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Kiersten Hickman

Food & Nutrition Journalist

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How to Make a Cheese Board: My Easy Formula

April 17, 2020

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.

cheese board with meat and apples
easy cheese board with glass of white wine

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:

  • Orange Whiskey Sour
  • Sparkling Peach Sangria
  • Frozen Strawberry Margarita
  • Heavenly Lemonade

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.

how to make a cheese board guide

in Cooking Tips, Snacks # appetizer, appetizers, charcuterie board, cheese board, cheeseboard, happy hour snacks, how to make a charcuterie board, how to make a cheese board

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I'm a food editor, writer, and photographer based in Brooklyn. I'm here to debunk diet culture and give you the truth about nutrition.
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