This post is sponsored by Cracker Barrel Cheese. All opinions are mine.
If I learned anything while living in Napa, it’s that a good cheese board is a necessity to any and all gatherings. Charcuterie boards are so perfect for having guests over and are appropriate for everything from football games to fancier celebrations. To be honest, I am more of a “snacker”, so even as a family, we have cheese boards for dinner more often than I care to admit.
A solid cheese board is a fool proof way to impress anyone from a group of coworkers to the neighborhood kids.
After practicing a dozen times, I’ve come up with a list of six elements that I think all cheese boards should have. I am a sucker for boards with lots of options outside of simply cheese and crackers.
1 | Cheese, duh.
Ya can’t have a cheese board without… cheese…! Cracker Barrel Cheese has you covered. For this one I used some of the Rich and Bold Cubes (aged white cheddar) and 10 ct. Cheese Sticks (sharp cheddar). They have a huge variety of options at Kroger for your gatherings OR personal snack needs. A couple other products I like to keep stocked for my snack attacks are the Cheese Dip and Pretzels and Pairing Boards. Cracker Barrel Cheese has been around since 1954 and is known for the best and boldest cheese.
2 | Crackers
When I say crackers, feel free to interpret as “carbs”. You can go any direction from water crackers to pita chips to cheese straws and baguettes. Get creative! When I do a large board, I have at least three options.
3 | Fruit
I try to do a combination of both fresh and dried fruit. On this board I used grapes (which I think are a must for every cheese board), and dried mango. I also love dried cherries and cranberries.
4 | Nuts
Nuts are another one that you can be creative with. Most stores have a great selection of seasoned nuts. For this one, I grabbed a sweet praline mix. Another favorite to include are marcona almonds!
5 | Pickled Something
Are olives pickled? Whatever. Anyway, olives are a MUST (my favorite olive is Castelvetrano). Also great options: sweet gherkins or dill cornichons.
6 | Meat
As long as you aren’t a vegetarian, meat must be on the charcuterie board! There are lots of crowd pleasers in this category, but I usually do a couple variations of salami, a thinly sliced prosciutto, and sometimes pepperoni. The deli will have you covered with options for carnivore.
You can go crazy within those six elements and not only make a cheese board that’s to die for, but you can also change the variation so that every time is new and exciting. Don’t forget to grab your Cracker Barrel cheese staples from Kroger!
