How I Make an Aldi Charcuterie Board Look More Expensive
There is a misconception that beautiful charcuterie boards require a specialty cheese shop, an expensive grocery store, or a long list of ingredients you’ve never heard of.
In my experience, none of those things are necessary.
Every charcuterie board I make starts at Aldi.
The secret isn’t spending more money. It’s following a simple formula, choosing a few favorite ingredients, and paying attention to presentation.
That’s the philosophy behind Looks More Expensive in general. Whether it’s clothing, travel, home organization, or entertaining, thoughtful details tend to make a bigger impact than a bigger budget.
This board is proof of that.
The Formula I Always Come Back To
I’ve made charcuterie boards for everything from casual afternoons on the boat to holiday gatherings and impromptu happy hours with friends. Over time, I’ve realized I don’t really follow a recipe.
I follow a formula.
Once you have the formula, you can mix and match ingredients based on what looks good that week, what Aldi happens to have in stock, or how many people you’re feeding.
Start With Three Cheeses
I almost always start with brie because it’s the cheese everyone seems to reach for first.
From there, I add something sharper and something a little more interesting.
Most often, that’s an aged sharp white cheddar and a gouda. If Aldi has their Specially Selected Lustenberger cheese in stock, I’ll usually grab that instead. It’s one of those cheeses that people always ask about.
The goal isn’t finding the fanciest cheese. It’s creating enough variety that everyone finds something they enjoy.
Add a Few Different Meats
For meats, I usually reach for prosciutto, speck, and salami.
If Aldi has panino rolls available, those are always fun to include too. They’re easy to slice and look impressive on a board without requiring any extra effort.
The combination of different textures is what makes the board feel interesting.
Don’t Skip the Color
I almost always include both green and red grapes.
They’re inexpensive, easy to serve, and instantly make the board look more vibrant.
A board with a little color variation simply looks more inviting.
Include Something Salty
This is where I usually add Kalamata olives and Southern Grove Hickory Smoked Almonds.
The smoked almonds have become one of my favorite Aldi finds and consistently disappear before anything else on the board.
If I’m serving a larger group, Aldi’s assorted olives from the deli section are another favorite. They present beautifully and give guests a few different options to choose from.
Add the Crunch
A good cracker is non-negotiable.
My favorite is Aldi’s Savoritz Rosemary Flatbread Cracker. It pairs beautifully with brie, aged sharp white cheddar, and Lustenberger.
That said, Aldi’s cracker aisle is one of those places I always spend more time than I intended. Their Savoritz Butter Entertainment Crackers are another staple I buy regularly.
I’ve found it’s hard to go wrong.
Finish With Something Fresh
Organic baby peeled carrots and Park Street Deli Cucumber Dill Tzatziki Dip are one of my favorite additions.
The carrots add color. The tzatziki adds freshness.
And together they help balance some of the richer meats and cheeses.
The Salami Rose Trick
If you’ve ever wondered how people make those pretty salami roses, it’s much easier than it looks.
Take a champagne glass or even a shot glass and fold salami slices over the rim, slightly overlapping each piece as you go. Once you’ve worked your way around the glass a few times, gently flip it over. It should pull right off the glass and stay intact.
Instant salami rose.
There are plenty of tutorials online if you’re a visual learner, but once you’ve done it once or twice, it becomes second nature.
It’s one of those small details that takes very little effort but makes a board feel significantly more elevated. Warning: your guests might not want to eat it because it’s too pretty, so adding some folded salami to the board as well is a good idea.
The Boards I Reach For Most Often
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a small collection of charcuterie boards, and I’ve found that different boards work better for different situations.
One of my favorites is a modular board that can be configured into several different shapes. It’s incredibly versatile because I can make it smaller for a casual afternoon with friends or expand it when I’m serving a larger group. The heart shape was a hit when my family visited for Easter!
I also have a three-tier charcuterie board that creates height and visual interest on a table. If there’s one entertaining trick I’ve learned over the years, it’s that adding a little height instantly makes everything feel more thoughtful and intentional.
And of course, I have a dedicated travel charcuterie board that comes with me on the boat. It’s compact, easy to pack, and perfect for sunset cruises, dock nights, and impromptu happy hours on the water.
Because sometimes a sunset cruise is really just an excuse to bring cheese.
What I Actually Buy at Aldi
If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually on my boards, these are the products I reach for over and over again. Not every board includes every item, but these are the things guests consistently gravitate toward first.
Cheeses
Emporium Selection Brie Cheese Round
Emporium Selection Gouda Cheese Wedge
Emporium Selection Edam Cheese Wedge
Emporium Selection Cheddar Gruyere Cheese
Emporium Selection Honey I’d Rather Bee at the Sea Sea Salt Honey Cheddar (when available)
Specially Selected Lustenberger Cheese (when available)
Meats
Appleton Farms Original Sliced Salami
Appleton Farms Bite Size Original Salami
Appleton Farms Prosciutto
Priano Prosciutto
Priano Speck
Crackers
Savoritz Rosemary Flatbread Crackers
Savoritz Butter Entertainment Crackers
Fruits & Produce
Specially Selected Perfect Pairing Grapes
Organic Baby Peeled Carrots
Dips
Park Street Deli Cucumber Dill Tzatziki Dip
Nuts
Southern Grove Hickory Smoked Almonds
Southern Grove Deluxe Cashews, Lightly Salted
I keep trying new things whenever Aldi rotates seasonal items, but these are the products I come back to most often because they consistently disappear first.
Elevated Doesn’t Mean Expensive
One of my favorite things about charcuterie boards is that they’re a perfect example of the Looks More Expensive philosophy.
Most people assume a board like this came from a specialty grocery store.
In reality, nearly everything came from Aldi.
The difference isn’t the price tag.
It’s the presentation.
Slice the cheese.
Fold the meats.
Use a pretty board.
Take five extra minutes to arrange everything intentionally. Spread out the colors.
Those details are what people notice.
And that’s true whether you’re getting dressed, packing for a trip, organizing a closet, or putting together a charcuterie board.
Elevated doesn’t mean expensive.
Sometimes it just means paying attention to the details. -LME
*This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, love, or genuinely believe are worth sharing.
