How To Make A Cheese Board

I’m having guests over for a late afternoon happy hour and decided the best thing to serve is a Cheeseboard full of delicious and tasty cheeses, meats, nuts, and treats.

Making an Easy Cheeseboard

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Cheeseboards are so much fun to make and can be made really fancy or super simple. Just turn on your creativity, and make sure you have an assortment of items for color, shape, taste, and texture.

Serving cheese and meat boards at parties is so impressive and perfect for entertaining as they have a variety of foods to enjoy.  Guests often like to nibble on small bites at parties and not sit down to big plates of food, especially with our happy hour today, after all, we didn’t want a heavy meal.

The best thing about cheeseboards

Your guests will think you are super talented when you create such a food masterpiece 

I love serving these boards for guests since I can put them on the table with all the plates and drinks and then I don’t have to get up again.  No going back and forth to the kitchen to grab more food. Instead, everyone can just sit back and leisurely enjoy great food and good company.

What to Put on a Cheeseboard

For the cheese, I thought it would be fun to use just one cheese in various ways since I have these beautiful wedges of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  It’s not every day I have such a wonderful ingredient and I wanted it to be the showcase of this board. This cheese pairs so well with meats, fruits, and wine.

Most people don’t think of eating parmesan by itself, but when you have a quality cheese like this Parmigiano-Reggiano you will understand why I love it.  The cheese is so versatile and can be used in soups, grated over pasta, stirred into risotto and shaved over a salad. And don’t forget to save the rind to flavor your broths.

Parmigiano-Reggiano has been called one of the world’s greatest cheeses

 

• A true Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese comes from the Parma-Reggio region of  Italy and it has a rich history that dates back centuries.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, it is made with only three ingredients, milk that is produced in the Parma/Reggio region, salt, and rennet which is a natural enzyme.  I love the fact this cheese doesn’t contain any additives or artificial ingredients.  This is pride in cheesemaking.
• This cream-colored cheese is called one of the world’s greatest cheeses and is aged at least two years to develop a delicious and complex flavor that is described as rich, fruity and nutty.
• Even though this is considered a hard cheese, it cuts and breaks off nicely to reveal its grainy, bumpy texture and the cheese crystals inside.
• When buying Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, look for the stamped pin dots on the rind that says “Parmigiano-Reggiano” so you know you are buying the real deal.

What to serve a cheeseboard on 

Just be creative and find objects around your house, such as –

Cutting boards, large platters, and charges are great to use since they are fairly large and can hold a lot of food.  Wood slabs, marble slabs, and floor tiles are also perfect to use. alternatives.

What To Put On A Cheeseboard

Need some ingredient inspiration ~ try these for a cheeseboard recipe

• Cheese – Of course, a must-have.
• Meats – Salami, prosciutto, roast beef, sausages
• Crackers – add a variety for taste and texture
• Olives and Pickles – add some great flavors
• Spreads, preserves, and jams – for savory, fruity and sweet flavors
• Nuts – good for some crunch
• Fruits – fresh and dried are great.  Grapes are my favorite
• Sweets – chocolates, cookies, cheesecake bites

Keeping the cheeses in wedges makes for a rustic look on the board. Just be sure to have some cheese knives for everyone to use.

Since I am a baker, I just had to bake these bite-sized Apricot Parmesan Puff Pastry Pinwheels to add to the board. You can get the recipe right here.

Another recipe I added is a Baked Ricotta with Parmesan.  This a delicious cheese dip for crackers.

How to assemble a cheeseboard

1. Start with the Parmigiano-Reggiano  cheese wedge
2. Add the Baked Ricotta with Parmesan
3. Add a small bowl of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with a  splash of balsamic
4.  Place the meats around the cheeses – Proscuitto, Capocollo, Salame, Sopressata
5. Layer the Apricot Parmesan Puff Pastry Pinwheels around the board
6. Add the deviled eggs
7. Next place crackers around the board
8. Scatter in nuts – Pistachios are always a favorite
9. Place grapes throughout the board
10. Add a bowl of something sweet like toffee
11. I love adding some flowers or herbs to the board

Keep adding all your ingredients until your cheese and meat board is full of your ingredients.

Now step back and see what you created.  No matter how you arranged the board, I bet it looks marvelous because there really is no right or wrong way to do this.

Set your table with plates, napkins, wine or drink glasses and maybe some candles or a pretty centerpiece. Now you are ready for Happy Hour.

Please let me pour you a glass of wine.

Don’t forget to Pin to your favorite board!

Here are some items to help you make a great cheeseboard

As always served with love!