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Best Cheese for Charcuterie

Best Cheese for Charcuterie can be a variety of textures and a mix of your favorite cheeses! These are great choices for your next cheese platter!

best cheese for charcuterie

This post is for anyone who isn’t quite sure of the best cheeses to put on a charcuterie board.

You will love this post if you need a list of specific items you can pick up in your grocery stores to create the best charcuterie board!

The word Charcuterie is actually a french word meaning cured meat. Typically, a charcuterie board is just cured meats, cold cuts, and maybe some mustard and a little bit of cornichons.

America has decided that anything placed on a board of any kind equals charcuterie. I’m not mad about it.

Let’s learn how to make your next charcuterie board filled with a wide variety of cheeses and the art of preparing these cheese board ideas.

cheeses for charcuterie boards

Best Cheese for Charcuterie

Any type of cheese that you love, include it!

But, if you want to really impress people, let’s go over the perfect charcuterie board cheese ideas.

This will also help you with the perfect additions to your board.

Before we talk about the different types of cheese, let’s chat about all the items you’ll need for your perfect cheese board.

First, you need a good board.

boos board for charcuterie

Choose a solid board that can be used as a cutting board on one side, then the “pretty” side can be what you serve your epic cheese board on!

Pro Tip: If your board looks ashy or dull, give it a good slather of board oil. It will bring it right back to life!

cheese knives for a cheeseboard

You’ll also need cheese knives for the cheese varieties.

I like to use these small white ramekins to put marcona almonds, jams, preserves, or other cheese board sauces.

A Great Way to Choose Different Cheeses

Cheese comes in different flavors, different shapes, and different textures.

The best way to choose cheese is to choose a little bit of everything.

Let’s go over a few options and the different accompaniments that pair with the flavor profile of each cheese.

choosing cheese for a cheese board

Hard to Semi-Hard Cheeses – these are the options for firm cheese that hold its shape when you cut it. They are best served at room temperature, so leave them out on your counter or board an hour before serving.

Cheddar Cheese – this one is always a winner because it’s well-known and loved by almost everyone! You choose an aged cheddar for a really nutty flavor. Choose a white cheddar and pair it with sliced apples, or stick with traditional sharp cheddar and keep it simple.

You can pair a sprinkling of fresh herbs with cheddar like dill or thyme.

Gouda Cheese – aged gouda has a crumbly texture that is really delightful to have on your board. The savory flavors of gouda pair nicely with dried fruit like cherries or apricots.

Soft and Semi-Soft Cheeses:

easy appetizer recipe idea with goat cheese

Goat Cheese – No cheese board is complete without some goat cheese. This pairs brilliantly with fig jam or balsamic glaze. It’s also great with fresh fruit like raspberries and strawberries. The creamy texture offers an excellent choice for your board.

Fresh Mozzarella – paired with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, this is a good cheese to use crispy crostini with. Yum! The mild flavors of this fresh cheese give you a blank canvas for creating a variety of flavors.

Add sun-dried tomatoes and torn fresh basil leaves for a Tuscan feel.

Top with olive oil, salt, and pepper for the classic taste.

Artichoke hearts give a buttery flavor to the mozzarella.

Easy Appetizer Recipe Idea for Baked Brie

Brie Cheese – this is iconic to the best cheese board! Serve it with apricot jam on top and you’ve got a great addition to your board.

This Plum Baked Brie recipe is always a huge hit! It’s one of my favorite ways to serve this great cheese.

A Blue Cheese:

Roquefort – this stinky cheese is easy to pair with honey or truffle honey if you’re feeling fancy! It’s made from sheep’s milk and is one of the oldest varieties of blue cheese to date.

Blue Stilton – A cow’s milk cheese produced in England, it’s one of my favorites to pair with plums. The smooth texture is lovely spread over french bread with either drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

These creamy cheeses are great for special occasions, they do range in the higher price tag!

Arranging the Cheese Plate

On your big board, place your personal preference for cheese on the corners.

condiments for a cheeseboard

It’s best if you cut the cheese, or “start” the cheese.

In a large crowd, it’s the easiest way to make sure people eat the cheese! If they’re standing there speaking with someone it can be frustrating to have to put the plate down and use two hands to get their serving of the cheese tray!

Next, you’ll want to add in the small ramekins of different varieties of jams, preserves, or nuts.

Then, add in your assortment of meats, if you’re using any.

cured meats for charcuterie

Need some options? Choose a few of these:

  • Salami
  • Soppressata
  • Capicola
  • Mortadella
  • Tavern Ham

Finally, fill in the space with crackers and the like to eat your various cheeses with.

Of course, a glass of wine like a cabernet sauvignon is the best way to enjoy all of these together!

Other Charcuterie Posts

These posts might be handy for you! If you’re exploring the charcuterie platter world give these a view:

Charcuterie Board Sauces

How Much Does a Charcuterie Board Cost?

Condiments for a Charcuterie Board

Save this post to your favorite Cheese Board on Pinterest!

Best Cheese for Charcuterie

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