Switch Up Your Charcuterie Board With Tuna Instead Of Meat

Boards are beautiful, tasty, and, let's not forget — extremely versatile. Perfect for grazing, these loaded platters have exploded in popularity. Everything from breakfast boards to butter boards has been proposed, which means there's no reason to keep limiting these trays strictly to meats and cheeses. Instead, why not change things up and craft a board fit for pescatarians by swapping pork products for tinned tuna?

A low-effort meal idea, boards are a great option that appeals to every diner's preferences and offers a host of potential customizations. However, it's easy to fall into a charcuterie rut. Rather than upgrade your salumi selection, draw inspiration from the tinned fish trend and create a "seacuterie" board. Aside from being a great way to add variety to grazing platters, it's also a great way to fall in love with fish again — especially that can of tuna sitting idly in your pantry. Of course, that's not the only reason to ditch the cured and sliced meats for a tuna feature.

Adding a few tins of tuna to a board is a great way to reap all the amazing nutritional benefits that fish provides, such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and selenium, which can help keep the body in optimal health. However, the most impressive thing about tuna is that it's one of the most accessible and affordable tinned fish options available. Significantly more cost-effective than buying several ounces of sliced prosciutto or coppa, tinned tuna only cost a few dollars in comparison to most salumi.

Although you can simply peel back the seal and leave tuna as is, the cheap protein can also be elevated by mixing in fresh chimichurri, an unlikely spice blend, a spoonful of labneh, or a drizzle of crunchy chili oil. Then, much like a standard charcuterie board, crackers and crostini, toasted nuts, seasonal fruits, pickled veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, hard and soft cheeses, and sweet and spicy condiments can be assembled around the seafood. You can even stick to more basic accompaniments that you would find served in beloved dishes like a tuna melt and Niçoise salad.

Delivering a wow factor in a pinch while staying on budget, canned tuna is sure to become your go-to protein for grazing boards. Who knows? Tinned tuna might even be the gateway to exploring more daring canned commodities for your next board.