Thanksgiving week is here and I am so excited to share this post with you guys. This post is all about creating the perfect cheeseboard, that’s not only delicious, but gorgeous. Since my cheeseboard skills are limited, I called in an expert to come join us for this post. To most readers here, she does not need an introduction, but for those who do not know her, meet Courtney! Courtney's hobbies include family photography, unboxing packages on Instagram and building the best cheeseboards. Courtney and I recently got together, went food shopping for the full board and then put it together so we could share with you all our tips and tricks. Here we go!
Shopping:
Cheese: You will need to have multiple types of cheese, which we listed below and examples of that kind. With the cheese, its best to incorporate a variety of textures and flavors, some coming from goat's milk, sheep's milk and cow's milk.
Crumble : Bleu, Cranberry (used below)
Creamy: Brie
Sharp : Cheddar
Mild : Colby jack or Havarti
Meats: You will also want a few different types of meat on the board, here are some good options:
Salami
Prosciutto
Pepperoni
Soppressata
Crackers: You should only need 2/3 types of crackers, because the main part of this is for the meat and cheese. Examples:
Rosemary Breadsticks,
Lavash crackers
Entertainment cracker packages
Extra options:
Candied nuts or roasted nuts (add a crunch)
Rosemary for decorative pops of green Fruit - Cranberries, Apple, Pears, Grapes
Decorative fruit - Clementine, Pumpkin
Something salty - Olives
Jam or spread
Tips and tricks:
Mix up colors - by having all different colors it gives the board more of a pop and looks more appealing to the eye. This board was based around fall colors (cranberry crumble cheese, fig jam, grapes, red apple and cranberries).
To give the board dimension, use bread sticks to add a variety of heights and also using small dishes or crudites in jars.
Different cuts of cheese - adds lots of dimension like the round brie and the cubed sharp cheese that is displayed on the board
Have a few small dishes to fill with things like the olives or nuts
Slice the fruit thin and fan it out.
Meat presentation - for round pieces of salami, it looks nice to fold it in a triangle shape, or twist and pile prosciutto. Hard cuts of meat can be used as a border between cheeses.
Use something little to fill in gaps like cranberries and olives.
For this board we used a cutting board that was laying around because it was larger than we expected. Here are a few great options if you need to purchase one, wood with handles, under $15 and monogrammed. Always play around with the board before deciding on final look. Its helpful to take the big pieces such as the brie wheel and place those before filling in the extras. Always be deliberate about flavor combo placement, that way it is easier for people to put together a delicious bite balancing flavors.
Courtney suggests using a flat wooden board for the best look. All of these products were bought at Roche Brothers and we spent around $75. Trader Joes is another great place to get the cheeses and may cost a little less. For the salami, we went to the deli counter to get slices because it was cheaper than buying the pre-made packages. You can also grab the olives there as well. Don't forget to browse your own cabinets when creating a board, there are always small things you can find that would make an excellent addition.
If you are looking to get more ideas and content, be sure check out the #cjcheeseboards! We had such a fun time doing this post and look forward to seeing your boards, be sure to tag us!
With love,
Ashley & Courtney
Scribi Styles