cutter.

For the fancy flowers, peel the tangerines. Thread two tangerine slices at a 45° angle and a dragon fruit heart onto skewers.

Vertical image of dragon fruit and tangerine fruit flowers for a charcuterie on a rectangle cutting board.

I’m often asked how to make a salami rose – you don’t need glass for the little ones! For the rose design, cut the salami circles in half and overlap 6-7 pieces and roll into a roll. Cut the olives in half along the long side. Thread the leaves – olive halves and salami roses – onto the skewers.

Vertical image showing an apple shaped cutting board with a tutorial for meat roses with olive leaf and stem.

Cut a 3/4-inch thick crust off the brie cheese. Using cookie cutters, cut out two hearts, one larger and one smaller. Use them to decorate the board. Return the crust to its place and fill the cavities with raspberry jam.

Vertical image of a round cutting board with brie cheese cutouts of hearts

Wrap the edge of the ham around two stick crackers like sushi sticks to resemble Cupid’s arrows. 

You can cover a board or tray with a decorative napkin or skip it. Then, assemble as follows:

  • set up a centerpiece with hearts and raspberry jam.
  • lay out the Cupid’s arrows at an edge
  • arrange the fruit flowers and roses from the salami and olives at the bottom, opposite the arrows
  • fold the remaining salami circles into quarters, join in pairs and arrange them in a ribbon shape
  • arrange cheese and crackers
  • fill the gaps with grapes and tangerine slices
  • decorate the board with mint and pomegranate arils
Vertical image of a charcuterie board being prepared with meat flowers, salami roses, fruit flowers, and more.

Be sure to take a picture of your board and share it with me on Facebook or Instagram. I love seeing your creations!

Valentine’s Day Dessert Charcuterie

Hear me out: this is insanely easy to put together and you can prep it in advance. For something a little extra special, you can put together this Valentine’s Day dessert charcuterie, too.

Chocolate Lover's Charcuterie Board filled with chocolate pretzels, various types of homemade aand store-bought chocolate, berries, candy and a ramekin filled with dip on a red towel with white hearts next to faux roses on a white surface.
This Chocolate Lover’s Charcuterie Board is perfect for your Valentine’s Day party

More Dessert Ideas to Pair with This Sweetheart Charcuterie

Please Save or Share This Valentine Charcuterie Board Inspo

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Please share this to social media or save it to an easy recipes pin board.

Four image collage showing how to make a Valentine charcuterie board with salami roses, flowers, and other fun artistic food.
Yield: A Charcuterie for 2-4

Valentine's Day Charcuterie

Square image of a full fruit, cracker, cheese, and meat charcuterie for Valentines day.

This Valentine's Day charcuterie is an easy to assemble dinner with a low price tag. It's perfect for snacking while watching a movie or gazing into each other's eyes. :)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces of brie cheese
  • 5 slices of round ham
  • 3 1/2 ounces salami
  • 10 cracker sticks
  • 12-18 Ritz crackers
  • 2 teaspoons raspberry jam
  • 1/2 dragon fruit (can substitute with watermelon)
  • 3 aged goat cheese
  • 1-2 tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons olives
  • A bunch each of red and black grapes.
  • Sprigs of mint, optional
  • Pomegranate arils, optional

Instructions

  1. Slice the dragon fruit into quarters 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Form some of the fruit into hearts using a pairing knife or a mini cookie or aspic cutter.
  2. For the fancy flowers, peel the tangerines. Thread two tangerine slices at a 45° angle and a dragon fruit heart onto skewers. IMAGE 1v
  3. For the rose design, cut the salami circles in half and overlap 6-7 pieces and roll into a roll. Cut the olives in half along the long side. Thread the leaves - olive halves and salami roses - onto the skewers. IMAGE 2v
  4. Cut a 3/4-inch thick crust off the brie cheese. Using cookie cutters, cut out two hearts, one larger and one smaller. Use them to decorate the board. Return the crust to its place and fill the cavities with raspberry jam. IMAGE 3v
  5. Wrap the edge of the ham around two stick crackers like sushi sticks resemble cupid's arrows. 
  6. Cover a board or tray with a napkin. Set up a centerpiece with hearts and raspberry jam. Lay out the arrows at an edge. Arrange the fruit flowers and roses from the salami and olives at the bottom opposite the arrows. Fold the remaining salami circles into quarters, join in pairs and arrange them in a ribbon shape. Arrange goat cheese, crackers.
  7. Fill the gaps with grapes and tangerine slices. Decorate the board with mint and pomegranate arils.

Notes

To keep the board fresh if making ahead, drape it with a moist paper towel and cover with a food wrap.

Add small bowls of honey (optional) and a jar with mini picks, mini forks, or skewers for serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 592Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 1773mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 5gSugar: 20gProtein: 37g

All nutrition information is estimated. For accuracy, please calculate your exact brands and ingredients if accuracy is desired.

Did you make this yummy recipe?

Please leave a comment or share a photo and tag me @rufflesandrain

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *