Even as I’ve been stuck at home, every Friday I throw together a snack and drink for a little happy hour. Sometimes I go all out and make some kind of dip—like cheesy artichoke or buffalo chicken. Other times I’ll just throw together a simple cheese board. Which, of course, I realized I’ve shared over on YouTube but never here on the blog! So here’s how to throw together an easy cheese board every single time.
First, get yourself a drink!
I love opening up a bottle of wine with a cheeseboard like this, but if you’re more of a cocktail person, why not whip up a cocktail for your happy hour instead?
Here are a few you can easily make at home:
Alright, now on to my formula. Here’s how to put together the easiest cheese board ever.
Pick two cheeses
I like to pick out two different kinds of cheeses to go with my board. Typically I like to go for a soft cheese and a hard cheese, but it also depends on how I’m feeling. Pictured here I have a small wheel of gouda and slices of smoked cheddar, which went really well with the spicy honey mustard.
The two types of cheese don’t really matter, but just try to make them different. It gives your plate a bit more variety.
Pick two starches
Cheese and crackers are a staple, but what about spreading brie on a baguette? Or maybe some mini pretzel sticks with some softer, dipping cheese? I like to place a variety of starches on the board so people can play around with different combinations on the board. For starches, you could grab:
- Seeded crackers
- Butter crackers
- Crusty baguette
- Pretzel sticks
- Bagel or pita chips
Pick one meat
I think for every two kinds of cheese you should have at least one sliced-cured meat on the board. If you end up getting three types of kinds of cheese, I suggest grabbing two different kinds of meat. It helps with making variety for your guests and it also adds some color to your plate. A few types of meat I like to grab include:
- Summer sausage
- Pepperoni
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Sopressata
Pick one salty snack
I like to balance out all of the savory with something salty and sweet on my board. First, salty! Salty snacks can go in a little bowl that can sit on your board, like what’s pictured here. A few salty snacks I like to use:
- Dry-roasted peanuts (or honey roasted)
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Olives
- Pickles
Pick one sweet snack
Like I mentioned, balancing out the savory and salty with something sweet will round out your easy cheese board. Plus, who doesn’t love to snack on a sweet treat? A few sweet snacks to consider adding to your charcuterie board:
- Fresh fruit (apples, berries, oranges, figs, grapes)
- Dried fruit (mango, raisins, cranberries, apricots)
- Dark chocolate chips
- Chocolate-covered snacks, like nuts or pomegranate seeds
Pick one spread, optional
Now as you can see, I made this one optional, because I don’t think it’s totally necessary. but I do think adding some kind of spread does allow for playing around with different flavors within your board. Some of the spreads I love to add include:
- Mustard (spicy, dijon, honey, etc.)
- Jam
- Honey
With so much variety, the cheese board possibilities are endless! Seriously, I’m so excited to see your creations, so make sure to tag me in them over on Instagram.
Save the video!
I shared these tips over on my YouTube…back in the day when I was posting on YouTube. If you are the kind of person who likes to save videos for later, here’s mine! Side note, should I start making videos again?
Or pin this for later!
Want to save this easy guide next time you put together a cheeseboard? Here’s a graphic you can save on your Pinterest, or simply in your camera roll, to use for later.
Get my free meal prep guide!
To make your meal prep as easy as throwing together a cheese board, use my free guide! Sign up below and I’ll send you How to Meal Prep for One Month right away.
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