The ultimate cheese board

Assembling an impressive holiday cheese board is easy as pie and will knock your guests’ socks off. Easy entertaining? Sorted!

Cheese. Glorious, wonderful, fantastic cheese. I love a good cheese platter and the holidays simply don’t feel like the holidays unless I work in at least one epic cheese board. What I love so much about a cheese board is that it is completely adaptable to different seasons and occasions. For my festive cheese boards, I always like to include something really Christmassy (think Mince pies or festive chocolate).

The secret to a really good cheese board is variety. You want to give your guests loads of choices and so I always recommend at adding four or five different cheeses. Add pickles, preserves, crackers and breads of your choice and add a few slices of good charcuterie or a pot of Pâté for the meat lovers.

To make things super easy for you, I’ve included a list of all the goodies I love to include on my cheese boards. Mix and match as you please but I would definitely do at least one (more of the cheese, obvs) in each category.

What to put on a cheese board

1. Cheese: Parmesan, Pecorino, Cheddar, Asiago, Gruyere, Gouda, Comte, Swiss, Camembert, Brie, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort, Danish blue, Chevin (soft goat cheese), Mozzarella, Manchego, Boursin, Havarti, Raclette, Fontina. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many cheeses and it’s a good idea to go to the cheese counter and ask for guidance if you aren’t sure what to choose.
   A good idea is to include at least one hard (or semi-hard cheese), one blue cheese and one soft cheese. I also always like to add something unusual and a cheese made with goat’s or sheep’s milk. Remember to take your cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving to get to room temperature. This way the cheese won’t be rock hard or too cold. Slice the cheese into different shapes to add visual interest to the board. This also makes it easier to serve. Remember to add cheese knives just before serving.
2. Meat: Cheese and charcuterie go hand-in-hand. My favorites to include on a cheese board are Prosciutto or Parma ham, salami and slices of chorizo. Coppa, Mortadella, Sopressata and Nduja are also good options.
3. Crackers and bread: Anything goes here but I usually like to do a few crostini, breadsticks, crackers and sliced fresh baguette.
4. Jams, Preserves and Pickles: Cheese is good friends with anything preserved/pickled. I always include some onion marmalade because I think it works with most types of cheese. Cornichons, pickled onions, pickled radishes, capers and olives are all perfect additions. Sweet elements like jams, chutney or honey add much needed sweetness to your meat and cheese board.
5. Fruit and nuts: Fresh fruit is a must on a cheese board in my opinion. Allow the season you are in to dictate what you use. Fresh berries and grapes are great in summer while figs, sliced apples, pears, plums, clementines and pomegranate will be perfect in Winter. Dried fruit like apricots, dried cherries, dried figs or mango are also delicious additions. Nuts like Marcona almonds, walnuts or pistachios add great texture and more variety.
6. Extras: I love adding something a little whimsical and fun to my cheeseboard. Here I’ve added mince pies to add Christmas cheer but you could add chocolate Easter eggs for an Easter cheeseboard or Halloween candy for a Halloween board. Artichokes, roasted peppers and other pickled, marinated or roasted vegetables are also delicious. Adding finishing touches like fresh herbs (rosemary is particularly pretty) just adds a bit of finesse but is optional.

Making ahead

The board can be assembled up to four hours ahead. Keep loosely covered in the fridge and remove from the fridge 30-60 minutes before serving.

Platters and boards for easy entertaining

1. Chip and dip platter
2. Greek mezze platter
3. Breakfast Pancake board
4. Easy holiday dessert board
5. Halloween Charcuterie board