Holiday Cheese Board

Updated April 06, 2021

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Quick Summary

Learn how to make an epic Holiday Cheese Board! The perfect appetizer for holiday parties and get togethers. Your friends and family will love this beautiful and delicious spread!

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This post is sponsored by Kroger.

The holidays are here and that means it's time to party! Today, I am going to show you how to make a festive Holiday Cheese Board that will WOW your family and friends. It's almost too pretty to eat and if you want to be fancy, you can call this a charcuterie board:)

Cheese boards always make a good appetizer and sometimes we even make cheese boards for dinner! Snack dinners are my favorite. You can make the cheese boards really big or just a small cheese plate, depending on the crowd.

I love cheese boards because there is something for EVERYONE! It is fun to mix and match flavors and textures. You can put out a beautiful spread with little effort and everyone will be amazed! Plus, you get to snack while you mingle with friends and family.

And even if you aren't entertaining, you can still make a cheese board for your own family or even for yourself. There is nothing better than a night alone with a good movie and a personal cheese plate, that way you don't have to share:)

Choose Your Board

I am going to share my tips and how I build a holiday cheese board, but there really are no set rules. Get creative and have fun with it!

First, find a board to use as your base. You can use a wood cutting board, marble board, baking sheet, platter, or plate. Choose your board based on the number of people you will be feeding. If you don't have a big enough board, you can always make a few smaller boards and set them out together.

Choose Your Cheese

Include a variety of textures and flavor. Get a soft, semi firm, and aged/hard cheese. Also, serve different types of cheese: cow, sheep, and goat cheeses.
Serve at least one familiar cheese like Pepper Jack, Muenster, or even plain cheddar, especially if kids will be partaking.
Start with your favorites and then branch out and pick a new cheese. If you aren't sure what to buy, ask the person at the cheese counter. I always ask for help at Smith's and they give the best advice. They will even cut different sizes, so if it's your first time trying the cheese, you can get a small wedge.
Allow for about 3 to 4 ounces of cheese per person.
Display the cheese in different shapes and sizes; wedges, spears, slices, and cubes. You can even use a small cookie cutter to cut festive shapes.
Let the cheese sit out for about 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
Space the cheeses out so they aren't all on the same place on the board. If you have a strong cheese, put it off to the side of the board.
Label each cheese so people know what their options are.
Set out a separate knife for each cheese.

Add Fresh Produce

I love adding seasonal produce to the board to freshen things up! My Kroger always has a great selection. During the holidays, these are my favorite produce picks:

Pomegranate (Cut in half for decoration or place arils in a small bowl for snacking)
Oranges or clementines
Grapes
Pear slices
Apples slices
Persimmon
Fresh cranberries (for decoration)
Cucumber
Carrots
Grape tomatoes (use to make mini caprese skewers with fresh mozzarella cheese and basil)
Herbs for decoration (rosemary and sage)
Flowers or greenery (not really produce but fun to add around the board to make the spread extra pretty)

Other Items

Serve lots of extras to go with the cheese. These items are what make the boards shine! Make sure you are varying the textures, sizes, and colors, sweet, and salty. Here are a few of my favorites for a Christmas board.

Olives
Salami
Prosciutto
A variety of crackers
Baguette or sliced bread (the cranberry walnut bread from Kroger's bakery is my favorite)
Nuts (pistachios, almonds, pecans and/or candied pecans)
Dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, cherries)
Pickles
Artichoke Hearts

These are just ideas, feel free to shop the aisles and grab what looks good to you!

You can use small bowls, ramekins, and dishes to place some of the accompaniments. Place the rest of the items around the cheeses. Don't be skimpy and don't be too organized, it is ok if you have big piles of nuts, crackers, and dried fruit. You want your board to look full!

Christmas