I’m no Ina Garten in the kitchen, but if there is one thing I can do it’s a charcuterie board. If there is a Holiday, party, book club, or Bible study I will be the first to text “I’ll bring a cheese board!”. This is my go-to move because I feel confident in them, I can put them together in a hurry, and it doesn’t involve anything I can burn. It removes the stress of cooking and quite frankly – who DOESN’T like cheese and crackers? (*notes about making it allergy friendly below*). In my family and circle of friends I’ve become known for this and now when we plan get togethers it’s assumed that a spread of cheese, meats, and crackers will be my contribution. I’m so glad I live in an age where phrases like “charcuterie board” exist to make you feel fancy about bringing a cut up a hunk of cheese and a sleeve of Ritz crackers to a party. I’m telling you people – if you are intimidated by the classic “bring a dish to pass” this is your new strategy!!
With the holidays beginning next week I thought it would be the perfect time to share my formula for a simple and delicious cheese board. As I was writing this post I found I have a lot more thoughts that I thought I did! Bare with me and I promise you’ll have a great contribution to the next party you are invited to.
Mine aren’t the fanciest but they are simple and effective. There are really only two steps (which I love!): shopping, and assembling.
GATHER THE GOODS
I personally like to shop at either Trader Joes or Aldi. Ingredients can get pricey and I’ve found that these two stores have the most options at the lowest prices. There are few categories of ingredients to cover, so I’m going to go through them. I try to have at least 2 of each item to keep things interesting.
Cheese
We’ve gotta start here! I see cheese as the star ingredient (although the word “charcuterie” actually refers to the meat but I digress. . .). I think every board should have at least 2-3 types of cheeses, but the bigger the crowd the more you will want (or sometimes I will double up on one flavor). In every board I try to get a mix of these 4 components: simple and bold (in flavor), hard and soft (in consistency). I keep those in mind while I shop, but really I go based on what the store has and what sounds good. Here are some options, but what I like about Trader Joes and Aldi is that they will have different flavor options of each type.
- Cheddar (simple & hard, a great go-to to make sure there is something for everyone, including kids and picky eaters)
- Sharp cheddar (bold & hard)
- Parmesan (simple & hard)
- Goat cheese (bold & soft)
- Brie (simple & soft)
- Gouda (simple & hard-ish)
- Swiss (simple & soft)
- Pepper jack (bold and hard)
- Mozzarella (simple & soft)
* I challenge myself to try one new flavor each time I put a board together. Honorable mention goes to Trader Joes “unexpected cheddar”. so. good.
* brie is DELICIOUS served warm with raspberry jam & walnuts on top. p.s. in case you were wondering (like I have) it is acceptable either to eat at the rind or skip it with brie! It’s whatever your preference is! ; )
Meats
Traditionally this is what french charcuterie boards are all about, but for us midwest American folk, I prefer to keep this part simple. Here are some of my favs
- prosciutto
- salami
- pepperoni
* Both Trader Joes and Aldi sell meat assortment packs that are perfect for this part
Crackers
You can keep this as simple or extravagant as you want. I like to do 2 different types but one is usually a simple ritz, soda cracker, or wheat thin,. Trader Joes has some really delicious specialty options like their “Fig & Olive Crisps”. I often find that there are crackers left over because people are reaching more for the tasty cheese, or avoiding crackers because of allergies so don’t be afraid to keep this part simple. That said, they are a great inexpensive way to bulk up the spread, especially if there will be little kids around.
Extras
This part gets super fun. You can start being a little more creative here and thinking about your pairings and theme (*notes on that below*). This is also the most important category for keeping things allergy friendly. In my circle of friends and family we have a LOT of allergies to work around so I’ve had lots of practice at this. With variety in the extra’s you open the door for your dairy free friend to eat the fruit and meat, while your vegan friend can eat the pickles, nuts, crackers, etc.
Salty:
- nuts
- olives
- pickles
Sweet:
- berries
- figs
- apple slices
- grapes
- chocolate covered nuts
- dried apricots
* It can be fun to pick out the extras, but keep in mind they can make the board look cluttered quickly so keeping it simple isn’t a bad thing!
Spreads
This is totally optional, but I personally enjoy having one or two spreads to pair with things. This is a little different than a classic “dip” for crackers, think more of toppings that you would add to a bit of cheese & cracker. Personally I like a simple jam and a little bit of honey. These are also two things that are always in my pantry so it saves on cost. Sometimes I will add a dollop straight onto the board, other times I will put it in a little ramekin to keep things more tidy.
* if you’ve never tried honey or jam with cheese . . do it now.
Keeping a theme
I wanted to add a quick note about pairings and themes. I used to be so stressed about if things “paired well together” and here is the deal – don’t stress it! You are never going to eat a bite with every single thing on the platter and if this is stressing you out, leave it behind you! Anything goes here! It’s your cheese board and you get to do whatever you want!
That said, I do tend to find that I like keeping a general theme. Maybe “light” or “sweet” or “savory”. Here are a few of my favorite combos.
Light for Summertime: Brie, Cheddar, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Wheat Thins, Honey Nut Pretzel Twists, Blueberries, Raspberry Jam , Honey, Marcona Almonds
Simple Classic Crowdpleaser: Sharp White Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Salami, Prosciutto, Ritz, Fig & Olive Crisps, Olives, Grapes
Savory & Salty: Goat Cheese, Havarti, Yellow Cheddar, Capicola, Pepperoni, Sesame Crackers, Triscuits, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pickles, Olives, Mustard
Caprese inspired: Mozzarella, Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Salami, Ritz, Triscuits, Sliced Whole or Halved Cherry Tomatoes, Sea Salt & Fresh Basil sprinkled over the whole board, Balsamic Dressing
PUT IT TOGETHER
This is the fun part! Let’s put it together!
*This board was for a late night get together with some girlfriends so I kept it light and sweet. I didn’t go too crazy on the “extras” because there weren’t that many of us. I wanted to the try the White Stilton Cheese w/ Cranberries so I went with that as the “statement” cheese and built everything else around it. I added honey, raspberry jam, and some blueberries to a couple china dishes.
Step 1: Cheese I lay the cheese down first since it is the biggest portion. I like all of the cheeses to be in different shapes so I will leave one cut in squares, one in triangles, one in crumbles, half cut up, or just place the whole block down. I always aim for odd numbers (5 groupings of cheese)
Step 2: Meat I like to split it up all over the board, again in odd numbers and sitting close to the cheese. I like to either fold the meat in quarters or roll it, then stack it into little piles. It makes the board look much more full!
Step 3: Crackers Again, in odd numbers, spread out in little stacks, ideally going different directions.
Step 4: Extras Sometimes I will do them in little piles, other times I will put them in dishes.
And just like that! You’ve got yourself a showstopper dish to bring to a party. . . without even pre-heating your oven! Although if you do want to jazz it up a notch, warm the brie up in a separate dish or bowl for about 10 minutes. It’s drool worthy.
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