MINNEAPOLIS — This season, take your appetizer with you and eschew the cheese plate in favor of the charcuterie cup. Instead of building a board, pack individual portions in a portable dish from which your guests can graze on the go and in more COVID-friendly manner.
Kowalski’s Culinary Director Rachael Perron joined KARE11 on Saturday morning with tips on making these beautiful and delicious holiday party treats.
To build a charcuterie cup, Perron recommends using a wide selection of textures and milks for the cheeses, but avoid super-soft cheeses like triple crème.
Adding breadsticks to the cup, which can be any short glass or plastic cup, can add height to it. Toothpicks could also be used for little cheese kabobs.
Perron explained that a cracker, cookie or any crunchy texture will balance out the soft textures of the cheeses and incorporating fresh fruit will elevate it.
With salty or creamy cheeses, including a sweet and chewy treat, like caramel corn, dried fruit, etc, will add a nice contrast to the charcuterie cup.
To make the cups pop, try adding herbs or microgreens to add a color contrast with the cheeses.
Suggested Ingredients:
- Joyfull Bakery Parmesan Crisps
- Specialità Rustiche Tozzetti Bufala Butter Biscuits
- Alessi Grissini Torinesi Thin Breadsticks
- Marin French Cheese Petite Breakfast Fresh Brie
- Cypress Grove Midnight Moon Aged Goat Gouda
- Kowalski’s Signature Comté
- Fermín Jamón Serrano Cured Pork
- Fermín Iberico Salchichón Dry-Cured Sausage
- Greek olives
- Dried apricots
- Grape tomatoes
- Blanched asparagus
- Pea shoots or microgreens
- Kowalski’s Caramel Corn
- Cudié Catànies Caramelized Almonds with Praline
- Nutkrack Candied Pecans
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