What to Put On Your Thanksgiving Cheese Board
The most important thing about your Thanksgiving cheese board is to create something simple that you and your guests will love. Our rule of thumb is to make sure each cheese lover is represented -- from mild to WILD. Below are some of our favorite choices and tips for an easy, DIY cheese board that's both delicious and eye-catching!
Something Spreadable: Spreadable cheeses are perfect with crusty bread, think chevre, brie, camembert, or whipped feta. Butter also works well here, just add some farmer's market radishes for freshness and crunch. Into the tinned fish trend, but not sure where to start? Add spiced tuna or mackerel paté -- the “gateway tin.”
Something Spoonworthy: Tap into your inner cheese snob by breaking out the extremely rare and seasonal fall cheeses. Most come in their own rounds, and all of them do well as is -- just cut the top off and serve with a spoon at room temp or bake in the oven with a little white wine and herbs-- and voila, fondue. This year, we're carrying Rush Creek Reserve, Mont D'Or, and Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve.
Something Firm: Reserve some space for the crowd-pleasers. Go with an aged cheddar like Deer Creek's The Stag, a traditional, hearty Gouda like Brabander or L'Amuse Signature, a sweet Manchego like our house favorite, 1605, Comté, Gruyére, or the bright orange-hued conversation-starter: Mimolette.
Something Funky: Trust us, almost every party has a funky cheese lover. Make them happy with bouncy, washed rinds like Taleggio, Bufarolo, or Grayson-- all great with stone-fruit-based jams or, go tangy with pickles and olives.
Something Blue: Yes, blue cheese is polarizing for some. Try and meet somewhere in the middle with 'converters' or milder blue cheeses that win over the blue averse: Fourme d'Ambert and Green River Blue from Asheville's Looking Glass Creamery. Alternatively, if you're serving a blue-loving crowd go for the classic Colston Basset Stilton.
The Wildcard: Something unusual and unexpected is always fun, and bonus points if it adds a little color. We like Ubriacone, which we call the "Drunken Cow" because it's injected with red wine and adds purple hues, or consider Alisios, which is made in the Canary Islands and rubbed with local paprika on its edible rind.
Accompaniments: When it comes to cheese accessories -- go for what you love! Nuts for crunch, olives and pickles for tang, mustard for bite, plus crackers (nothing too strong in flavor) and fresh baguette. Nothing brightens up a board more than fresh produce in perfectly autumn hues of red, gold, and purple. We love red grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, strawberries, raspberries, golden berries, citrus, and whatever might be in season. For spreads, we recommend fig jam or stone fruit jams, plus some local honey or chocolate.
Come see us for your Thanksgiving cheese needs. Or if you want to let us do the work for you, check out our Thanksgiving Cheese Board options HERE.
