My 5 Favorite Aldi Finds For A Charcuterie Board

Summer might be drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean your creative charcuterie board spreads have to end. The beautiful thing about the art of crafting the perfect girl dinner-esque cheese and cracker layout is how much flexibility is involved, letting you work with the seasons — and within your own preferences — to make something different every time. Of course, the one drawback of this kind of experimentation is that good-quality meats and cheeses can be expensive, and you might not want to risk experimenting with a new high-priced flavor only to realize it's not for you. Our solution? Stick on the side of being budget-friendly by putting together your next board with a trip to Aldi.

The popular grocery chain offers dozens of prepackaged deli items at a lower price point, and rotates its selection with the seasons and even sometimes from week to week, making it all the easier to branch out into new flavors. Even more convenient, the Aldi website has a special section for charcuterie, compiling many of the items you need to fill out your board into one place and letting you do some research prior to making your trip. But, in case the amount of options is overwhelming, I'm here to help you out today. Here are five of my favorite Aldi finds for your next showstopping charcuterie board.

This pick isn't especially flashy, but it is the perfect base upon which to build the rest of your board. Coming in at only $4.19, the six-cracker assortment pack includes sesame wheat, seeded multigrain, cracked wheat, rosemary, poppy & pepper water, and seven-grain crackers, giving you and your party guests a chance to sample each without committing to just one cracker. 

Beyond helpfully fueling a tendency towards indecisiveness, the different textures and spices in each cracker also add a complexity to your tasting experience, pairing differently with various cheeses, meats, or produce items. Ritz Crackers or Wheat Thins might be your stalwart go-to, but take a chance on this variety pack at least once. There's a whole world of crackers out there just waiting to be discovered.

There are a few types of cheese that are more or less included on every charcuterie board (at least the ones I make). That cheese superstar shortlist includes cheddar (Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar is one of the best of the retailer's 17 cheeses we've ranked, but Aldi has some good options as well), Brie, and some sort of goat cheese. Aldi is a grocery store with a standout cheese section that has several great, creatively flavored goat cheeses that can add a punch of flavor to your board, from honey to garlic and herb, but my pick is especially fall-centric: a cranberry cinnamon-flavored goat cheese log. 

Six ounces of the cheese set you back $3.49, which I think is totally worth it for what it adds to your spread. A little spicy, but mostly sweet, the soft, tangy cheese is somewhat reminiscent of Thanksgiving or even Christmastime holiday flavors, making it perfect for any holiday party or Christmas movie-watching snack spread.

Although it's an often forgotten element, I believe that nuts should be a must-buy for any truly great charcuterie board — unless, of course, you have a nut allergy in your house. But, if not, let me make the case for the addictive snack: Nuts add saltiness to your setup, as well as contribute a satisfying crunch to contrast with your soft cheeses and creamy spreads. 

This particular tub of chocolate-covered almonds from Aldi is a little on the pricier side at $5.69, but you could easily stretch the nuts across two or three boards with a handful for each. They're also available as both milk chocolate-covered and dark chocolate-covered, but personally, I'm always going to pick out the darkest chocolate I can find. The slight bitterness can balance out a mostly sweet board. If you do go with milk chocolate, I recommend curating an otherwise savory board, letting the sweetness balance those flavors as well.

I couldn't help but go for another variety pack. This one, priced at $8.25, features four 5.5-ounce mini jars of spread: fig and honey, apple and date balsamic, cherry and rosemary, and orange and clove. The fruity, herbal flavors are specially designed to pair well with a variety of cheeses, but for me, spreads are best scooped up with crackers. 

I recommend spooning a little bit of each spread into ramekins to arrange on your charcuterie board, and pairing a small spoon with each. This will make it easier for you or your guests to try each one without worrying about cross-contamination.

The final item on my list of charcuterie must-haves at Aldi had to be some kind of produce. I'm a big fan of including fresh berries on my board, as well as crunchy veggies such as baby carrots or sliced bell peppers. In this case, I chose Aldi's dried mission figs. 

The 7-ounce bag is only $2.65, a great price to pay for a seasonal fruit to add to your spread, and especially one as chewy, sweet, and shelf-stable as dried figs. Figs are also a great source of fiber, which is often lacking in charcuterie boards that lean more cheese-heavy. The figs being dried, of course, helps them stay good longer, letting you once again save some cash by repurposing them for a couple of different girl dinner nights.