Easy Entertaining: Creating a Fabulous Cheese & Charcuterie Board

Everyone needs an easy go-to entertaining staple. For us it’s a fabulous cheese & charcuterie Board. It requires no real cooking and can be totally customized to your mood or theme. It works for a fancy or casual get together and it’s EASY!  Here are some tips to follow when putting together your cheese and charcuterie board.

Selecting the Cheese

• Try to include a variety of textures and flavors. Most cheese belongs to one of four basic categories: aged, soft, firm, or blue. For a good variety, choose at least one from each group. Some examples:
 Aged: Aged Cheddar, Comte, Goat Gouda
 Soft: Constant Bliss, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin
 Firm: Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano-Reggiano
 Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Valdeón, Stilton
  You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep). This will ensure a range of different flavors on the plate.
  Serve at least one familiar cheese.

 

The Charcuterie

• Try to serve at least 3 to four different meats. Our favorites; a hard salami, prosciutto, a soppressata or chorizo (all of these are really easy to find at most our local groceries in Omaha).
• Choose one pâté or some sort of spreadable meat. You can usually find these in the cheese section of the store. Choose one you think will blend well with your other selections.

How Much Is Enough?

• For a party in which cheese is the main event, plan on buying 3 pounds for 8 people, 6 pounds for 16, or 9 pounds for 24. If cheese is one of many items being served, plan on buying 3 to 4 ounces per person.
• Offer a selection of breads, including sliced baguette, bread sticks, and crackers in all different shapes and sizes. It’s a good idea to vary taste and texture among the breads as well as the cheeses.
• Jarred condiments and vegetables are quick and fuss-free. Try sweet preserves or honey, tart chutneys, and spicy mustards. You can also add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and caponata. If you have a bit more time, prepare caramelized onions, which complement most cheese plates.
• Various other sweet and salty items can work as well. Candied nuts and pistachios. Assorted seasonal and dried fruits can include figs, cherries, apples, and pears. Fresh fruits like apples and grapes also work well with all cheeses.

Serving Tips

• Separate strong-smelling cheeses. If you want to serve a pungent, stinky-socks cheese, place it on a separate plate so it doesn’t overpower more delicate ones.  four or five choices are enough.
• Separate the meats from cheeses. Don’t let the cheese and meat overlap too much it makes it easier for the guests to make their selections.
• Set out a separate knife for each cheese, especially the soft varieties. Soft cheese spreads well with a butter knife; firm cheese might require a paring knife; and aged cheese often requires a cheese plane.
• Remove the cheese from the refrigerator an hour before serving―cold mutes flavor.
• Spread out the spread. Place the cheese platters and the other nibbles on several tables to avoid guest gridlock.
• Label each cheese and meat so you won’t need to recite the names all evening. If you like, also jot down a few poetic adjectives describing its flavor.

Are you looking for the perfect Champagne cocktail to serve New Years Eve or New Years Day?

Check out our post about 10 fabulous traditional Champagne cocktails.