It’s easy to make a cheese board for your next gathering!
Building the perfect cheese board is a lot of fun because no two really ever really need to be the same. This is a great time to get creative!
We will walk you through the building blocks and help you create a party showpiece that is simple yet elegant.
This is an easy and stress-free appetizer to assemble and you just need a small amount of each for a beautiful platter. Having a variety of colors and textures is the key.
There is no ‘best’ way to create the perfect cheese board but here are a few different ideas and the building blocks you need:
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Building blocks of a great cheese tray:
These are the basics and we’ll get more specific below.
- The Platter – Get creative based on the size of your party. We love a wooden board because guests are comfortable cutting on it, but any beautiful flat surface will do!
- Small knives – Use a sharp knife for hard cheeses and another knife for soft cheeses
- Cheeses – The star of the show! Variety is the key but you only need small pieces
- Meats – Optional if you want a heartier board. 2 or 3 varieties are the perfect amount
- Spreads – Put these in small bowls to give the platter some height – be sure to add a small spreading knife or spoon
- Crackers and Bread – There are so many choices so, again, look for texture and variety
- Fruits and Nuts – Adds color and ties it all together
Ready to get started creating the perfect Cheese Board for your next party?
What is needed for a cheese board:
Grab this list and head to any grocery to find your favorites.
Here is what we suggest you include. Be sure to adjust based on party size:
- 1-2 hard varieties of cheese – choices include: cheddar, gouda, small bits of Parmesan, Manchego, and Swiss. Buy a block and cut some in slices and some in chunks for great visual variety
- 1-2 soft cheeses – goat cheese, Boursin, brie, Camembert, fontina
- 1 pungent cheese – such as Blue or gorgonzola
- 2-3 meats – cured thinly sliced favorites include: genoa salami, prosciutto, and speck
- Fresh or dried fruits – green or red grapes, any type of berries, apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, figs
- A few handfuls of nuts – we like pistachios, Marcona almonds, candied pecans, and cashews
- Olives – it’s fun to get some green and some dark olives for color contrast
- Crackers and Bread – it’s great to have 2-4 types on the board. We like rosemary crackers, parmesan crackers, and crunchy pita crackers. Sliced sourdough or French baguette work perfectly
- Savory and/or sweet spreads – Black Olive paste, Cherry tomato paste, fig jam, black cherry jam, honey, or oven dried tomatoes packed in olive oil are great options
- Artichoke Hearts – Optional. Choose small quartered hearts packed in olive oil
Want to learn more about cheeses? We love this guide.
One of the great things about building a perfect cheese board is that it’s easy if you have most of the staples on hand and just need to fill in a few pieces.
Many upscale groceries sell small wedges of cheese which allows for a good variety on your cheese platter. Keep a few varieties of crackers, nuts, and olives on hand in the pantry and refrigerator for a fast last minute party appetizer.
Helpful Hints
- To make it easier for your guests, precut some hard cheeses and cut the brie into wedges. This makes it simple for guests to grab a slice off of the board.
- The cheese platter can be made in advance, with the exception of the crackers, bread, and nuts, wrapped in foil or saran wrap and refrigerated.
- Before serving add the crackers, breads, and nuts. (If added and refrigerated ahead of time they will get soft, stale and soggy)
- Cheese tastes better at room temperature, so remember to bring your cheese out of the refrigerator about 30-minutes ahead of serving.
- Aim for 3-5 cheese for a party platter
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How to Make a Cheese Board
Equipment
- 1 large platter
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Hard cheeses, sliced gouda, cheddar, manchego, parmesan
- 8 ounces soft cheeses, brie, fontina, Boursin, goat
- 4 ounces pungent cheeses, blue or gorgonzola
- 2-3 ounces nuts cashews, pistachios, pecans, Marcona almonds
- 2 ounces olives
- 3-4 ounces meats, thinly sliced prosciutto, salami, speck
- 1 ounces dried fruit cherries, cranberries
- 1 handful berries or cherries
- 3 ounces spreads fig jam, olive paste, oven dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 packages Crackers any variety
- 2 ounces sliced sourdough or French baguette
- Fresh fruit figs, nectarines grapes
Instructions
- Start with a clean dry platter or board
- Add any small bowls to the board and fill with spreads and olives
- Place hard cheese slices or chunks in rows or bunches on the board
- Add soft and pungent cheeses to fill in
- Add fruits, both fresh and dried, to fill in spaces
- Sprinkle the nuts around to fill in the remaining spaces
- Add crackers and bread around the outside edges of the platter
- Include and spoon or knives for spreading
Notes
- To make it easier for your guests, precut some hard cheeses and cut the brie into wedges.
- Add any additional crackers or bread in a small bowl on the side.
- Calorie count is approximate and based on 12 – 16 servings
Beth
This post is so helpful to put together an easy and elegant cheese board! Perfect!
Michelle
These are such great tips and my cheese board came out beautiful!
Kushigalu
This cheese board looks so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Kechi
This is right on time for our ladies brunch this weekend; saved! Thanks for sharing!
Elisa
Love the idea How to Make a Cheese Board, always a good thing to know for gatherings and to make it like an expert. Thanks for sharing 🙂