Easy And Elegant Breakfast Board

Tired of the same old boring breakfast routine? This gorgeous Breakfast Board is your answer! It's a fun and creative way to start your day with a delicious spread that will satisfy everyone's taste buds. Plus, it's a great way to get everyone involved in breakfast and create some memories!

This board incorporates your standard meats and cheeses, and other delicious breakfast items like jammy eggs, waffles, smoked salmon fresh fruit, and bagels for a delicious breakfast grazing board!

In This Post

• What Is A Breakfast Charcuterie Board?
• Why You'll Love It
• What To Include On Your Breakfast Board
• How To Assemble
• Create A Theme
• Helpful Tips
• What Else To Serve With Your Breakfast Charcuterie Board
• Recipe
• Comments

What Is A Breakfast Charcuterie Board?

The word “charcuterie” originated from the French word “charcutier”, which refers to a person who prepares and sells cured or smoked meats, in addition to other meat products such as sausages, pates, and terrines. You’re likely very familiar with charcuterie boards - the beautiful spread of cured meats, cheese, crackers, fruits, and nuts that are typically served on a large platter or board at parties. 

A breakfast charcuterie board builds on this same idea but also incorporates typical breakfast items such as waffles, bagels, eggs, and sausage. It’s a gorgeous way to serve breakfast spread for a crowd. It’s perfect for overnight guests, but also great for holidays like Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or Easter!  

Why You'll Love It

• GREAT for company. Who wants to be slaving away in the kitchen when you have overnight guests? Serving a continental board for breakfast makes the first meal of the day easy. It takes the pressure off of you to prepare a big meal and gives your guests plenty of options to choose from. Don’t be surprised if your guests are grazing on this breakfast board the whole morning! (It's also a great breakfast idea for birthdays or parties!)
• Customizable. While I included many standard breakfast items here, the sky really is the limit when it comes to creating a charcuterie board for breakfast. It’s easy to accommodate multiple dietary restrictions and also incorporate favorites your guests will love.
• So many ways to get creative. Want to go deep on a specific theme for breakfast? This is your perfect opportunity! Create an all-waffle charcuterie board or a pancake charcuterie board. Add muffins or delicious bread from your favorite local bakery. Toss on some biscuits and jam (learn how to make biscuits in the air fryer here!) Add a jar of your favorite local honey to drizzle over everything. Make a breakfast cheese board (if that's not a thing yet, I'm claiming it.) The beauty of a good charcuterie board (even for breakfast!) is that you can totally make it your own and have fun with it. (Want a unique addition? Try this Homemade Toaster Strudel Recipe!)
• Quick and easy. Except for the waffles and the jammy eggs, everything else on this board is completely store-bought. (And truth be told, you could totally use freezer waffles if you wanted to make it easier!) It takes about 15 minutes to take everything out of the fridge and arrange it on the breakfast board.  In no time you have a beautiful and delicious breakfast board that will impress your guests (or your family!). 
• Beautiful.  There’s no doubt that a breakfast grazing board is visually stunning. Combining different flavors and textures, fancy breakfast foods, lots of colorful fruits, and a variety of other delicious little bites creates a gorgeous spread.

What To Include On Your Breakfast Board

When it comes to what to put on your breakfast charcuterie board, the sky really is the limit! Below is everything that I used if you’d like to replicate it, but feel free to mix it up and add some of your own favorites!

• Waffles. You could make your own (these blueberry waffles are the best!) or keep it simple and buy some freezer waffles from the store. 
• Mini bagels. It’s nice to have a couple of different flavors here - I always get everything bagels but have plain ones on hand too for those who might want to spread their bagel with something sweet. 
• Oranges, halved or quartered, depending on space.
• Cantaloupe slices. You could of course cube your cantaloupe, but I love how the slices look. They’re also great anchors to help contain everything on this breakfast grazing board. 
• Breakfast cheese. Is there such a thing as breakfast cheese? I think so!  When making a charcuterie breakfast, I like to use cheeses on the slightly milder/sweeter side. A red wax gouda. a Wensleydale cranberry cheese and of course, cream cheese, are what I used here. 
• Cured meats. A variety of salamis and prosciutto are always good choices. 
• Sausages. I used chicken breakfast sausages but any kind of breakfast sausage would work here.
• Smoked salmon. This goes great with the bagels and cream cheese.
• Blueberries and strawberries. These are breakfast staples and add such gorgeous color to the board. 
• Jammy eggs. These add a delicious protein boost to your breakfast. Hard-boiled eggs would also work.
• Cornichons. If you’re not familiar with these, they’re tiny tart French pickles and go great with this breakfast charcuterie board. Totally optional but I love the extra zing they add. It really compliments the other flavors of the board. 
• Nuts. I love throwing in various nuts to fill in the nooks and crannies of a charcuterie board. I used almonds here but another option would be some delicious spiced or candied walnuts or pecans. 
• Sauces and spreads. You could really go wild here with jellies, jams, honey - you name it! I used maple syrup (a must for the waffles), plus some peanut butter and Nutella which go great with both the waffles and mini bagels. 
• Fresh herbs. I love the visual boost the breakfast board gets from adding fresh herbs. But, I used dill which also tastes delicious with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and a bagel. Win, win!

Other ideas for what to include on your breakfast charcuterie board. 

The beauty of this breakfast spread is that you can make it just what you want it to be. Here are some other things you might like to include.

• More fresh fruit. Depending on the time of year, try to use something in season. Peaches, cherries, pineapple, grapefruit, or even bananas are all good options besides berries.
• Dried fruit. Apricots, raisins, cranberries, and more!
• Yogurt. Plain or flavored.
• Granola or cereal. Mix it up with different flavors and textures.
• Biscuits. Any kind of biscuit works here, but I especially love keeping things easy and always make these canned Pillsbury biscuits in the air fryer.
• Pastries. Croissants, muffins, scones, or even donuts (like these baked lemon and blueberry donuts) would be awesome for a breakfast charcuterie board.
• Mini quiches or frittatas. Bite-sized and delicious.
• Egg muffins. Easy to make and great if you’re looking to include a warm option on the board. 
• Jams, spreads, homemade marmalade, and honey. All great for including on waffles or pancakes, yogurts, or bagels.
• Coffee or tea: A must-have for any breakfast spread.(You can even get fancy and try this oat milk honey latte!)
• Juice. Try serving a couple of different kinds, like orange and grapefruit.
• Other types of meats. Bacon is an obvious choice!
• Pancakes. Try these easy sheet pan pancakes!
• Pancake or waffle toppings: While maple syrup is a must-have, you can also include whipped cream, chocolate chips, powdered sugar or even sour cream or creme fraiche as options.

How To Assemble

Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty of creating your breakfast charcuterie board. 

1. Select your serving board. First, choose a large platter or board that can hold all of your food items. Make sure it's visually appealing and easy to pass around the table. Another option that I like is to use a couple of smaller boards. That way you can place them at either end of a table, and they’re easier to pass around or pick from. 
2. Next, start with the larger items. I always start with my cheeses or larger pieces of fruit, since they can act as “anchors” for the board and I can build around them as I go. 
3. Add the meat. After the larger anchors, I add the meats, positioning them next to the cheeses and fruit. 
4. Arrange your larger bread items on the breakfast board. If you’re using waffles, depending on the size of your board, you can cut them into quarters. This is nice since it creates more space and also gives people the option of trying just a few bites vs taking a whole waffle.  
5. Add the smaller fill-ins! Finally, fill in your board with the smaller items - fresh fruit, cornichons, nuts, jammy eggs, and herbs. 
6. Don't forget your spreads and sauces! Add small bowls of your spreads, jellies, peanut butter, Nutella, maple syrup, and serve! 

Create A Theme

While a general board is great, a themed board can also be super fun. Here are some fun, themed breakfast charcuterie board ideas:

• Waffle charcuterie board. Fill your board with delicious waffles, whipped cream, maple syrup, and your favorite toppings. Don't forget the fresh fruit!
• Breakfast grazing board. Mix it up with a variety of sweet and savory foods, like bacon, sausage, pancakes, muffins, and fresh fruit.
• European breakfast board. Transport yourself to Europe with a board full of croissants, jams, fresh fruit, yogurt, and coffee.
• Pancake charcuterie board. Stack up a variety of pancakes, like blueberry or chocolate chip, and add toppings like whipped cream, maple syrup, and fresh fruit.
• Brunch grazing board. Take it up a notch with a mix of breakfast and lunch foods, like sandwiches, quiches, fruit salad, and more!

Helpful Tips

• Use multiple smaller boards. While one large board is gorgeous, and may be great for a party, if this is going to be more of a sit-down breakfast, having 2 or 3 smaller boards can be helpful. You can place them at either end of the table, and they’re much easier to pass around than a larger, heavier, and bulkier board. 
• Go from large to small when assembling your board. No matter what you’re serving on your board, a good rule of thumb is to add your items from largest to smallest. That way you can be sure to have room for your larger items and they can create anchors on the board that you can slowly build around. 
• Use different tastes and textures to make it interesting. A great thing about creating a breakfast charcuterie board (or any board) is that you can create a unique experience for your guests every time. Try out different spreads, unique fruits, various pastries, and different types of meats and cheeses.
• Storing Leftovers. If you have leftovers, simply store them in air-tight containers to eat for breakfast or lunch the next day. 

What Else To Serve With Your Breakfast Charcuterie Board

Need some ideas for other breakfast items to serve alongside your breakfast board? These are some great options:

• Egg Muffin Cups
• Sheet Pan Pancakes (Using Kodiak Mix)
• Blueberry French Toast Casserole
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Creamy Scrambled Eggs
• Quiche Florentine (Spinach Quiche)

So there you have it - the Breakfast Charcuterie Board! It's a fun, creative, and delicious way to start your day. So get in the kitchen, get creative, and enjoy your breakfast in style!

If you make this Breakfast Charcuterie Board, please let me know what you think and hear how you customized your board! And, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @frontrangefed so I can see your masterpiece!

Recipe