Ultimate Deli Meat & Cheese Platter
An organized, folded board of premium cured deli meats (roast beef, smoked turkey, ham, salami) paired with sliced provolone, sharp cheddar, and Swiss.
Ingredients
- •0.5 lb deli roast beef, thinly sliced
- •0.5 lb smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
- •0.5 lb Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
- •0.35 lb Genoa salami, thinly sliced
- •6 oz provolone cheese, deli-sliced
- •6 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
- •6 oz Swiss cheese, deli-sliced
- •0.33 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- •0.33 cup garlic aioli or deli mayonnaise
- •0.5 cup cornichons or mini dill pickles, drained and patted dry
- •0.5 cup mixed marinated olives (such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata), drained
- •8 mini brioche rolls or artisan sandwich rolls, split
- •3 fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- 1.
Prepare your serving surface by laying out a large clean wooden board or marble platter (at least 18x12 inches). Place two small ramekins on opposite quadrants of the board to hold the whole grain mustard and garlic aioli.
- 2.
Prep the cheeses: Slice the provolone rounds in half to create half-moons. Cut the Swiss cheese slices diagonally into neat triangles. Slice the sharp cheddar into bite-sized uniform rectangles or shingle-ready planks.
- 3.
Fold and shape the meats: For the smoked turkey and ham, fold each slice into loose quarters or accordions to create voluminous, ruffled ribbons. For the roast beef, gently roll and loosely bunch each slice into textured meat waves. For the Genoa salami, fold each slice in half, then half again into quarters, clustering them tightly together along a curving line.
- 4.
Assemble the board by arranging the folded meats in cascading, distinct sections flowing across the platter, grouping each variety together for visual contrast.
- 5.
Shingle and fan the prepared cheeses in overlapping lines directly adjacent to the complementary meats, tucking cheese triangles and half-moons between the meat folds to hold them upright.
- 6.
Fill remaining empty pockets around the ramekins and edges with drained cornichons and mixed olives. Tuck fresh rosemary sprigs throughout the platter for a pop of color and fragrant aroma.
- 7.
Serve immediately at room temperature alongside a basket of fresh split mini rolls and deli tongs for easy sandwich assembly.
Tips
- 💡Work with chilled meats directly from the refrigerator for cleaner folding; they hold their shape significantly better when cold and will relax to optimal serving texture within 15 minutes of assembly.
- 💡Fold your meats with gentle loft rather than tight rolls to give the platter dramatic height and an appetizing, effortless bakery-deli appearance.
- 💡Keep acidic accompaniments like pickles and olives thoroughly patted dry before placing directly on the board to prevent moisture from softening the adjacent sliced meats and cheeses.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Shannon Williams