How to Build the Perfect Cheese Board

The season for entertaining, parties and gathering with family and friends is finally here!  If you are hosting a get together this holiday season don’t let the menu stress you out.  I’ve partnered with Albertson’s to show you how to build the perfect cheese board, one of my favorite party appetizers.

I love setting out a cheese board with a variety of different cheeses and meats, not only because its easy to throw together, but it’s always a crowd favorite!  This holiday set out a cheese board with a variety of cheese, crackers, bread and fruit for an easy, yet impressive appetizer. This is probably one of the easiest appetizers you’ll make, but it looks way more impressive than a bowl of salsa.

Putting together a cheese board may feel a little overwhelming with all of the different cheese varieties out there, but here are 5 tips to help you create a cheese board for your next party.

1. Choosing the Cheese

• Try to include a variety of textures and flavors, select 3-5 different types of cheese from the four different basic cheese categories: aged, soft, firm, or blue.
• Serve at least one familiar cheese

2. Accompaniments

• Offer a selection of crackers and breads in all different shapes, textures and sizes for guest to pair with their cheese.
• Provide sweet and savory condiments, for ease and convince you use jarred condiments like sweet preserves, honey, and spicy mustard.  You can also added things like artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and olives.
• Include sweet and salty pairings like cured meats such as prosciutto and salami.  Add assorted seasonal fruits like grapes, pears or dried fruits such as figs, cherries, apricots and cranberries.  For additional texture and flavor add candied nuts or pistachios.

3. Serving Tips

• Separate strong smelling cheeses on different plates so they don’t over power the other cheeses.
• Set out a separate knife for each variety of cheese depending on the different types of cheese.
• The cold mutes the flavor so remove the cheese from the refrigerator an hour before serving.
• Label each cheese so guest can easily identify the different varieties. You could also include a few notes about each variety to give guest an even better idea of what to expect with each different type of cheese on your cheese board.  I like using a chalkboard tray (which is actually just a sheet of metal I cut and painted with chalkboard paint) to display the cheese.  This way I can write with a chalk paint pen which cheese is which to help guest identify which ones they want to try.

4. How Much Is Enough 

• Determining how much cheese to serve can be the hardest part of putting a cheese board together.  For an appetizer cheese tray plan on buying 3 to 4 ounces per person, but if your cheese board will be the main event plan on buying 3 pounds for 6-8 people, 6 pounds for 16 and 9 pounds for 24.

Set out small appetizer plates for guest to sample and try their favorites, but don’t be surprised if guest steal little nibbles as they walk by.  A beautiful and delicious cheese tray is hard to resist! And if you are still unsure of how to build the perfect cheese board visit your local Albertson’s where you’ll find lots of specialty cheeses and helpful information from friendly.  Plus starting Nov 21- 23 you can receive 25% off all specialty cheese, just in time for your Thanksgiving dinner party!  And that’s not all Albertson’s wants one of you to win a cheese basket full of delicious goodies worth over $100.  The giveaway run from 111/14-11/26 and one winner will randomly be selected.  Enter with the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Mariah

Mariah Leeson is the creative mind behind www.gigglesgalore.net. With a passion for celebrating, Mariah created Giggles Galore to inspire families to celebrate life’s little moments with creative, budget friendly ideas. She loves cooking, reading, crafting, hosting parties and most of all spending time giggling with her family.

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