Learn how to make a perfect cheese board for entertaining! Filled with a fun variety of cheeses, fruits, and spreads, it offers something for everyone.

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Whether I’m hosting a dinner party, a happy hour, or a holiday get-together, a cheese board is always my go-to appetizer. It’s my #1 choice for so many reasons – it offers a little something for everyone, it looks so pretty and festive, and it’s easy to put together (no cooking required!).

Now, if you’ve never made a cheese board before, it might not seem so easy. What cheeses do you pick? What do you pair with them? I promise that the process really is simple, and to get you started, I’m sharing my favorite way to assemble a cheese board below. You don’t even have to worry about breaking the bank – with this method, you can make your cheese board as fancy or as simple as you like. No matter what, it’ll be a hit.

The Best Cheeses for a Cheese Board

When I’m assembling a cheese board, I always start by picking the cheeses. I like to have a variety of flavors and textures on a board, so I typically choose 3. Below, you’ll find some options that are easy to find at an average cheese shop or grocery store. Have fun mixing and matching cheeses from different categories!

Firm or semi-firm cheeses: I like aged white cheddar, Gouda, Edam, Gruyère, Dubliner, and/or Manchego.
Spreadable or soft cheeses: Think Brie, Camembert, and/or soft goat cheese.
Something funky: Maybe a strong blue cheese, like Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort. This isn’t for everyone, so if I know I’m not serving adventurous eaters, I might skip it!

If you pick two cheeses from a single category (which is totally fine!), make sure that they still contrast in some way. In the cheese board pictured here, I have two soft cheeses – goat cheese and brie – but their flavors are distinct. The goat cheese is tangy and flecked with herbs; the brie is nice and buttery. Even though these cheeses are both soft, my cheese board will offer a variety of flavors.

More Cheese Board Ideas

Once you’ve picked your cheeses, you can start to think about how else you might add texture and flavor to your cheese plate. Dried fruits and nuts? A fancy jam? Honey? Briny olives? I like to choose at least one item from each of these categories:

Something sweet: Balance out the salty, funky cheeses with a little something sweet! Set out a jar of honey or tart cherry or fig jam. Dried and fresh fruits are a great choice too.
Something crunchy: Like nuts, crispy chickpeas, and (of course!) crackers to pair with the cheese.
Something salty: I like olives or cornichons.
And a pop of color: Seasonal fruit such as apples, pears, or grapes will help you out here. In the fall and winter, I also like add festive sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme.

Assembling a Cheese Board

Now for the fun part: putting your cheese board together!

Wash any fresh fruits, and slice larger ones like apples and pears ahead of time. (You can always squeeze them with a bit of lemon juice if you’re worried about browning!) I also like to slice firm and semi-firm cheeses on a cutting board before transferring them to a serving platter. That way, they’re easy for guests to grab and enjoy.

Arrange the fruits and cheeses on your serving platter or board, and fill in the gaps with the other components. When your guests arrive, make sure you have a few cheese knives handy for slicing and spreading the softer cheeses. Enjoy!

More Favorite Appetizer Recipes

If you love this cheese board, try one of these tasty appetizers next: