Basic Board How-to

Those who know me, know that my love language is basically cheese. So, it’s only fitting that my first post has to do with a cheeseboard/charcuterie tray.

A great board has to have different textures and flavors. Which may seem odd to mix a bunch of different things together. But in my opinion, the more the merrier. There are a ton of different board combinations and themes to try (and yes, I will be showing you plenty)! But when I am putting together a basic board, this “recipe” is pretty much my go to.

*Tip: Trader Joe’s is amazing for inexpensive and unique cheese & crackers. I almost always shop there (it is especially great for my fellow gals on a budget). I plan on writing a Trader Joe’s favorites post- but in the meantime, here are my guidelines for creating the perfect basic board!

CHEESE

I try to go for 3-4 cheeses depending on how big your board is/how many people you are serving. That being said, you want different types and textures of cheese. My go to’s normally are:

Some kind of soft cheese: goat (I like honey flavor), brie, camembert, gouda
- or creamy options: mozzarella, buratta, Boursin
Some kind of “hard” cheese: parmigiano- reggiano, pecorino, romano, manchego, gruyére, cheddar (I like “unexpected cheddar” from TJ’s)
Some kind of unique cheese: this can be any of the types of cheeses above but with a twist. Like wine flavored, herbs added, etc.

MEATS

Again, depending on how many people you are hosting, 2-3 varieties are a safe bet. It’s pretty standard that prosciutto and salami are board champions. You could get creative and add in a peppered or spicy sausage/salami option as well.

ADD ONS

I try to have 4-6 add ons and make them a variety of flavors and textures

Something sweet: you want to balance all the salt with a sweet flavor
- Dried fruit (I like apricots)
- Real fruit like blackberries or grapes. You want something that will hold up for awhile and wont leak water over the rest of the food or wont brown easily
- A jam or spread. I used Trader Joe’s Fig Butter in the picture above. A pepper jelly is also a favorite
Something crunchy: even with the crunch of the cracker, you want to also add something crunchy on its own. You could up your game and buy candied nuts or herbed crusted nuts too
- Nuts like pecans, almonds, marcona almonds, cashews, walnuts
- Veggies like endives, radishes, peppers
Something in a bowl: sounds strange, but adding a “wet” element (like olives, a spread, etc) in a bowl not only adds dimension to your board for presentation purposes but it holds in the moisture of the food so its not spreading across the board. This can be anything like
- Olives (I like garlic stuffed)
- Creamier cheeses like burrata (dress it up with olive oil, balsamic glaze and basil), mozzarella balls or Boursin
- Dips
Some sort of spread: think jam’s, jellies, butters or honey

CRACKERS

Adding different flavors of crackers or toasts amps up your board. Try to have a variety of them, around 3-4 crackers at best that pair well with your cheese choices. Some of my favorites are pita, rosemary, fig, gorgonzola, garlic and sesame flavored

GARNISH

Purely for presentation purposes but adding a garnish makes your board look pretty and presentable. I always seem to have rosemary laying around so I like to add in a few springs around my board. You could also use