If you’re like me in the slightest, you love cheese. I love the idea of a perfect cheese board and I’ve been trying to perfect making the best one for my girl’s wine nights. Simply put a charcuterie board is, “a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes” aka a board filled with delicious meats, cheeses, and yummy snacks. It’s perfect for an appetizer and goes great with wine!
Cheese boards are one of my favorites also because they’re so easy. You don’t have to have the “perfect” one as long as you have yummy sides, and most people don’t really care how it looks (unless you bring it to me, then I’ll judge you, JUST KIDDING!) But you can keep some essentials in your kitchen and then at a moments notice you can just add what you need and you’ll be ready to go.
What You’ll Need:
Cheese:
A selection of cheeses, as a general rule of thumb – get one hard cheese, one soft cheese, and one firm cheese. My go-to cheeses are: brie, blue, asiago, something spicy (like a pepper jack), and
Meats:
Don’t forget the meats! I normally go for prosciutto or salami. Other popular meats are speck, coppa and chorizo.
Spreads:
Some popular spreads are spicy mustard, honey, balsamic glaze, or any type of jelly. This allows just an extra layer of deliciousness to any mini sandwich you make.
Fruits/Nuts:
These are great to add for a few reasons, one they taste great on their own so it’s a great way to clear your palette in between trying different meat/cheese combos.
Bread/Crackers:
My go to’s are always water crackers and a french loaf. If you want something else or something extra crunchy then I’ll throw in the Fig & Olive crips from Trader’s.
Tips for the Perfect Cheese Board
- Bring the cheese to room temperature before you make it. This will help you be able to cut it perfectly and arrange it onto the board. When your cheese is room temperature it will actually bring out it’s natural flavors.
- Change up your cheeses. I try to always incorporate a new kind every time I make one, this way I get to try and constantly perfect the board. The mix of the different types of cheese textures I think is key in finding the perfect balance.
- Don’t precut/slice all of it. This way if not all the cheese is eaten you’ll be able to save some for yourself later! Bon Appétit magazine says that if you cube the cheese it looks too much like “an afternoon snack for children” and then if you cut it too thin then the cheese will start to “sweat” and lose its flavor.
My Perfect Cheese Board
Gouda Cheese (I prefer extra aged but this varies from creamy to aged to extra aged) | A type of Cheddar | Asiago Cheese | Brie Cheese (double or triple cream) | Pepperoni Log | Roasted Red Peppers | Spicy Dijon Mustard | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Balsamic Glaze | Fresh Loaf of French Bread | Water Crackers | Olives (I don’t personally like these but I add them when I entertain) | Seedless Grapes | Fuji Apples (sliced in thin sheets not wedges)
Favorite Combinations:
Gouda + Fuji apple
Gouda + Pepperoni + Mustard
Water Cracker + Brie + Grapes
Water Cracker + Asiago + Roasted Red Pepper
French Loaf + EVOO + Balsamic
French Loaf + Gouda + Roasted Red Pepper
Water Cracker + Manchego
~ XOXO, the cheese-loving, Amanda // Blonde out of Water
