The Ultimate Cheeseboard

There are few things that outdo a cheese board at a party. There's something for everyone and plenty to go around. To celebrate this party staple we put together a guide to creating the perfect cheese board for your guests!

For the ultimate cheeseboard:

1. Wood slab cutting board
2. Firm, soft and funky cheese
3. Charcuterie (salami and a prosciutto are best)
4. Fruit
5. Accoutrements
6. Bread
7. Wine and friends

Step 1 -  Choosing a cheese board. 

We tend to lean towards using wood slabs/cutting boards for two reasons. The first being that you can lay all of your cheese out as blocks and your guests can cut cheese for themselves without scratching your China or filing your knives. The second reason we like wood boards is purely aesthetic. There's something about a natural looking piece of wood overflowing with food that makes us feel like we're feasting on a fresh harvest. Albeit it's goods we harvested from Whole Foods. 

No need to stress too much about your board selection, anything from a dinner plate to a cookie sheet will work. Though if serving your cheese on a metal surface such as a cookie sheet we recommend pre-cutting your cheese because metal knives on metal surfaces is a big "no no". And don't shy away from using more then one board either! Displaying your cheese and accouterments on different surfaces at different heights will make your spread look that much bigger and that much more enticing to your guests.

Step 2 - The star of the show 'cheese'. 

When selecting cheese our rule of thumb is this; always have one firm, one soft, and one funky. In this instance we actually went with four types of cheese because there's really no such thing as too much cheese. For the soft cheese we went with a loved classic; Brie. To add some funk to our cheese board we chose a blue cheese. And for our firm cheese we served a salty parmesan and a nutty gruyere.

Step 3 - Charcuterie. 

Even though this is a "cheese board" we're building we can't ignore the meats. Usually, we'll have two kinds of meat for balance. On this board we have a salami and a prosciutto. Charcuterie really makes your board feel more hearty so it’s especially great to use if you’re just hosting a cocktail hour style event and won’t be feeding guests a full meal.

Step 4 - Fruit. 

A must have for the perfect cheese board is fresh seasonal fruit. Cheese and bread alone can really ruin an appetite for more cheese and more bread. Fruit acts as a palette cleanser that really helps break up all of the creamy cheese goodness that can sometimes be too much. It also adds color and dimension to your cheese board.

Step 5 - Accoutrements. 

The Accoutrements can make or break your cheese board. These are the small things that take your board from grocery store cheese platter to gourmet display. Adding nuts, olives, honey, mustard, or jam can elevate your board with a plethora of flavors. 

Our favorite accoutrement; MiaBella Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. MiaBella Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is very flattering to cheese. We usually like it with blue or parm but the gruyere we bought needed a little extra boost and MiaBella Traditional Balsamic Vinegar did just that. Plus it's great on the side for dipping bread and fruits. 

A less edible accoutrement we like to add is fresh blooms! Although they don't provide any flavor a little bit of blooms makes for a beautiful board.

Step 6 - Bread. 

Although cheese is clearly the star of the show we can not get by without bread! A fresh baguette is cheese's best friend. Between all of the cheese and dipping with MiaBella Traditional Balsamic Vinegar we typically have to buy a backup loaf to get through the evening.

Step 7 - Add wine and friends! 

Now you've got yourself the perfect cheeseboard to impress your guests.