Throwing a party? Here’s the best easy appetizer: the Ultimate Cheese Board! Cheese boards are our go-to for entertaining: they’re simple to put together, easy to customize for various diets, and look simply brilliant. Building a spread like this one can feel intimidating at first: and some articles on the subject can make it feel like rocket science. Good news: it’s not! Here’s an easy way to make a cheese board, with loads of cheese board ideas so you can build the spread of your dreams.
Selecting cheese for a cheese board
First step of a cheese board? Start with the cheese! Focus on finding a variety of types and origins for maximum contrast in flavor and texture. Buy 4 different types of cheese: a soft cheese, a mild slicing cheese, an aged crumbly cheese, and a wild card cheese (whatever looks good!). Here’s more about each type:
Soft cheese: try a blue cheese or a goat cheese: either fresh (chevre), soft ripened or aged. Here we used an artisan soft ripened goat cheese. Aged cheese: try an English white cheddar or French blue cheese, which add those savory umami notes. For this board we used a semi-hard aged cheddar.Mild slicing cheese: Try a Manchego or a gouda. Here we used a Spanish drunken goat cheese (Murcia al vino). Wild card cheese: Find something that looks interesting at the cheese counter! Here we used Red Dragon cheese with mustard seed.
Cheese board ideas
Got your cheeses picked out? Here’s a list of other cheese board ideas for ingredients to pair with that queso. It’s overwhelming when you look at a photograph of a beautiful finished spread, so we like to group our ingredients into categories. Here are some cheese board ideas:
Bread and crackers: crostini, crackers, focaccia bread slicesMustards: Spicy mustard, Dijon mustard, etcJellies or preserves: fig, blackberry, blueberry, apricot, lingonberry, peach, orangeGrapes: Red or green seedless grapes; we used Gum Drop grapes for a candy-like flavorFresh apples, stone fruit, or figs: Sliced apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, or figsFresh berries: raspberries, blueberries or black berriesDried fruit: dried figs, cranberries, or cherriesMixed pickles: dill pickles, pickled cauliflower, pickled carrots, pickled peppers, pickled radishes, etc Olives: ripe green or black olives, Castelvetrano olives, or other varietiesSalted nuts: marcona almonds, pecans, walnuts, or pistachiosMarinated vegetables: artichokes, peppadews, or other marinated veggiesCured meats: prosciutto, salami, chorizo, etcFresh herbs or flowers: rosemary or thyme sprigs, or other
How to make a cheese board
Once you’ve got all your ingredients, making a cheese board is a breeze! However, it can feel overwhelming when you start with a blank slate. Here are a few tips to how to make a cheese board:
How long can a cheese board sit out?
Making your cheese board in advance? If you’re making this for a party, here are a few serving tips to make prep a breeze: And that’s it! Let us know how it goes and add any questions in the comments below!
More appetizer recipes
Want more ideas for tasty party appetizers? Here are some favorites:
Mix up 5 minute Olive TapenadeTry Marinated Mushrooms or Marinated Mozzarella BallsGo for crowd-pleasing Easy Bruschetta or this easy Cheese BallTry a tray of Loaded Hummus DipBake up Blueberry Goat Cheese or Baked Goat Cheese Dip Make French Onion Dip, Easy Fruit Dip or Quick Veggie Dip
This cheese board is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free crackers. 5 from 3 reviews
