The Popular Snack That Deserves A Spot On Your Next Charcuterie Board

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There's no right way to build a charcuterie board. And while cheese, cured meats, fruits, and nuts are common staples, popcorn is the popular yet underrated snack that deserves a spot on your next charcuterie board. Popcorn is aromatic, crunchy, and best of all, versatile. Where crackers and baguettes are heavy and hearty vessels for cheese and meat, popcorn is a light accompaniment that'll bring a pop of crunch without filling you up too much. It's also gluten-free, so you can still supply some much-needed carbs to a gluten-free meat, cheese, and nut-heavy charcuterie board.

Popcorn lends itself well to all manner of seasonings, bringing much more depth of flavor to a charcuterie board. The types of cheeses and meats you use on your charcuterie can inform the flavor of the popcorn you choose. Popcorn is one of the cheapest, most widely available snacks, and it comes in countless store-bought flavors, from cheddar cheese to caramel corn. You can also make your own popcorn, whether in the microwave, on the stove, or with an air popper for the ultimate light, fat-free charcuterie addition. Making popcorn gives you more culinary freedom to come up with unique seasoning blends. Whichever way you make popcorn, the best way to season it is by adding popcorn and the desired spice, herb, or cheese blend to a bag and shaking to coat. If you're air-popping popcorn, you'll need to spray the popcorn with Pam or even Bragg's liquid aminos to get a spice blend to stick.

There are as many popcorn seasoning ideas as there are charcuterie board combinations. And you can use the other ingredients on your charcuterie board to inspire popcorn seasoning blends. For example, a Greek charcuterie board with other unique charcuterie ingredients like feta-stuffed pickled peppers, kalamata olives, and eggplant caponata would pair perfectly with Za'atar and lemon-zested popcorn. A classic Italian charcuterie board with prosciutto, salami, buffalo mozzarella, and gorgonzola would work well with Parmesan and Italian herb-coated popcorn. If you're making a vegan charcuterie board, season your popcorn with cheesy nutritional yeast and crushed black pepper. We've also got plenty of recommendations for plant-based cheese brands to round out a vegan charcuterie board. If you're making a seafood charcuterie board with smoked salmon, tinned fish, and pickled vegetables, popcorn seasoned with a Ranch seasoning packet and extra dill is the herbaceous and crunchy complement to all that umami goodness.

Of course, the popcorn itself can inspire a charcuterie board for your next movie night. You bring sweet, savory, and salty popcorn to a movie charcuterie board alongside popular movie theater candy like Raisniets and Buncha Crunch, pretzel bites, and cheese dip. Or, caramel corn or Cracker Jacks would be a great addition to a dessert charcuterie board with chocolate-covered pretzels, candied nuts, chocolate-dipped strawberries, puppy chow, and shortbread cookies.