Are you looking for an exciting and simple way to entertain guests? Charcuterie boards are the perfect way to create an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or an intimate dinner party, you can craft a charcuterie board that is as delicious as impressive. Then, with some planning and ingredients, you can create a mouth-watering and visually stunning spread that will wow your guests.
Everyone loves a good charcuterie board; lately, this is all you see on your timeline on Instagram and Pinterest. I will show you How to Make an IMPRESSIVE Cheese Board in only 10 minutes. The Perfect cheeses to buy and how to fill your board with tasty snacks will wow your guest! Plus, here are step-by-step photos of how to put together a cheese board to make it look Pinterest-worthy! When I am in the mood to make my cheese boards, I already have most of the ingredients sitting in my pantry. I mostly shop for fresh cheese. The way I make my boards are fast and easy. Great for entertaining. This last board I made was for hubby and me. I wanted to do an afternoon picnic in our backyard, and I also paired this board with a wine tasting of roses wine. This was a set-up for the perfect afternoon.
How to make a Cheese Board
There are five key categories I buy when I’m putting together a cheese board I’m going to walk through each one of them below!
The Meat
Cured meat is the main ingredient on a cheese board, and they serve it on Charcuterie boards all the time for a reason. The saltiness of the cured meat couples very well with cheese! When putting together my cheese board, I pick out a couple of cured meats. Most people know the classic route with meats is Salami, Peppered Salami or Prosciutto de Parma, and Serrano Ham. But I like mines with spicy Pepperoni and Pepperoni sticks.
The Cheese
Hey, it is called a cheese board for a reason! Cheese should be the focus of this board. So Much a trip to your local market store and pick out 3-4 of your favorite cheeses! As a rule, to ensure I am not picking all the same kinds, I pick out: 1 semi-soft cheese, one soft cheese, one semi-hard cheese, and one hard cheese. I additionally try to look at the colors, so I am not choosing all white cheeses. (for details on cheese types, go to the recipe below)
Hard Cheese (Asiago, Aged Cheddar, Irish Cheddar, Parmesan)
Semi-Hard Cheese (manchego, provolone, comte)
Semi-Soft Cheese (Smoked Gouda, Jarlsberg, blue cheese, Gorgonzola)
Soft Cheese (mozzarella, burrata, goat cheese, Brie)
Cracker/Breads
What you want to put on your board, like crackers, toasted baguettes, or maybe breadsticks if you are a fan.” A lot of people like to put their cheeses or meats on something. It does not need to be fancy, just something that will complement what is on the board or some of your favorites.
Fruits & Nuts
This is easy, buy seasonal fruits and nuts. I like to add a mixture of salted nuts or candied nuts. (pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews) As far as the fruits go, grapes are always helpful, as are pomegranates, and blueberries, I'm not a huge fan of figs or dried fruit, but it's trendy for cheese boards. I like to add fruits and nuts because they are great "space fillers" when you are putting the board together. It helps make the board look full and generous!
The Extras
The extras are where it is and will help your cheese board stand out from the rest! I like adding roasted red peppers, marinated olives, fig jam, honey, sun-dried tomato pesto, artichokes, and bacon jam. The list goes on—all the “fun” stuff to add to your “Board, along with all those tasty items.
How to Assemble a Cheese Board
The BEST and most straightforward way to assemble a cheese board is to do it in stages!
Crab your Cheese Board. (cutting board slate, wooden cheese board, cutting board, plate, etc.)
Place your “additions” in various parts of the board in bowls.
Assemble your cheese (cut and uncut) all over the board.
Add your “Crackers/pieces of bread” to the board. Remember, it does not have to be perfect or organized.
Unwrap the cured meat and place them in various spots on the board. Sometimes I will look at my board and see where it needs some color!
Here is the fun part. Take the nuts and fruits you have and fill in any open spots on the board. Place them anywhere. There is no order to this. Just make the board look super full!
As you can see in the picture, I used some measuring cups to hold my nuts and Olives mixture, and you can always use items you have sitting around in your kitchen.
I used a serving tray that I got from Home Goods and a wicker round tray to put on top. I am taking my Cheeseboard outside for an afternoon picnic with my hubby.
Now You are done You have this gorgeous Cheese board to show off to your friends and family.
