How To Build An Epic Cheeseboard

I’ve been making a cheeseboard for Thanksgiving the last few years. And even though this year is different, I still wanted to create one. During this pandemic one of my outlets has been creating epic spreads of whatever I’m making, writing a recipe from it, and photographing the finished product. So this cheese board was no different. It was super fun to create. And even though I may not include ‘meats’ I’ll make sure to list those as something to add in and include. That’s the beauty of these boards – they always turn out different each year. And this year I was inspired by creating a vegan ‘blue cheese’ – it’s just a beaut if I do say so myself (and surprisingly had the tang and taste of blue cheese!)

The Cheeses

The key is to have a when it comes to the cheese. You’re aiming to have a variety of textures, so think soft, semi firm and aged/hard cheese. Here are a few examples:

• Soft: Burrata, Mozzarella, Brie, Goat (Humboldt Fog)
• Semi-Soft: Blue, Gorgonzola, Fontina
• Semi-Hard: Manchego, Swiss, Provolone
• Hard: Cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino, Asiago
• Vegan: Almond, Cashew – they’ll be more on the soft side, but important to have a vegetarian/vegan option!

And if you’re wondering how much to buy, roughly 3 ounces of cheese/person (if this is the appetizer platter you can always do just an ounce if there will be a main dish, etc.) But I always air on the side of caution and have extra, Keep in mind some will eat more and some will eat less, but that’s a good estimate to start with!

Make sure the cheese is sitting out at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to when the guests arrive (in normal circumstances or for when you’re going to eat it!) This allows the cheese to be spreadable!

Display the cheeses in different forms – spear, wedge, cube, whole – this might make it helpful when deciding the different cheese you’ll select.

All The Accompaniments

The side kicks if you will – sure everyone loves the cheese, but you need to find what each cheese will pair well with – the crackers, the fruits or jams/spreads, nuts, and more! These also serve as the fillers around the board and how you’re able to create a spread!

• Bread/Crackers: Baguette, Ciabatta, Bread Sticks, crostini, Crackers, Water Crackers, Parmesan Crisps
• Fresh fruits: Apples, Pears, Grapes, Clementines – I switch the fruit to what’s in season – I had kiwi for this board, but use berries in the summer!
• Dried Fruits: Apricots, Figs, Dates, Pears, Apples – really is to help fill in with the fresh!
• Pickled Vegetables: Olives, Cornichon Pickles, Artichokes, Peppers
• Nuts: Almonds, Marcona Almonds, Pistachios, Glazed Walnuts and Pecans – really the sky is the limit for the assortment of nuts you can have!
• Jams/Spreads: Fig spread, chutney, honey – again, see what fruit goes well with the cheeses you’re using and you’re able to complement your fresh fruit with a spread with a different flavor
• Cured Meats: Salami, Prosciutto
• Dips: Hummus, Other Bean Dip – not your first thought, but a nice addition.
• Garnish: Rosemary, Thyme, Fresh Flowers