I have a confession…
I’m not a fan of cooking. Here’s the problem with that confession. I’m a mom, which means I have children that always want to be fed. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and they even demand snacks in between the meals. They’re constantly asking for something to eat, and they get tired of having the same thing. I get tired too… of coming up with a plan of what to feed them, making sure they’re eating a balanced meal, and doing the thing I’m not too keen on. BUT I have found one meal that solves my problems. When the children ask, What’s for dinner? I tell them it’s Charcuterie Night.
It’s the best dinner ever.
No matter the day, the season, or the occasion, my kids are always excited about charcuterie night. The enthusiasm over this meal never ceases to amaze me, because it is the easiest dinner ever. The kids think it’s so cool, but these fools are only eating whatever I can find in the house. Charcuterie night is my lazy mom hack that looks fancier than it is.
How to prepare for charcuterie night…
Keep some or all of the following items in your house: crackers, various cheeses, pickles, olives, pepperoni, various sausages, dried fruit, preserves, fancy condiments (mustards, relishes, etc.). These items are generally shelf-stable or last a decent amount of time in the fridge. An added bonus, these are great snacks to have around so you’re prepared for multiple feeding situations.
The next thing to have around to level up your charcuterie night, is some fresh fruit (apples, grapes, pears, any other favorite), fresh vegetables (cucumbers, carrots, peppers, any other favorite), hummus, fresh bread. These are all great things to have for other meals or snacks, but they take your charcuterie night up a notch.
When it’s time for charcuterie night, pull out a cutting board. Bonus points if it’s presentable for serving. Slice up the fresh fruit, vegetables, or bread if you have it. If you want to make this meal a little nicer, pull things out of their containers and put them on plates, platters, or the cutting board you’re using. If you want to be really lazy, put the containers (olives, pickles, etc.) in the center of the table and serve out of them.
Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget the wine. I’m not going to say that you NEED wine as a mom on charcuterie night, but I’m definitely not saying it’s not a nice part of the meal.
Enjoy!
I hope your family enjoys this meal as much as mine does. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve had this for dinner, and it might be time to have it again…
