Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board Recipe

When it comes to Valentine's Day refreshments, most people probably first think of chocolate-dipped strawberries, champagne, and an overpriced prix-fixe dinner for two at an overbooked restaurant. If you'd like to shake things up with your special someone, try this fun and whimsical Valentine's Day charcuterie board recipe from photographer and recipe developer Susan Olayinka. "This was so fun to make," says Olayinka. "I love how it's got so much selection so it can suit anyone."

While charcuterie boards have existed for hundreds of years, traditionally consisting of meat and cheese, they have expanded to include fruits, vegetables, dips, and even candy. And, thanks to how well they photograph for Instagram, they've become something of a social media phenomenon, with Insider describing the spreads as "aspirational meat and cheese." Best of all? In addition to being extremely photogenic, they're also easy to prepare. If you want to wow your party guests or Valentine with minimal effort, this recipe is for you. Let's get started!

For this charcuterie board, you'll need a mix of savory and sweet ingredients. In terms of the savory ingredients, you'll need pecans, cheddar cheese, ham, and salami. You'll also need chopped watermelon, strawberries, apples, and a grapefruit. Sweets are a very important part of Valentine's Day, so this charcuterie board also includes candy. You'll want pink wafer cookies, milk chocolate, and pink M&M's. Finally, you'll also need honey and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

What makes these ingredients go together? "It's a mixture of fresh and dried, and most can be paired," says Olayinka. "Like the cheese and ham, or the fruits pair together."

Chop the cheddar cheese into 1-inch cubes. After you've cubed the cheese, cut the fruit. Slice the strawberries into quarters, and slice the grapefruit into thin, circular slices. Core and slice the apples.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. When melting chocolate in the microwave, it's best to chop it into small pieces before sticking it in the microwave. To avoid burning parts of the chocolate while other parts remain unmelted, microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds, remove it from the microwave to stir, then return it to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds.

Now it's time to unleash your inner food artist! In a glass, place the slices of salami on top of each other, layering them until the hole in the middle of the glass gets very small. When you're ready to put the salami rose onto the charcuterie board, turn the glass upside down and remove it, leaving the salami rose in place. This looks impressive, but it's actually quite easy to make.

Make the ruffled ham by folding it forward once and then back again, before lining up the pieces of folded ham next to each other. Place the cheese cubes, strawberries, grapefruit slices, ham, honey, apple slices, watermelon pieces, M&M's, pecans, pink wafer cookies, and melted chocolate onto the board.

Your charcuterie board is ready to serve! If you'd like to make it ahead of time, go for it. "Just cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge minus the dips," says Olayinka.