Cheese, Glorious Cheese - Which ones are on your Charcuterie Board?

 

Before we deep dive into cheeses, can we just review the evolution of appetizers served at home parties and celebrations in no particular order?

Pepperoni and cheese

Cheese and crackers

Fondue

Cheeseballs

Cheesepuffs 

Loaded potato skins

Baked Brie

Caprese Platters drizzled with Balsamic

Cheese-y Nachos

Goat Cheese Canapes

Stromboli

Mozzarella Sticks

Quesadillas

Charcuterie Boards

Yes, Charcuterie Boards seem to be the biggest, and most recent appetizer trend everyone has embraced. Largely because they can be customized to include whatever a person enjoys with as many other components as they choose - but mostly, they have meats and cheeses, as defined by the very name - Charcuterie.

Plus, a Charcuterie Board is generally crowd pleasing, beautiful, and of course, delicious.

Textures, colors, and a range of flavors all combine to create the perfect bite!

How do you decide which are the best cheese to include? Start with one or two of your personal favorites because after all, this is your creation.

For the rest, try to mix up textures and consider what will pair well or taste best when combined with the rest of the components on the board. Bold versus mild, hard or soft textures, and adding in cheeses made with goat or sheep's milk helps keep things interesting and tasty. Click here for more details about choosing the best cheese for your charcuterie board.

During the social restrictions imposed during the pandemic, my immediate family gathered once a week for dinner and adopted a Happy Hour time prior to the main meal. Frequently, charcuterie boards can be found with salami, pepperoni, cheddar, mozzarella, pickles, crackers or grilled garlic bread rounds, sliced tomatoes, olives, grapes, and whatever other treats are on hand that week. We play music in the background and chat while the meal finishes cooking (or take-out is picked up). As life returns to pre-Covid traditions, we actually hope to keep this practice alive. I hope you and yours have found a way to connect during these challenging times and continue to be Fed Well.