Around the holidays we are always making cheese boards at our house. They require almost no prep or cooking, and they are so yummy. I could just snack on a cheese board for dinner and be happy. Today I thought I'd give you all some tips on how I like to put together my cheeseboards. Last year I posted a picture of a cheeseboard I made on Instagram and it was by far my most liked photo of the whole year. So, I figured why not do a blog post dedicated to cheese. Is there a more perfect way to end the year than with a board of cheese? I don't think so.
So, to start there are a few general rules of thumb that will always keep you on the right track.
First, the cheese. You want a good assortment of different types of cheese, but not too many options. I usually go for the rule of 3. One soft mild cheese, One hard cheese, and then a blue cheese or goat cheese.
Soft Cheese Options: Brie or Camembert are what I almost always choose for my soft cheese.They are well liked and almost always a hit with everyone.
Hard Cheese Options: White Cheddar, Pecorino Ramono, or Parmesan. All are good, but I usually go with a sharp white cheddar because it's one of my favorite flavors ever.
Blue Cheese or Goat Cheese: For this last cheese, I usually just pick what looks good or exciting - for me, this third cheese is the time to try something new. If you want something classic you can always go for a good Roquefort or Stilton blue cheese.
After I pick the cheese its time for the jams and jellies!! I always have at least 1 type of jam with a pot of honey, or maybe two jams if I feel like it. Almost always I like to have a sweet pepper jelly because those are my favorite to eat. Trader Joes has a great pepper jelly and you can find pretty decent ones at most grocery stores. Below I list a few of my other favorite options.
Basil Pesto (great for a summer cheese board with fruit and fresh mozzarella)
Fig Jam
Orange marmalade
Olive Spread or Tapenade
Quince Paste or Jelly (really good with hard cheese and crusty bread)
Sour Cherry Jam (yummy with pungent soft cheeses, to give it a nice sweetness)
Really, the options are endless, just try to find something with different notes of flavor that will enhance the taste of your cheese.
So now we have our main players. The real stars of the cheeseboard are there. It's time to add the extras that put it over the top. First, make sure you have a good cracker. I love just classic, crisp water crackers or crackers studded with nuts and dried fruit. I also like to slice up a baguette so there are plenty of options. Then I cut up some fresh fruit, thin slices of apple and/or pear are really good with the savory cheese. You can also do something like dried apricots or fresh citrus which are always very good. I'll sometimes add a little bowl of pickles or nuts and finally, just a bit of meat. Good salami or prosciutto is always perfect and adds just the right salty bite.
Well, I think that's about it! Those are all my tips for a successful cheeseboard, I love that you can always mix it up and it will still taste good. So have fun and be creative! This is the perfect New Years show stopper.