A Balanced Cheese Board for Any Occasion
If you’ve ever wondered whether a cheese board can count as a meal, I’m here to tell you it absolutely can. Especially if it’s your birthday. The is not a “girl dinner.” This is a thoughtfully constructed cheese board that happens to be delicious, satisfying, and an excellent source to eat cheese with intention.
This cheese board is balanced because…
Cheese and charcuterie provide protein
Cheese, nuts, and olives provide fat
Fresh fruits and whole grain crackers provide fiber-rich carbs
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: Dependent on how much cheese you purchase, but I’d say 4-6
Ingredients:
Cheese (1 hard, 1 soft, 1 semi-soft)
Charcuterie (I like prosciutto, soppressata, or capocollo)
Fresh fruit or vegetables (I like apples or berries)
Nuts (I like marcona almonds)
Something brine-y (I like olives or cornichons)
Crackers (I like one gluten-free option and one non-gluten-free, whole grain option)
Accoutrements (I like jam or mustard)
Directions:
Step 1: When choosing your cheeses, it’s important to consider the different textures. And while there are so many hard, soft, and semi-soft cheeses to choose from, I find myself coming back to these tried and true choices:
Hard: Manchego, Piave, Comté, Mimolette
Soft: Camembert, Saint-André, Humboldt Fog
Semi-Soft: Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue, Gouda
After you’ve chosen your cheeses, arrange them on your plate. I like to pre-cut hard cheeses into cubes so they’re easier to pick up.
Step 2: Arrange the meat on your plate. When I use prosciutto, I like to cut it into smaller pieces so that I’m not attempting to eat an entire slice in one bite.
Step 3: Cut up the fresh fruits or vegetables and arrange them on the plate. Dried fruits are a great option here as well.
Step 4: Put nuts and brine-y choice into small bowls or dishes. This will keep them from spreading on the plate. You can put them on or next to the plate depending on size.
Step 5: Arrange the crackers on the plate. I like having two different cracker options because it keeps things interesting and is another place to provide different textures.
Step 6: Finish the board off with something that sounds like it’ll compliment the rest of the ingredients nicely. Jam, mustard, and/or honey are usually safe bets. Enjoy!
