Individual Charcuterie Cups

These easy charcuterie cups are ideal for a variety of events such as bridal showers and baby showers, holiday parties, and even game day.

For the individual charcuterie boxes, boards, or cups, you can use any variety of meats, cheeses, and any accouterments that you like.

There is just something about individual appetizers that feels fancy.  Plus these can be a nice change from our extra large charcuterie Christmas tree.

In the summer I pair them with chips and mango salsa and my famous corn ribs recipe alongside a vodka margarita.

For chillier weather, they complement our spicy shrimp deviled eggs and cream cheese stuffed peppers perfectly.  Serve with a cranberry gin cocktail.

Cheeses

• Pick one easy-to-eat soft cheese like mozzarella cheese balls or chunks of soft cheese like feta. Avoid mini cheese balls and goat cheese logs as they are too soft to skewer.
• Small wedges of semi-soft cheeses like brie can work. I suggest cutting and skewering them while they are very cold. 
• And two kinds of hard cheese. For visual interest, I cut one into cubes and the other into thin slices.
• A note about blue cheese, I find it too crumbly to skewer and prefer to skip this when making individual servings. 

Possible Hard Cheese Options:

• Dill Harvarti
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Monterey Jack
• Pepper Jack (a personal favorite for game days)

Meats

• I like to play with shapes and a variety of textures.
• I used one round of salami that I sliced. Thick-cut pepperoni would make a great substitution.
• For a softer look, I cut prosciutto into think ribbons and loosely folded them. 

More Meat Options:

• Any type of Smoked Hams
• Cappicoloa
• Bresaola
• Soprasetta

Accoutrements

• Vegetables- I prefer to use smaller cucumbers and grape tomatoes for my fresh items. And add pickled vegetables like gherkins, olives, or peppers for tang.
• Fruit- I like to use a mix of dry and fresh fruit on my charcuterie boards. Red grapes or green grapes, berries, or figs. For dried fruit, I like dried apricots, cherries, and dates.
• Nuts- I used toasted pecans but almonds, or even crunchy chickpeas.
• To decorate the cups you can add a sprig or two of fresh herbs.
• To complement your charcuterie cups serve with little jars of jam, honey, or mustard.
• Add regular crackers, pita chips, gluten-free crackers, and toasted bread.

Where to Buy Charcuterie Cups

For smaller events I use glass cups and martini glasses that I already have. For larger events, you may want to purchase disposable cups.

You want a cup that holds between 4 ounces and 6 ounces. 

You can either do a paper cup with the front cut out. Or use clear plastic cups, the same ones you serve drinks out of.

I use these bamboo knot skewers for my toothpicks.

🌡️Make Ahead

You can buy all the ingredients for this recipe up to 3 days in advance. Store according to package instructions. Vegetables and fruits should be stored in their respective crisper drawers in the fridge.

 This will prevent the cheese from drying out and other items from getting soggy.

You can cut all the individual pieces up the night before and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.

Assemble up to 2 hours before party time. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.