This post is in #partnership with Consorzio del Parmigiano-Reggiano. All opinions are mine alone. #ParmesanAmbassador #ParmigianoReggiano #cheese
I’m having guests over for a late afternoon happy hour and decided the best thing to serve is a Cheese Board full of delicious and tasty cheeses, meats, nuts, and treats.
These boards 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.
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.
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. I find 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.
Let’s get creative. Look around your home for something to serve the cheese and meat on. Today I am using my big cutting board. Ceramic floor tiles also work great, as do large platters or chargers. Now grab some linens and bowls to hold different items.
I know it’s not too pretty yet but just wait.
Let’s make a cheese board with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Need some ingredient inspiration ~ try these
- 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.
Here is what I’m putting on my cheese and meat board
- Start with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wedge
- Add the Baked Ricotta with Parmesan
- Add a small bowl of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with balsamic
- Place the meats around the cheeses – Procuitto, Capocollo, Salame, Sopressata
- Layer the Apricot Parmesan Puff Pastry Pinwheels around the board
- Add the deviled eggs
- Next place crackers around the board
- Scatter in nuts – I love pistachios so those are what I used.
- Place the grapes throughout the board
- Add a bowl of something sweet – I served toffee
- 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 yummy 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 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.
As always served with love!
Don’t forget to Pin to your favorite board!
what a yummy way to start a party. My guests would love this and it’s great for the holidays.
Parmigiano Reggiano is one of my ultimate favorite cheeses not to mention making cheese boards which this time of the year is a must. Thanks for all the tips these come really handy!
Parmigiano-reggiano is practically a staple in our house! Of course I use it in my pasta recipes but we also love it on a cheese board or with an aperitif! Here in Italy we often eat it with honey, truffle honey or what Italians call mostarda, a kind of spicy fruit chutney made with candied fruit and mustard oil!
I will be trying the honey with the cheese, that sounds very tasty. I have never had mostarda but that also sounds delicious.
This is such a great list of elements to add to a cheese board. Yours look spectacular with the parmigiano-reggiano and apricot parmesan puff pastry!
Thanks for the kind comments. I had to make more of the puff pastries, they were everyone’s favorite bite.
This is perfect for all the holiday parties that will be happening. These are always fun to put together. Fun for the guests to nibble on while sitting around and spending time with friends.
Yes please! Send this my way! I love eating Parmesan by itself (and ignoring any weird looks I get). It’s SO flavorful! Your cheeseboard is beautiful. And I love love love love the idea to add some cheesecake bites for the sweet accents, that’s such a good and on-theme idea! I am absolutely going to use that (and add Parmesan, of course!) on my next cheeseboard.
This Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is such a classic cheese, I can eat lots of it.
Absolutely stunning! This will be perfect for any party. Your step by step directions are very helpful as well.
I can’t tell you how much I agree with you. If they asked me about the best thing to entertain my friends in the late afternoon – this cheeseboard would be it! Yum.
As a cheese fanatic, I love a good cheese board. What a great list of ideas. I’ll definitely put this together for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!
Who doesn’t love a good cheese board! Your ideas for what to put on one are so good! Love the deviled eggs! This is a really awesome post! 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
I love seeing posts like this one! I love the way cheese boards look and I love seeing how others create them and the elements they use.
Cheese board is my favorite! Thanks for sharing this because I’ll be hosting mine soon and will definitely steal this idea, including your pinwheels 🙂
When I used to work at a hotel, I used to always have to make the cheese boards for guest holiday parties – you included some great stuff on yours here!
I love snacking on a cheese board! This looks like the perfect addition to our Thanksgiving table too!
I love this board, it’s so beautifully designed. Parmigiano reggiano is one of my favorite cheeses! Thank you for the inspiration, I’ll be making one of these for Thanksgiving appetizers.