Want to host a gathering like the pros with a super-impressive cheese board? It's a lot easier than you think. With a few strategic cheese and accompaniment choices, you're good to go. A large wooden cutting board or any other platter can serve as the base. The rest of the work is simply gathering ingredients and placing them in a way that's both easy to self-serve and eye-catching.
Ina Garten (domestic goddess that she is) isn't the only pro who likes to " target="_blank" class="link"> serve a cheese board for entertaining. It's a go-to for many pro entertainers because people love it, it requires no cooking and yet it can wow a crowd.
Garten starts with fig leaves from her garden, but you can use fresh lemon Galax leaves from a florist or just leave the board bare. She likes to place a big bunch of grapes in the center and then the cheese, crackers and other goodies around it. Alternatively, you could snip off smaller bunches of grapes (that, say, one person might put on their plate) and scatter those on the board to start.
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The experts at the New York City cheese mecca Murray's Cheese shared some other easy-to-follow guidelines. John Montez, the shop's training and curriculum manager, explains, "It's a good idea to stick with an odd number. Three or five cheeses with a range of flavors and textures will always make a pleasing arrangement."
"When arranging the board, soft cheeses should be put out as a whole piece with a spreader. Semi-firm cheeses look best sliced into triangles and fanned out. The best way to display hard cheeses is to put out the whole piece and use a knife to crumble off a few pieces to suggest to your guests to keep crumbling it. Beware of symmetry — lay out the cheeses artistically and organically, rather than rigidly."
Choosing the cheese
"A good base assortment is a soft cheese like a brie or triple creme, a semi-firm cheese like a young gouda or Swiss Alpine and a hard cheese like an aged cheddar or Parmigiano Reggiano," advises Montez.
Dan Kluger chef and owner of the New York City restaurant Loring Place adds, "I always say, know your audience — I like blue cheese, I like stinky cheese, whereas my wife doesn’t, so I have to keep that in mind. And as always, quality over quantity. Choose one amazing cheese over three mediocre ones."
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Chef Curtis Stone of Gwen, a butcher shop and restaurant in Los Angeles, has another reminder: "A really important part of serving cheese is ensuring it's at the right temperature. You should take the cheese out of the refrigerator 45 minutes to an hour before placing it on your cheese board and serving.” He's got a point. No one wants a cold slab of Brie when you can indulge in the runny, gooey version, right?
Murray's
This silky, spoonable cheese combines flavors of mushrooms and brandied cherries with woodsy notes. Don't forget to let it come to room temperature and place a spreader close by.
Walmart
This hard cheddar from Vermont brings the flavor and the slight tang which makes a great contrast to creamy, soft cheese and funky blue cheese.
Murray's Cheese
The experts at Murray's Cheese say, "Stilton is a milder blue cheese. The paste can range from dry and crumbly to almost fudge-like. It has a buttery flavor, with notes of cocoa. It’s light on the palate, but with bursts of bright, peppery blue flavor throughout. The salty, savory profile of Stilton begs for something sweet."
Tools of the trade
Macy's
When it comes to serveware, Kluger says, "Have fun with it! Choose items that represent you." This French cheese knife set is a colorful and quirky addition to your setup. It includes five utensils that cover all your cheese and spread needs and look chic with wood boards or ceramic platters.
HSN
"This little cleaver is a great kitchen knife, but also doubles as a fun cheese knife too!” says Stone. This knife works well for cutting firm cheese into bite-size portions.
Amazon
A simple set of cheese knives like this one from Henckels (one of our favorite brands for knife sets) is ideal for hard and soft cheeses and works with almost any wooden board. Just note: The board that comes with this set is really only big enough for one block of cheese.
Amazon
A solid walnut cutting board like this one is big enough to accommodate several cheeses (which will pop in contrast to the dark wood) plus crackers, meats and more. It's manageable to carry thanks to handy grooves on the sides and comes clean with simple soap and water.
All the accoutrements
You'll want to add fresh fruit (think grapes, pears or berries) or dried fruit (we like apricots, figs and sour cherries), and if you're serving this as a mini-meal, perhaps some charcuterie such as salami, prosciutto, smoked turkey or even sliced beef jerky sticks. Crackers or bread are also must-haves.
RUSTIC BAKERY
A tried-and-true favorite, these are hearty enough to stand up to any cheese and have a slight tang like sourdough bread.
Target
For purists, water crackers are a must. They're light and crispy and let all the flavors of your cheese and meat shine.
Terrasoul Superfoods
Soft and juicy dried figs are just sweet enough to pair with blue cheeses, Swiss varieties and other sharp cheeses. Cut them in half before placing a pile of them on the board.
Amazon
Dried tart cherries pair well with soft, creamy or mild cheeses. Pour these into a small bowl before placing them on the board.
Target
Savory genoa salami is a salty, marbled crowd-pleaser that's mild enough to pair with most cheeses. When shopping for charcuterie, opt for uncured or organic products when possible.
Divina
Briny olives like these Castlevetrano are great to keep in the pantry for unexpected entertaining. Serve these in a small bowl. And if they're pitted, all the better, as guests won't have to hunt for a place to discard their pits.
