Put Together The Perfect Cheese Board with Nuts and Honey
These tips for putting together the perfect cheese board are sponsored by Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey, that is a must for any great cheese plate. All opinions are my own, like always.
Find Nature Nate’s near you. Today I’m sharing all the tips for putting together a cheese board along with the honey we’ve been using recently as a better way to add a little bit of sweet to our snacks. I’ve been using it in baking but love the sweet touch Nature Nate’s Honey brings to our cheese board, too.
Cheese Board Tips:
Thinking about having a cheese board at your next gathering? Whether it’s appetizers for a large party or the primary food at an intimate evening with friends, a cheese board is always a great idea.
I love a good cheese board because, while it takes a little bit of forethought to put together, you can’t go wrong. You can’t mess it up. You can’t overcook it or ruin it (like we did with the dinner we made for new friends last night). Presentation is key but it isn’t hard to get right and you have a low effort, high style, delicious snack board. It also works just as well in casual settings as it does at fancier events – so if you haven’t a get-together and you aren’t sure what type of thing to bring, you can’t go wrong with a simple cheese board.
Picking Cheeses:
You don’t need to be a cheese expert to pick the right assortment of cheeses for your cheese board. The most important thing is selecting a variety so you have a good mix of textures and flavors.
Start with something people are almost guaranteed to like and then mix in a few others. A safe start is a hard cheddar, and then add in variety in color, texture, and derivation (cow, goat, sheep, etc).
I start with a sharp cheddar, add in a soft goat cheese, and then pick one or two others for variety. You can do this! If it is really overwhelming for you, though, you can ask for recs at at a cheese counter. Give them your budget, number of guests, and the types of flavors you like (or tell them you don’t know) and they can recommend three or four cheeses to serve together.
Choose your bread + crackers:
The next essential is determining what you are going to eat the cheese on. Variety is less important than when selecting cheese but it’s also less overwhelming. I like to pick up 1-2 types of crackers and then sliced french bread or crostini. You could also try pretzel crisps for a less formal event or grill some sliced baguettes.
Accoutrements:
This is where you really get to have fun with putting together your cheese board. You’ve selected your cheese and you have your crackers, but the accoutrements add another dimension of flavor and textures.
Nuts: Pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts all work well with various cheese pairings. Keep the nuts simple (salted or unsalted) and then consider adding one fun flavor. We recently tried toasted coconut almonds on a cheese board and they were a fun twist of flavors.
Fruit: Fresh or dried, fruits add an element of sweet to an otherwise savory spread. Grapes are a go to, but sliced apples, dried mango or pineapple, and fresh pears also work wonderfully.
Charcuterie: Not a requirement, but meat is often a welcome addition to a cheese spread. Choose a variety of cured meats and salami. If you don’t know where to start, sweet soppressata, salami, and prosciutto are popular picks.
Olives: Add some Italian olives to the spread for more texture, flavor, and color (you can grab these from the salad bar at the grocery store if you just want to have a couple on hand).
Raw & Unfiltered Honey: My favorite cheese boards always have honey! Serve it in a small bowl with a honeycomb server (like this one) or just place the jar on the table for easy use. Grab a raw honey, like Nature Nate’s, so you know you’re getting no fillers or additives and honey coming from bees that have not been around pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics. Nature Nate’s honey is 100% pure, delicious, and adding it to a cheese board is a great way to make a savory spread sweet as well.
P.S. Did you know raw honey, unlike processed sugar, contains several B vitamins, as well as A, D, E, K vitamins and antioxidants? The more I learn about it, the more eager I am to switch out other sweeteners for honey where I can.
Putting it together tips:
- Serve on a wooden cutting board or marble serving slab.
- Use fresh herbs like basil or rosemary as space fillers, for visual appeal, and to add a great aroma to your cheese board.
- Cut cheeses into different shapes for added visual variety on the cheese board.
- Cheese is best served at room temperature so pull cheese out of fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Quick List: Steps for putting together your cheese board
- Find your board – a wooden cutting board is perfect.
- Select your cheese (a good mix of hard + soft), allowing for 2-4 ounces of cheese per person, and cut into different shapes (wedges, slices, sticks).
- Pick your crackers to eat your cheese on and consider adding a few different types or slices of a french baguette.
- Add in the fun flavors: nuts, fruit, charcouterie, honey, or olives. Arrange them around the cheese board.
- Garnish with fresh herbs (basil and rosemary are great – but strictly for decor and smell).