5 Steps to a Mouth-Watering Cheese Board

Curating a drool-worthy cheeseboard is truly simpler than you think and the possibilities are truly endless. It’s a great option for a late-night snack, party appetizer, light meal, easy lunch, catered to a vegetarian’s or meat-lover’s needs. Here’s some tips and tricks to curate your own cheese board; and no you don’t need to be a foodie to make it fancy.

board & bowls
Invest in a nice wooden or marble cutting board or you can use a serving tray, or small sheet pan. The way you display your snacks is key. If you really want to amp up your presentation, start by cutting your goodies on another cutting board ahead of time and then move everything to your display piece. Grab a few small bowls to display your snacks (see below) so they’re easy to grab. You can put them on the side of the board or mix them in. There’s no wrong way to display everything.
choose your cheese(s)
It’s good to have between 3-4 different cheeses with a nice variety of hardnesses and intensities in your cheese. Personally, I like to have a nice blend of hard, soft and spreadable to satisfy any palette. Some options are: Cheddar, Goat and/or Blue, Brie, and something unique that people may not expect. The brie is fun to melt and put some preserves on top; salty and sweet. My personal favorite cheddar is between Cabot’s Seriously Sharp or Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar. A unique option that’s on the harder side is called Vino Rosso; it has granular pieces inside that makes for a great flavor. If you wanted to include a soft cheese like Boursin (garlic cheese spread), that adds nice variety, too.
think outside of cheese
If you’re going to be having this cheese board as an appetizer or small meal, maximize the add-on snacks. Other than cheese, consider adding cured meats like prosciutto & salami, kalamata olives, apple slices, grapes, nuts, dried Fruits like apricots are great options. Set out some bowls of honey, olive oil and balsamic glaze with some kosher salt sprinkled in for premium dipping.
make it bite size
So it’s easy for people to grab and load their plates, cut up your cheeses into small pieces ahead of time in little bite size pieces. It also looks more presentable this way!
add crunch & crisp
Having a nice variety of crackers, breads and crisps adds to the entire cheese and snack experience. I suggest a nice Italian style bread that’s soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. What’s the difference between cracker and crisp, you ask? A crisp is very thin and almost wafer-like. Crackers (depending on the brand) are more substantial. Having a crisp that’s more airy and less intense will allow the cheese to stand out. I like Wasa Crisps and Wheat Thins.

You’re good to go—head to the store and get cutting! Happy Snacking.

shopping list

Wasa Crisps Rosemary or alike
Wheat Thins (whatever flavor you prefer)
Italian Bread

Apples (green or red)
Grapes (green or red)
Strawberries

Raspberry Preserves
Olive Oil
Balsamic Glaze
Natural Honey
Kosher Salt

Vino Rosso Cheese
Unexpected Cheddar
Brie
Blue Cheese
Kalamata Olives
Salami
Prosciutto