You've got your favorite cheeses delivered, the freshest baguette picked out...now, how do you put it all together? There's an art to assembling a cheese board that goes beyond unpacking the cheeses and plunking them down on a platter or board with a few crackers. It's all about proportions, balance, textures, colors and flavors - art!
Video source: Tesco
We found this fabulous video by Sal Henley for British supermarket giant, Tesco. We loved - and you will too - the cheese platter ideas she gives us to help make our cheese board look not only delicious, but beautiful. She demonstrates how to slice the cheeses, to how to arrange fruit, plus other practical tips for beautifying your cheeses and impressing your guests at your next dinner party.
Short on time? Then this 60-second how-to video by HGTV was made for you. Learn how to easily (and quickly!) arrange a cheese platter in 1 minute!
Video source: HGTV
Cheese Platter Ideas: Tips & Tricks
- Take the cheeses out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before guests arrive - this brings the fromage to room temperature, allowing the flavors and aromas to develop.
- Take the cheeses out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before guests arrive - this brings the fromage to room temperature, allowing the flavors and aromas to develop.
- Have at least three cheeses, but no more than five. You want to offer your guests variety, but not overwhelm their palates.
- Mix textures, flavors and colors. A successful cheese board has at least three distinct cheeses. If you're offering a palate-pleaser like cheddar, then contrast with a soft, gooey Brie and maybe a crumbly blue cheese. Or, divide it up by country, and offer samplings from France, Italy, Spain, the US and perhaps England. However you do it, you want variety on your board.
- Pair wisely. When it comes to the accouterments of the cheese board, think in easy categories: breads, nuts and fruits. A handful of almonds, a bunch of grapes, and a fresh baguette are cheese's best friends, and you can never go wrong with that. But if you want to get more creative, add jams, chutneys and honey (even honeycomb) - the latter goes especially well with blue cheese and goat cheese. More exotic breads are also fantastic on a cheeseboard, but only if they're not herbed or flavored (this will cover up the flavor of the cheese itself).
Summer Cheese Platter Ideas:
Do you have a fabulous cheese platter tip to share? Leave it in the comments!