Festive Holiday Cheese Board

How to Choose the Cheese For A Festive Holiday Cheese Board

Don’t be afraid to pick a variety of different types of cheese – there are so many good ones out there! These are all good, basic options that can be found at any grocery store or cheese shop.

For my cheese board, I like to go with:

• A soft bloomy cheese with a rind like Brie (try freezing it for 15 minutes then using cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes)
• A tangy goat
• An aged Cheddar (I like sharp Cheddar)
• A potent blue
• A hard cheese like Parmesan or creamy Boursin.

Once you have established your favorite cheeses, you can start to explore other varieties. To lean into the holiday spirit I love a goat cheese studded with cranberries or rolled in chopped herbs like thyme and rosemary. No matter how many fancy cheeses I buy I promise Boursin will always be the one to be eaten first so I always include it on my cheese board.

Arrange an odd number of cheeses across different areas of the plate, making sure to separate those with similar textures to create visual variety. While cheese can stand out on its own, pairing it with cured meats and other snacks arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way can transform your board into a true work of art.

How to prep elements to include on your board

Make a Salami Rose 

1. Add to glass. Take one slice of salami and place it halfway over Around the mouth of a shot glass or narrow champagne flute. 
2. Overlap slices. Add another slice of salami, overlapping them slightly, continuing the process around the rim of the glass, ensuring the slices overlap evenly. Repeat layering slices to create a petal effect (I use about 15 slices) to form the rose. 
3. Flip. Flip the rose and onto your serving service, lifting the glass away to show the rose. 

How to Make Dried Citrus 

1. Bake the citrus slices. Heat the oven to 250ºF (120ºC). Arrange the citrus slices on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake, flipping the slices every 15 minutes until the citrus slices are completely dry but not brown, about 1 hour (depending on the size and thickness of the slices – some may finish sooner than others).
2. Let cool. Remove to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.Slices can be made and stored up to 3 weeks ahead of time. 

Baked Crostini Recipe

1. Dip bread in oil. Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Dip one side of the baguette slices into the oil and place on a baking sheet with the oil-dipped side facing up. Repeat with the remaining slices.
2. Bake crostini. Next, bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Choosing the Accoutrements

For the winter holidays I add some seasonal fruit like quartered pomegranates leaning into the colors red and green if possible. Some halved figs and dried fruit for people to snack on also make great additions. Nuts like almonds or walnuts make the perfect snack to accompany cheeses. Marcona almonds might be my favorite to include. This small, rounded variety of almonds is imported from Spain and is typically sold blanched, roasted and sprinkled with salt. Fruits and nuts are also great to make the board look more full.

Some great serving ideas:

• Pomegranates, cut into sections
• Figs, cut in half
• Slices of dried fruit (like apples or citrus)
• Dried fruit like cranberries or raisins (golden raisins look great!)
• Truffle Marcona almonds
• Walnuts (try candying the nuts!)
• Garnish with fresh herbs like sprigs of fresh rosemary or oregano